George,

I agree with the sentiment made.

I'm not exactly sure how M can approach this, but, there is definitely a hi-fi wide awakening to the fact that technology has become cheaper and cheaper and the difference between hi-fi and med-fi is getting les and less. Combined with the speed at which the technology changes and the likelihood that we (customers) are unlikely to jump in and get burnt so quickly next time, means that M futures business plan must be quite a challenge in the 0-5 yrs frame.

You only have to look at the numbers of Hikers here who now use PC/streaming devices with less of the niggles than your average 5xx or Gxx player. The cost being in small hundreds of ��� or $$$ rather than multiple thousands.

There may be a difference in SQ but clearly not enough to stem the flow of migrants to squeezebox/turbo gadgets and the like.

Add to this scenario the appalling manner in which the format battle is being played out; the inadvertent sentiments that DVD-A (and SACD) is dead;, the mess that dual-disc is in with much content not actually being hi-res as we'd know it......it goes on.

Of course we are still here and we are likely to buy something every so often but whether it will even resemble something in the M line up is a big question.

I bet this is keeping a few people awake at night in Cambridgeshire.

Rgds,
Nick