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Thread: SACD, how do you REALLY feel about it?

  1. #1
    Join Date: Apr 2015

    Location: Central Virginia

    Posts: 1,736
    I'm Russell.

    Default SACD, how do you REALLY feel about it?

    I recently bought a used CD player, a Cary 306.200. Which sold for a tidy sum when new, and at 5 years old it plays CD’s sublimely. (Is that a word?). I could not be happier with its performance! But it does not play SACD’s, and when I was shopping I pondered buying a unit that did play SACD, or perhaps a universal player. I reasoned that I don’t presently own any SACD’s or DVDA’s, so why pay for the hardware to play them? Plus, a search on available titles proved lacking in the music I like.

    So what am I missing? Is it really great? Does it trounce regular CD’s? Is it worth the trouble even with limited titles? Or can you take it or leave it? I see a lot of you listing SACD’s in the “What’s Spinning?”, thread. Please share your thoughts!

    Russell


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  2. #2
    Join Date: Jan 2008

    Location: gone

    Posts: 11,519
    I'm gone.

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    I've had a few SACD-capable players over the years.
    Waste of time, imho.

    I didn't really notice any difference, the individual recording differences between albums were way bigger than any SACD benefits I might (or might not) have heard.

    And, worse, they brought out an OCD element in my personality that isn't usually in evidence - despite not really hearing any worthwhile improvement I found I was restricting my musical diet to SACD recordings! And buying more and more of the damned expensive things. And usually the best albums are not available on SACD anyway.

    What a muffin.

    So, no SACD for me, thanks.
    .

  3. #3
    Join Date: Feb 2011

    Location: England

    Posts: 290
    I'm James.

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    DSD whether it comes from an SACD or a file from a PC sounds dull and lifeless to me.
    I too don't get what the fuss is about, give me good ol' PCM anytime.

    Jim.

  4. #4
    Join Date: Feb 2013

    Location: W Lothian

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    I'm Grant.

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    I can play sacd but almost always play the cd layer. Not a big fan
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  5. #5
    Join Date: Aug 2009

    Location: Staffordshire, England

    Posts: 37,779
    I'm Martin.

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    SACD was yesterday's con.

    The new con is MQA. I wouldn't buy into that, either.
    Current Lash Up:

    TEAC VRDS 701T > Sony TAE1000ESD > Krell KSA50S > JM Labs Focal Electra 926.

  6. #6
    Join Date: Dec 2016

    Location: Kent TN8

    Posts: 136
    I'm Graham.

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    I sold all my SACD's,went through a phase of buying quite a few,but as mentioned before I just didn't get them and preferred the original CD,did make a tidy profit on them though
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  7. #7
    Join Date: Jan 2014

    Location: County Durham, England

    Posts: 555
    I'm Malcolm.

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    Much depends on mastering quality - and lots of that survives onto the CD layer, but the best ones are IMHO sublime. I'm fairly relaxed, though, about whether I listen to vinyl, SACD, CD (usually ripped) FLAC, ALAC, MP3 and whether I own or stream.

    SACD is still the best way to deliver discrete multichannel music - and this for me is its principal raison d'etre. I despair of Blu-ray discs (and some DVD-A) that require on-screen navigation to access audio only content (Sgt. Pepper's, The Division Bell are some of the main villains here). Classical in surround is my big driver for continuing to buy SACD - a genre that is very well served by SACD. Definitely worth it.

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  8. #8
    Join Date: Feb 2016

    Location: Melksham, Wiltshire

    Posts: 726
    I'm Peter.

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by m10 View Post
    Much depends on mastering quality - and lots of that survives onto the CD layer, but the best ones are IMHO sublime. I'm fairly relaxed, though, about whether I listen to vinyl, SACD, CD (usually ripped) FLAC, ALAC, MP3 and whether I own or stream.

    SACD is still the best way to deliver discrete multichannel music - and this for me is its principal raison d'etre. I despair of Blu-ray discs (and some DVD-A) that require on-screen navigation to access audio only content (Sgt. Pepper's, The Division Bell are some of the main villains here). Classical in surround is my big driver for continuing to buy SACD - a genre that is very well served by SACD. Definitely worth it.
    Sorry, this is a bit of a YES / NO / MAYBE answer.

    SACD is, and can be fabulous with the right Transport (not mentioning what brand). After spending what I consider a fortune on a Transport, I’m really disappointed as to the cost of SACD (only) disks “Not Hybrid”. The Japanese market is very different to ours, as they have embraced the technology and here in the UK finding the artist that you want is a bit of “Hit and Miss affair”, and it costs the earth.

    I think my advice is...... if I was as informed then, as I am now.... I probably wouldn’t have spent so much money on this technology. I guess the only bonus is.... with a decent Transport, CD also sounds FAB.

    The really irritating thing is ...... waiting 5 weeks or more + import duty to buy SACD from Japan, is a PAIN!!!!

    So...... as always, I head back to good old Vinyl when all else fails.

    Peter


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  9. #9
    Join Date: Apr 2008

    Location: Warrington

    Posts: 3,451
    I'm Neil.

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    Pick your poison: potential phase or impulse response issues (PCM) or ultrasonic noise issues affecting downstream components (DSD).
    Mana Acoustics Racks / Bright Star IsoNodes Decoupling >> Allo DigiOne Player >> Pedja Rogic's Audial Model S DAC + Pioneer PL-71 turntable / Vista Audio phono-1 mk II / Denon PCL-5 headshell / Reson Reca >> LFD DLS >> LFD PA2M (SE) >> Royd RR3s.

  10. #10
    Join Date: Feb 2008

    Location: South Wales

    Posts: 9,151
    I'm NotTakingLifeTooSeriouslyTheseDays.

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    Although I still own a SACD Player, I have not used it for quite a while now due mainly to what others have said, your limited in material to play.
    I have though experienced the diffrence between both technologies, and it can be quite noticable, unfortunetly though in my honest opinion, SACD came out at least 5 years too late for it to have ever caught on mainstream, hence the reason why I [and I suspect many others here] own very few SACD disks compared to regular CD.
    A...
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