SACD player - headphone amp - Page 2

The only way AFAIK to get digital out from SACD player is through HDMI as thats the only connection with enough bandwidth to accomodate the data. You'll need a SACD player that can do HDMI and send SACD over HDMI and a receiver capable of decoding LPCM and the DAC in the receiver will be used to decode the information.

So just to clarify, since I'm considering sacd as well:

If my headphone amp has a buit-in DAC than I will not get the sacd layer?

and if it does not have 5 channel input, like my reciever, it will not play the 5.1 surround sound?

Here is the back of my amp in case this helps answer the question.

Thanks in advance for any help.

You can only use your headphone amp as an amplifier. You cannot use it as a DAC with SACD. You'll just need to take RCA L and R from the SACD player and connect it to you HP amp and pick the 2channel area on the SACD player and you can listen to SACDs.

Optical or coaxial cannot take SACD info to a dac, so you can only get the CD layer to your DAC via digital cables.

As for 5.1 yes, you need discrete 6 channel inputs to get 5.1 sound or a receiver capable of getting 6 channel signals from HDMI.

Awesome! And thanks for info. So basically the dac in the sacd player will bypass the dac built into my HP amp when using the RCA L and R inputs?

And than I guess the question is without the surround sound is there a noticeable improvement in the 2channel area over the plain CD layer. 

Thanks again in advance for any help.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jilgiljongiljing 

The only way AFAIK to get digital out from SACD player is through HDMI as thats the only connection with enough bandwidth to accomodate the data. You'll need a SACD player that can do HDMI and send SACD over HDMI and a receiver capable of decoding LPCM and the DAC in the receiver will be used to decode the information.

To further clarify the above....

SACDs are encoded in DSD (Direct-Stream Digital).  The DSD bitstream can be decoded by either the SACD player's internal DAC or an external DAC when connected by HDMI.  Currently, the only external DSD DACs can only be found within some home theater receivers.

The DSD bitstream can either be decoded directly from DSD to analog, or converted from DSD to PCM, then to analog.  Depending whether you're a "purist" or not, some prefer a straight DSD to analog conversion.  Others claim that the conversion from DSD to PCM then to analog is transparent enough that the extra conversion step don't hurt sound quality.  Only your ears will tell you which "camp" you're in.

SACD began life as a 2 channel format.  While the audiophile press like to emphasize SACD's multi-channel surround capability, the format is nonetheless a true 2 channel format.  In fact, most of the top-end SACD players are 2 channel only players; no multi-channel surround option on these players.

As to whether a 2 channel SACD will be a noticeable improvement over a regular CD, I'd say that SACD can sound stunning in 2 channel if the disc's production is up to the potential of the format.  All I know is that my old and inexpensive Sony SACD/DVD/CD player sounds wonderful with my Grado SR60.          

Hmm. More interesting information. I'm really on the fence about this one. It's really not that expensive to jump in and get one. I've just read so many mixed reviews on the format. Thanks again for the insights.

Thanks for the input regarding DACs and SACDs...Now I know what to do...take the Lavry DA 10 DAC out of the setup and use it for my PC headphone amp...after I figger how to connect the freaking soundcard on the PC to the Lavry's S/PDIF or optical inputs...its not just the limitations of the equipment I have to deal with, also the connector configurations for each individual audio component...

It is the poor boy's solution a dedicated all-in-one music server, I guess.  Proglover: thanks for the timely question....seems some of us benefitted well.