ESS adds a little high-end glitz with strategic relationship including Linn Products and Sony to add

ESS is hoping to broaden its market into higher priced markets with the addition of SACD support for its DVD products and by offering a development platform built by consumer electronics manufacturer Linn. The Linn Silver Disc Engine debuted at CES 2002. It combined Sony’s SACD capabilities with the ESS Vibratto. The SACD format, an alternative high quality audio format alternative to DVD Audio plays any disk including CD, SACD, Multi Channel SACD, DVD and DVD audio. It is expected that a great many next generation players will sidestep the standards battle and will support for both SACD and DVD Audio given the public’s relative unenthusiastic response to a technology change for music disks. As the reference design house for the Sony and ESS design, Linn will build two standard versions, a mid-market product and a high-end product. The kits offered to manufacturers will include loader, PCBs, and software and will be available in mid-202.