Stacey,
You are soo correct about the average consumer. My reaction to all this SACD / DVD-A winning a format war is: both dont matter to the mass market and offer nothing compelling to the mass market. MLP does offer something compelling- an improved compression scheme in terms of sound quality.

MP3- my take on this is as everyone else but I find a kind of poetic justice in that the record companies admitted to gouging the consumer for years and now they are getting their just disserts. I am all in favor of their fully protecting their IP, but Im not in a fan of these non CD compliant discs nor gouging us. As far as Im concerned, they can stop making new CDs right now. I already have all the good music I could want and I legally bought it and I also have it all ripped at 320kps and will re-rip it into the 880 when it arrives............ (well, not all of it, and not all with MLP, some music can get ripped at the higher compression of MP3)

Best regards,
Jerry
Main System: 861v6, DSP8000s in corners, DSP7000s Center and Sides, 1-9 humans.