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Coverage of HI-FI '99 from Chicago, USA -- May 12-16, 1999
As recently as a few months ago, Sony announced that it had abandoned the idea of "hybrid" discs that will play in both CD and SACD players. However, version 1.0 of the SACD format includes full specification for hybrid discs (as well as multichannel recordings), and Sony announced that some of the initial titles to be released will be in the hybrid format. You can expect, however, that these will be recordings from audiophile labels like Telarc, Mobile Fidelity and Delos and not Sony Legacy or Sony Classical. Miles Davis' Kind of Blue and Sketches of Spain along with Billy Joel's 52nd Street are among the titles announced for earliest release. The Sony SCD-1 will play CDs and comes bundled with a Telarc SACD music sampler. |
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Copyright © 1999 |
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Sony and
Philips announced the October 1999 US launch of the first SACD player, the Sony SCD-1,
along with some 40 SACD music titles. Both companies tout SACD as the "format for the
next 20 years" that will "revitalize the industry." The retail price of the
player will be $5000; Philips chose not to comment on the ultimate street price of the
discs, but the company is working to lower it. Expect to pay a premium price, especially
early on.