To SACD or not to SACD, that is the question. - Page 9

http://www.amazon.com/Yamaha-DVD-S1800BL-1080p-Upconverting-Player/dp/B000WKTG76/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1281149428&sr=8-1

Wonderful player.  I have one.  Does SACD.  I got it as a universal player.  Does an excellent job upscaling DVDs.  I got it when Amazon had them for $79.  Then they got smart that people were buying these rapidly.  Still a good deal at $208.
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by HiWire 

The Oppo BDP-83 is the cheapest new SACD player that I am aware of. I've invested in a small collection of SACDs (mostly RCA Living Stereo) so far, but I'm only listening to their Red Book layers on an upsampling CD player. The absence of a viable rock and popular music catalog is killing SACD.

Quote:

Originally Posted by HiWire 

The Oppo BDP-83 is the cheapest new SACD player that I am aware of. I've invested in a small collection of SACDs (mostly RCA Living Stereo) so far, but I'm only listening to their Red Book layers on an upsampling CD player. The absence of a viable rock and popular music catalog is killing SACD.

Oppo's own BDP-80 is nearly half the price of the 83. It handles all the same formats including SACD. It might be a better buy for certain users, as Oppo clearly states:

http://www.oppodigital.com/blu-ray-bdp-80/

Pioneer has some good prices right now as well: http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/PUSA/Products/HomeEntertainment/AudioComponents/Hi-FiAudio/ci.PD-D6-J.Kuro?tab=B

Dakmart sells refurbs of the great entry level Sony SCD-CE595 player for around $110:

http://cgi.ebay.com/SONY-SCDCE595-SCD-CE595-5-CD-CHANGER-SACD-W-WARRANTY-/170523024399?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0

Sherwood's Newcastle line has an excellent player that I paid around $700 for a few years back, now selling new for $229. Video performance nothing special but sound is top notch:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Sherwood-Newcastle-SD-871-Universal-DVD-Player-NEW-/290414849013?pt=DVD_Players_Recorders

These are just a few examples of many. I like SACD for the surround aspect and for the better mastering aspect, and since the prices are reasonable it doesn't hurt to try it out. It's not like any of the players ONLY play SACD exclusively and are worthless for anything else.

can we rip SACD into wav file  or Lp or DVD- audio  or XRCD which in my opinion sound definitely better than

redbook CD and playback, stream out by M2tech or HRT streamer, through a good DAC and used with a good headphone

or we just use good quality USB, will that help improve sound quality of the music?

No, the SACD is DRM protected, so any digital out with an SACD player is automatically downsampled to 48 kHz.

There may me a trick with the 1st gen PS3 or some other device, but you'd have to research yourself.
 

If you are going in that direction the Oppo looks to be the way to go.

Experts with many years experience in the audiophile game seem to agree.

http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=77942

http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=76749&pid=701777&mode=threaded&start=

I know. Amazing isn't i?.

ha,, great title,

  being one who doesn't sacd and may never sacd, and who is currently listening to an lp,(happens to be kool and  the gang lol)  i think you know where i stand..

  that being said if if could actually find music i like on sacd, i probably would have a go, or maybe when  future technology  makes it easier for bands to record to sacd, leading to a much more diverse selection..... but really i have no idea how hard it is to record to sacd,  but i doubt it sounds as good as a moving coil.

but i still think that sacd is cool ha

tally ho

As I mentioned in a thread 5 years ago...

I think SACD sounds INFERIOR to CD. And I own 2 SACD players (one which retailed for $2000+), lol

DSD has trouble with treble. I recall some threads a couple years back on DSD's decreasing resolution with higher frequencies. I haven't been in the game since then, but I suppose this is still true.

+1 on the Oppo. I own a Oppo-BDP83 SE and run it straight into a power amp (Classe 2100). On my system at least, SACD beats redbook via PW Dac.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Czilla9000 

As I mentioned in a thread 5 years ago...

 

I think SACD sounds INFERIOR to CD. And I own 2 SACD players (one which retailed for $2000+), lol

 

DSD has trouble with treble. I recall some threads a couple years back on DSD's decreasing resolution with higher frequencies. I haven't been in the game since then, but I suppose this is still true.

Good point! Redbook has it's own issues, so I don't know if it is superior, but SACD is not the perfect format. DVD-A is better than both formats soundwize IMHO, but it's a moot point because of the limited selection. 

The best sources other than live sound for me is: 

1) a live brodcast from a radio station through a high end tuner

2) analogue tape

3) vinyl

4) DVD-A

5) SACD

6) Redbook

I think it has more to do with how the sound engineer mastered the tracks than it has to do with one format being superior or inferior compared to the other one. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by robm321 

Good point! Redbook has it's own issues, so I don't know if it is superior, but SACD is not the perfect format. DVD-A is better than both formats soundwize IMHO, but it's a moot point because of the limited selection. 

 

The best sources other than live sound for me is: 

 

1) a live brodcast from a radio station through a high end tuner

2) analogue tape

3) vinyl

4) DVD-A

5) SACD

6) Redbook

Actually, live broadcast is inferior to redbook.

First the sound in digitized in near-readbook format on site in real time, then it is packed into an equivalent of lossy mp3 through a high spped telephone line to the radio studios, where it is converted back into red book PCM, then converted to analog, and broadcasted.

Unless you talk about radio stations with their own recording room, with guest musicians playing live from the studios.

Oh, and I forgot about vinyl : unless you talk about vinyls from before the 70s, or about nowadays audiophile editions, vinyls are digitized too. The cutting lathe uses an AD/DA delay line in order to drive the cutting stylus after the initial signal is used to anticipate the groove spacing. 50 kHz is an example of sample rate used in the early days of digital cutting lathes.

Quote:

Originally Posted by robm321 

The best sources other than live sound for me is: 

 

1) a live brodcast from a radio station through a high end tuner

2) analogue tape

3) vinyl

4) DVD-A

5) SACD

6) Redbook

FM is generally limited to 15Khz, though I agree it can sound great, I grew up with Stereo FM from my dad's attic room using a big-arsed roof aerial, amazing on Radio 3 classical broadcasts such as the proms.

Vinyl, is technically inferior on many parameters to redbook, not least noise, distortion, potential dynamic range, linearity and speed stability, some theoretical superiority on transient response, better at square waves, goes above 20K, DBT experiments seem to suggest AD of vinyl does not audibly degrade signal (BAS, matrixhifi). Information theory analysis suggests more or less equivalent to 13 bits over 20 - 20K range. Noise unavoidable, quiet classical passages noise very intrusive. Radial tracking means groove contact optimum only for limited range, maximum output alters as reach center of disc, difficulty tracking high energy high frequencies at center, bass summed to mono below 90hz no big deal, not directional, relatively poor channel separation. Only gets close to technical limits with very expensive players (read quiet) and pristine vinyl, absurdly sensitive to environmental factors.

DVD-A/SACD - Blech and Yang (2004) suggest *extremely* difficult to hear difference between two on a format basis only. Supposed theoretical advantages on both, real academic holy war.

High res/redbook - no strong empirical evidence to suggest audible differences in format only, no DBTs showing ability to detect differences, only one journal paper somewhat disputed (Meyer and Moran, 2007) but null results from large sample. Can Sony or Philips please replicate this study ?