I think that part of the electronic companies' problems is that they keep releasing these new formats, and continue to release newer models with more features at lower prices, leading to a kind of deflationary market. I've been in the market for a new DVD player with progressive scan for about a year now, but keep putting it off because, first, I thought I might like a model with DVD-A capability, just to try out. Then, I thought I'd wait for a decent universal player (a la the Denon 2900, Marantz 8400), and replace my current DVD player and the 222ES in one fell swoop. But now there are rumors of the new "blue laser" HD DVD players coming, and SACD II, so I'm inclined to wait again.
It seems that if, by buying a new product now, I'm going to be stuck with something that will soon be "obsolete," I might as well sit on my money and keep the gear I have. As someone who has perfectly good and functioning gear, it makes little sense for me to go out and spend another $1000 on a universal player to replace it, when in just the next couple years either (1) I can get an equivalent-performing model for much less money, or (2) get a model with much higher performance via a "new and improved" format for the same money.
In short, instead of spending money on new product now, I continuously have my sights set on the "new and improved" carrot the manufacturers set before me. After all, aren't I extremely happy that I never bought a DCC player? True, technology always has, and always will, marched forward with better performing gear, but nowadays that march seems to be at an outrageously accelerated pace.
I probably should mention that even though I already own an SACD player, I only own about ten or twelve SACDs in a collection of approximately 400 CDs. I (now) am very careful to only buy Hybrid discs -- just in case -- which, ironically, makes it very difficult to buy practically anything that one of SACD's founders (Sony) puts on disc.
Maybe in the end, I'll buy a cheap Panasonic or Samsung progressive scan player to replace my aging unit, and simply save my money to upgrade my Dynaudio Audience 60s to some Dynaudio Contour 3.4s, or Sonus Faber Cremonas. Speakers, unlike a new universal player or other high-end digital source, seem like a safe bet to me. Manufacturers are only too eager to unleash new technology for storage of the source material, but the general tried and true methods for coupling that information to the air seems less likely to change.
Just my two-cents. (And despite all this, I still am looking forward to Tuberoller's review of the Denon 2900. Will the madness ever end?)