Hmm...I just dropped the Rebecca Pidgeon's "The Raven" SACD into my CT-470, and am listening to it now, as I type. Hybrid SACD has a redbook as well as an SACD layer, so they're playable on what's out there now, but ready for when an SACD decoder is available. The redbook layer shows off the DSD mastering nicely. Even if it's not SACD, it's still a nice sounding CD, sonically much better than most commercial redbook CDs, and playable on redbook players NOW.

Please let me know when I can do this with DVD-A. What's frustrating is that those titles that have been released in DVD-A tend to be more interesting to me than those on SACD. Still, there's not enough of either, and they're both expensive relative to redbook.

To get back to the original question asked, most redbook players should be able to play a hybrid SACD, just not the SACD layer. Hybrid SACD also has the "compact disk digital audio" logo on it. Whether any given player has compatibility issues with hybrids can only be determined empirically.

IMO making hybrid SACD backward compatible with CD was a very shrewd move, but useless unless software starts rolling out.

Panasonic is already making a DVD-A headphone. Below is a link to J & R, which is selling the things. I saw these cans advertised at J & R months ago. This discussion reminded me that they are there. Anyone tried 'em?

http://shop.store.yahoo.com/jandr/pan-rphda100.html

My question is, Is that J&R's add copy or Panasonic's?

Typical of what you would expect from Wal-Mart or K-Mart. Remember "Digital Ready"?

Anyway, a 2 way system. Sounds interesting if somebody wants to be the guinea pig to try them and report on the "Experience".

Do I sound cynical? I like Panasonic products, but this seems a little far fetched. Other opinions?

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Dunno.

Sony also has what it bills as 'surround sound' headphones, but I think theirs is more a combination of a wireless set of cans matched with a Dolby Digital processor. Looks nice, tho.

http://www.sel.sony.com/SEL/consumer...es/index.shtml

Those Panasonics are not surround sound. They are a stereo headphone using a 2-way driver rather than the hybrid single coil driver used in most dynamic phones. It is for frequency response and reduced inter-modulation distortion, and has nothing to do with extra channels.

Whether it really sounds better, I don't know. I am dieing to try them, but I don't feel like ordering them just to return them. Last time I tried that stunt I ended up with a set of K1000s AND a set of HD600s. Couldn't let go of either

I do have both SACD and DVD audio players. The DVDA has been a pain in that it requires a video connection to navigate to the stereo tracks. It is really falling into the surround quagmire. I don't like surround since I have yet to hear a surround system that doesn't sound just goofy to me, video or audio. That includes a Krell/Martin Logan system that I listened to yesterday. Just my personal taste I guess.

I saw a pic of those last year...well, 2000. It was while trying to find some info on them that I stumbled across Headwize. And now mucho money later....

Someone should buy those though. I've always wondered if they were good or not.