For more than two years, audio- and videophiles have been hearing about the SACD and DVD-Audio formats. But judging from the number of units sold, far more people have heard about the new formats than have heard them in their own homes. Until recently, I was among that poor huddled mass, but the arrival of Marantz's new SA-12S1 SACD player has changed all that. Is SACD worthy of the hype? More specifically, is the SA-12S1 worth its lofty price tag of $3800? Welcome to the wonderful world of early adoption.

McIntosh ranks among the best-known names in high-end audio. Since the company's inception in the early 1950s, McIntosh products, with their immediately recognizable black-glass front panels, have earned a place in homes of passionate audiophiles throughout the world.

I Reviewed the Meridian 568 surround processor in the December 2000 SGHT, and since then I've used it almost continuously in one of my two systems. So I was expectantly curious when I discovered that Meridian was sending out their new 568.2 processor ($6995) to replace it, along with the new, companion 598 DVD-Audio player. (Actually, they sent me the 568.2MM, which includes the multichannel input module and lists for $7745.)

"Despair all yea that hope for a true high-def movie format before late 2006."I read that in the background of one of the opening scenes in HBO's Rome, which looks utterly fabulous in high-def, by the way. Many videophiles, even the well-heeled ones, find it difficult to justify spending high dollars for a DVD player whose useful lifespan can be measured in months rather than years. With the new HD formats on the horizon (yes, I realize it's a receding one) the appeal of an inexpensive DVD player that can tide them over until the next technological storm is undeniably seductive.