[Audio Redneck]

I'm just going to through this out and see what I get:

1. Am I correct that SACDs, unless they are dual-layer hybrids, canNOT be read in CD-ROM drives? How about the hybrids?

2. Is there a digital out on most of the SACD players that can be connected to the digital in of a (take your pick) recording device?

3. Just for the sake of asking, has anybody with a home CDR deck recorded a CDR (for use at the office or the car) of an SACD and compared the sound of the two?

I'm mainly asking as I (a) hope to get an SACD deck one day, (b) hope to get a CDR deck one day (living with the one in my PC for now), and (c) laugh every time I read about RIAA trying to prevent copying for personal use (if I can make an CD or MP3 from a tape or record, they are a long way from preventing me from dubbing a CD)

If you can provide links to SACD compatibility/incompatability info, please do.

 

[Whitebread]

As of right now, computers can't play SACD. I'm not gonna go into it casue I don't understand it myself. Most SACD players have a digital out but it isn't for SACD. Sony designed the format so that it CAN'T be sent through digital out. You MUST use analog output if you want to play sacd. The digital output is only for CDs. Computers can't even read the SACD so copying itsn't gonna happen. Actually, I think DVD drives can but the computer can't play it. As for copyin, you have to have a speical drive that can copy it and Sony is the only one that has them cause they developed the fomat. They won't lend them to anyone unless is a project, etc.. (Company, not people). It'll be a LONG time before you can copy a SACD and get SACD quality on that coppied CD. For right now, you MUST buy a SACD deck. Their not that much money if you get the base model.

 

[andrzejpw]

The hybrid layer, otoh, CAN be ripped, copied, played on a computer, etc. That's a reason that I like hybrid SACDs. Buy em now, use them later!

 

[Whitebread]

The Hybrid laver on the SACD is just 16bit CD quality music. It isn't SACD quality. They just do that so that a person can buy an Sacd and listen to the same music, at a lower quality though, on a CD player.

And about the analog recording thing. Using analog you could record it but your not gonna get SACD quality so it's not worth it.

 

[Born2bwire]

As to digital out, I don't know if they have any players with that capability yet, but in the promotional/informational literature that comes with SACD's states that the digital out would be firewire and I assume it's only up to the hardware makers to take the initiative and provide such an output. As far as I know, digital should be a possibility.

 

[Whitebread]

I don't think digital output is possible with SACD. Especially with the multichannel SACDs cause coxial and lptical (I think) don't have the bandwidth to send 5 channel of SACD quality audio. Same's true with DVD-A, I dont' think you'll ever see DVA-A sent through digital interconnects. As for the SACDs, Sony dilibertaly created the format that SACD is in with a "security function" that doesn't let the audio commin from it be send through digital interconnects. I believe that is the case, also, all recivers can't reconize SACD sent as a digital signal, it's not PCM audio and it's not compressed at all (let alone one of the Dolby or DTS formats that it can reconize through digital input). I don't remember everything but I'm pretty sure I'm right.

 

[blip]

Besides that, Sony has very restricitive licensing agreements... Even if the hardware was capable of handling it, hardwar manufacturers would not be allowed to build it with an option for a digital out. As far as I know Sony's actually got us on this one.

More interesting is the prospect of using DVD-As in PC DVD drives. The audigy 2 will supposedly support this. Generally when something is exposed to the rough and ready world of the PC copy protection and other such things break down fairly rapidly. Supposedly the DVD-A interface on the Audigy is uncrackable but that's been said about many schemes in the past.

 

[jatinder]

SACDs can't be played in PCs because of software issues.

If the PC-DVD drive and OS had the right software, then the SACD layer (and DVD-A discs) should be playable in the same way as DVD discs play.

There are standards now for SACD digital-out - based on firewire.

--Jatinder

 

[Whitebread]

I do believe SACD will be "Cracked" eventuily and we'll be able to copy and play it on the computer, it's only a matter of time.

 

[Whitebread]

Also about the digital output, you'd need something to decode the signal, A/V recievers can't do that (they may never be able to cause of the way Sony is). You'd need some external decoder and that's just stupid when you can get the decoder right in the player.

 

[Audio Redneck]

Ok, I've read through this and thanks for your responces.

Quote:

Originally posted by Whitebread ..... And about the analog recording thing. Using analog you could record it but your not gonna get SACD quality so it's not worth it.

My only comment on this is that if I am burning a CDR for the car or making MP3's to save on my computer or MP3 player (I can see adding one of these to the car some day), I am not getting the quality of the source for ANY source (other than original MP3s). So unless I got a second SACD player for the office (VERY doubtful in my case), I would totally accept lower quality format anyway for the sake of convenience and because of the listening invironment.

But I still am curious if anyone who has an SACD player and a CDR deck (like a Pioneer 609) has made a dub and compared it to an OEM of the same material. MacDEF? MBriant?

 

[Whitebread]

If that's the case, then get hybrid SACDs whenever you can. Otherwise, just connect the left and right analog output plugs to a stand alone CD-R deck or the inputs on your sound card and record.