SHM-CD Format: Hype or Hope?, Metallica's New Album Options

[Livy]

There's been a lot of discussion over at SA-CD Net about SHM-CD's and whether the "clearer plastic" technology they use generates any actual improvement in sound quality. Many people simply don't believe that would be possible. Metallica's new album - Death Magnetic - is going to be released in Japan in SHM-CD format.

I'm not very knowledgeable about this area - does anyone here know more or have opinions about SHM-CD?

Edit: I've read that mastering engineer Ted Jansen is going to working on this album - whether as mastering and recording engineer, I don't know.

This post has been edited by Livy: Jul 29 2008, 15:48

[Tahnru]

Oh I know! And you can't even make it from the wall to receiver without one of these!

I forgot about bi-wiring ... I guess I'll have to sell my other kidney to pick up the second set. Should I go with another of the same pair as I currently have, or should I upgrade to something better?

[me7]

...or should I upgrade to something better?

HOLY SHIT!!! I'd love to meet the moron who invented this just to tell him how stupid he is.

[honestguv]

...or should I upgrade to something better?

HOLY SHIT!!! I'd love to meet the moron who invented this just to tell him how stupid he is.

Why is he stupid?

Selling a product where the cost of purchasing the item (or manufacturing in one or two cases) is a very small fraction of the retail price does not look stupid to me. Significant costs are going to be in the marketing and this needs to be effective for consumers of expensive audiophile cables. It does not matter much what those who are not consumers think of the marketing.

I would suggest that the consumers of expensive audiophile may well be described as stupid in most cases but I can see no reason to assume stupidity on the part of the suppliers.