Of course, beauty is in the ear of the beholder, and many audio experts say digital sound is comparable to analog sound, or better.

But audio experts said prices must drop a lot more before DAT players have the potential to become a true mass market product.

Even audio experts and sound-system makers acknowledge that configuring a surround sound system at home can be daunting, but they offer some ways to survive the ordeal.

While Philips said the quality would be as high as in compact disks and digital audio tape, audio experts doubt that this will be possible.

Intentional or not, audio experts say fooling the ear into hearing a ringing phone isn't hard.

A previous copy-protection plan proposed by the record industry encountered great opposition and was abandoned because it would have altered the music in a way some audio experts said would be noticeable.

As this was happening, audio experts began identifying clear edits in the May 31 tapes.

Cutting Some Costs There are several reasons the music industry might support digital compact cassettes over digital audio tape, according to audio experts.

The goal, many audio experts say, is to improve sound quality both on portable devices and in the living room.

The central question for the audio experts who will analyze today's recording is whether they can separate all the sounds.