What SACD Player

[Andrei]

My investment in Hi-res digital downloads make CD quality barely satisfactory. But to get enough music I find that purchasing SACDs is a decent option. Up to now I have been using a Cambridge Audio 650 BD but I am looking to upgrade.

What I am looking for is a high quality two channel SACD player.

Factors:
(1) multi channel is irrelevant;
(2) price is not important - if I can't afford it I will wait till I can;
(3) Universal players: not needed as I can keep the Cambridge as it plays 'everything';
(4) Extra features are not important;
(5) Quality of CD replay is irrelevant as my CDs are all ripped to Hard Disk.

I am inclined to look at something in the Marantz line, or possibly the Oppo 105. But really I have an open mind. What I am hoping is that the collective wisdom of the Artists of Sound can give me;


Strong advice about a comparison
How you assess your own SACD player
A thread or website you have found useful

Many tanks (the scuba divers word for 'thanks') in advance

[John]

I heard Martin T Ayre and that was very good but sounded even better in DVDA The early Sony models are highly rated

[Andrei]

I heard Martin T Ayre and that was very good but sounded even better in DVDA The early Sony models are highly rated

Thanks John, and oh by the way, I would love to have a threesome with your two fat ladies.

[John]

Lol :lol:

[Lee Henley]

My investment in Hi-res digital downloads make CD quality barely satisfactory. But to get enough music I find that purchasing SACDs is a decent option. Up to now I have been using a Cambridge Audio 650 BD but I am looking to upgrade.

What I am looking for is a high quality two channel SACD player.

Factors:
(1) multi channel is irrelevant;
(2) price is not important - if I can't afford it I will wait till I can;
(3) Universal players: not needed as I can keep the Cambridge as it plays 'everything';
(4) Extra features are not important;
(5) Quality of CD replay is irrelevant as my CDs are all ripped to Hard Disk.

I am inclined to look at something in the Marantz line, or possibly the Oppo 105. But really I have an open mind. What I am hoping is that the collective wisdom of the Artists of Sound can give me;


Strong advice about a comparison
How you assess your own SACD player
A thread or website you have found useful

Many tanks (the scuba divers word for 'thanks') in advance

I've heard a Marantz one forgot the model but it retails at 2k and has an inbuilt Dac input, must admit it sounded lovely

[Lee Henley]

It's the SA-152 L SE

[DSJR]

Don't forget the substantial noise above 20kHz generated by ALL SA-CD players. Some amps don't like it much, let alone metal dome tweeters.......

[Andrei]

Don't forget the substantial noise above 20kHz generated by ALL SA-CD players. Some amps don't like it much, let alone metal dome tweeters.......

I didn't know that. I have played SACDs over Paradigm Studio 60s and my current Triangle Cellos, but havent heard any noise - but then again, maybe that proves that age and hearing are not a match made in heaven.

[AlfaGTV]

I can definently vouch for the Marantz SA-15 as mentioned earlier.
I had a previous model, the S1, which is still very good sounding when using SACD material. They're cheap as chips here in Sweden and beautifully built too. Bought mine for about £350...

Sold it after a couple of years, as the CD-layer sounds better played back as files than the SACD-layer via the SA-15. At least in my setup...

Best of luck to ya!
/Mike

[Busybee330]

Another option would be to have a listen to the Mytek Stereo192 DSD DAC , see if it is as good as your Wyred4sound DAC 2 , and if so it would read DSD files ( ripped from SACD or downloaded ) from your PC .

[dave2010]

Don't forget the substantial noise above 20kHz generated by ALL SA-CD players. Some amps don't like it much, let alone metal dome tweeters.......
I am aware that noise shaping may move noise above the generally audible spectrum, but is that then passed through to the output? Surely some SACD players will have a filter to prevent that having an effect on other equipment, either an analogue filter, or a switchable digital one.

I speak from ignorance here, as I don't know what SACD designers and manufacturers do in practice. Some equipment might react badly to a lot of high energy high frequency noise.

[Busybee330]

Oppo are working on a firmware for DSD through USB 2.0

If they succeed , you could well have the best of both world ( SACD and DSDiff ) if you like the sound coming from their take on the ESS Sabre .

[Audioman]

Don't forget the substantial noise above 20kHz generated by ALL SA-CD players. Some amps don't like it much, let alone metal dome tweeters.......

Urban legend Dave! That noise is filtered out or inaudible in my experience. At least for whatever reason it can't be heard except by bats.

[Spectral Morn]

Personally I would give Marantz a miss - not because of sound quality but mechanical noise. I have an SA7 - my second - and I have to keep it on the bottom shelf of the rack farthest away from me because when its playing an SACD (all it does in my system) the mech noise is so loud that if closer to me it would be totally unacceptable. This is the second sample as the first was louder.

I would look at Esoteric, Accuphase, Linderman and Wadia (S/H only I don't think the current ones play SACD). DCS only if you like an upfront, in your face, hyper detailed, unmusical sound - in my opinion.

Krell do SACD too but I haven't heard one so I don't know how good they are.


Regards Neil

[vouk]

I would look at Esoteric, Accuphase, Linderman and Wadia (S/H only I don't think the current ones play SACD). DCS only if you like an upfront, in your face, hyper detailed, unmusical sound - in my opinion.

Krell do SACD too but I haven't heard one so I don't know how good they are.


Regards Neil

If these names come into the equation and your budget can stretch that far - I would also add the Ayre CX 5 (?) to the above. Heard great things about it. I believe it's a universal player but still worth considering.
I've only heard the older Krell SACD player and thought it was rather good but a tad too clinical for my tastes; my only recent experience with an SACD player was with the North Star Sapphire which I really, really liked.

[jasonC]

pioneer does a sacd player that hughes direct are selling for just short of £170

http://www.hughesdirect.co.uk/hi-fi/compact-disc-player/pio-pd10-s/product

[Audioman]

The cheapest way to get decent SACD is to buy one of the old Denon multi-format players. Players that cost £1000+ new are now going for £80 to £150 as users who bought them as an upmarket DVD machine migrate to Blue Ray. These will have the benefit of playing DVDA as well. You can set to play stereo only by connecting to TV and then place in your rack and forget the video. You only have problems with accessing music DVD's as opposed to proper DVDA without a screen.

Otherwise to get SACD that actually will outperform a decent CD player you will need to look at something like a Marantz Pearl Lite (£679 on offer), though some of their cheaper (£500) models might do.

Paul.

[Disbeliever]

Don't forget the substantial noise above 20kHz generated by ALL SA-CD players. Some amps don't like it much, let alone metal dome tweeters.......

Never found this to be a problem or with metal dome tweeters ?

[Disbeliever]

Personally I would give Marantz a miss - not because of sound quality but mechanical noise. I have an SA7 - my second - and I have to keep it on the bottom shelf of the rack farthest away from me because when its playing an SACD (all it does in my system) the mech noise is so loud that if closer to me it would be totally unacceptable. This is the second sample as the first was louder.

I would look at Esoteric, Accuphase, Linderman and Wadia (S/H only I don't think the current ones play SACD). DCS only if you like an upfront, in your face, hyper detailed, unmusical sound - in my opinion.

Krell do SACD too but I haven't heard one so I don't know how good they are.


Regards Neil


I found sound quality on the obese Marantz SA7-S1 to be very poor despite rave reviews and sold mine to a guy who also sold it I month later. Easily the best player is the Sony XA5400ES but preferably via HDMI into the Sony DA5400ES AV receiver HATS for low jitter. HFN Sound Quality rating 85%

[UV101]

some of the earlier Marantz players have switchable filters for this. The SA8400 had a switch but the SA7001 (same transport and PCB with a couple of different value caps!!!) didn't.

I think the actual output filter is designed to deal with this much in the same way all DAC's need some sort of filter to keep unwanted noise off the audio output.

[Audioman]

I found sound quality on the obese Marantz SA7-S1 to be very poor despite rave reviews and sold mine to a guy who also sold it I month later. Easily the best player is the Sony XA5400ES but preferably via HDMI into the Sony DA5400ES AV receiver HATS for low jitter. HFN Sound Quality rating 85%

Unfortunately the XA5400ES was discontinued by Sony after a very short time in Europe. The receiver has rared it's head again and rumours abound that the XA5400ES may be coming back. If you want new and can't afford 'Esoteric' prices Marantz may be the only choice at present. I would advise looking at the Steve Hoffman Forum for feedback on the said Sony and the quality of alternatives. BTW I thought the Sony lacked HDMI ? The positive reviews I have seen (in Stereo) have been using the on-board SACD converters.

[UV101]

Nothing wrong with a well tweeked Marantz SACD!!!

They will punch far above the price with some careful modification :D

http://i497.photobucket.com/albums/rr332/Trunky1812/SA7001/C503A1E6-00E9-406D-9997-CBE0F786ABDE-2238-000001EC2FB8CBC5.jpg

http://i497.photobucket.com/albums/rr332/Trunky1812/SA7001/2D102CF3-1263-4D6F-9F5C-0C864B4630EE-2184-000001936F7B0C7A.jpg

http://i497.photobucket.com/albums/rr332/Trunky1812/SA7001/81b83a7f050cd56538f9581f93f73251.jpg

http://i497.photobucket.com/albums/rr332/Trunky1812/SA7001/ba859723bb8bac71e38f6ada3ea49e2a.jpg

[hoopsontoast]

Sony DVP-S9000ES :)

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8228/8409335240_042f9f4571_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/hoopsontoast/8409335240/)
Sony DVP-S9000ES (http://www.flickr.com/photos/hoopsontoast/8409335240/) by RSdesignUK (http://www.flickr.com/people/hoopsontoast/), on Flickr

[Accudazed]

If you can stretch to it, ANY Accuphase SACD player will not disappoint, especially if you still want it to work after playing 1000's of discs.

Don't be put off by the inetrnet generated myth that there is an 'Accuphase sound' either. They are some of the most neutral and accurate disc players ever made.

If you have a spare minute, check out this review of an Accuphase DP-85: http://www.stereophile.com/hirezplayers/668/

Steve

[Kember]

This:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/DCS-VERDI-LASCALA-upsampling-sacd-transport-/261488503764?pt=UK_AudioTVElectronics_HomeAudioHiF i_CDPlayerSeparates&hash=item3ce1edebd4

Superb quality throughout, as with all DCS stuff IMO.

P

[Spectral Morn]

This:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/DCS-VERDI-LASCALA-upsampling-sacd-transport-/261488503764?pt=UK_AudioTVElectronics_HomeAudioHiF i_CDPlayerSeparates&hash=item3ce1edebd4

Superb quality throughout, as with all DCS stuff IMO.

P

That listing though is only for the transport, so you would need to buy the DAC and potentially the clock as well.


Regards Neil

[Clive197]

Andre, I thought the Cambridge BD was a rebadged Oppo BD with different audio boards, which in my experience (I've owned a number of Marantz CD/SACD players) are difficult to better without spending rude amounts of money.
If you can get your hands on one of the early Sony SACD players then that may be a good alternative.

Clive

[Kember]

That listing though is only for the transport, so you would need to buy the DAC and potentially the clock as well.


Regards Neil

Neil,

Indeed. Emporium is selling all three. Even totting up that lot still gives a superb SACD experience for relatively speaking not very much in comparison to performance level.

P

[darkmatter]

2 Years or so on, what is the current 2 channel SACD player recommendation at approximately the £4-500 level?

May consider S/H but reliability is just as important as sound quality.

A bit above my price level at the moment, but how good is the Marantz SA-8005?

Another on on my mind is the Marantz UD7007

How does the UD7007 compare to the SA-8005 on SACD?