Best option to play SACD?

cleanbluesky · 6 Jun 2006 at 10:47

This technology doesn't seem to be picking up pace, does anyone know if there is a resonably priced option for a player?

tom_nieto · 6 Jun 2006 at 10:58

The best value tends to be the universal disc players. You can pick up a fairly cheap one from the likes of Denon etc. for about £200. To be honest though, if you don't have any discs, don't bother buying any and spend the cash on your existing hi-fi setup. Also you probably won't be in a position to hear the difference unless your setup is pretty top notch.

DRZ · 6 Jun 2006 at 11:51

SACD is a dying format. support for it is dying out fast and tbh, if studios cant even take advantage of CDs properly they have no chance of getting SACD right

High bandwidth media is all well and good but if you are using mics that dont have the bandwidth its all a bit academic isnt it

Tom_nieto is right - put the money into your hifi elsewhere. Unless you are running mid to top end stuff SACD offers little gains over properly recorded CDs and that is pretty much a genre-specific thing. Jazz as a genre tends to put out the best recording quality, rock the worst. Pop is up there with the best, depending on the studio.

Out of interest, why do you want to move to SACD?

Rambaud · 6 Jun 2006 at 13:01

I bought a cheapo Pioneer DVD/SACD player for ~ £75.00 (new).

I use an external DAC with it (and with PC sound card) which improves ordinary CDs, but the DAC does not work with SACD/DVD-A discs.

OutOfFaze · 6 Jun 2006 at 18:43

Unless you are running mid to top end stuff SACD offers little gains over properly recorded CDs

Except 5.1

SACD is Sony/Phillips favoured format, and Sony/Phillips tend to get what they want. Shifting CD as the main physical soundcarrier format will take some doing though.

james.miller · 6 Jun 2006 at 21:55

they dont get what they want lol. with the audio cd they delivered what the public wanted. i dont know many peopel who are convinced by 5.1 audio. I can count on one hand the number of 5.1 audio titles that id rate anything above 'mediocre'.

I dont know if 5.1 audio will ever catch on if im honest.

cleanbluesky · 6 Jun 2006 at 21:58

DRZ said:
SACD is a dying format. support for it is dying out fast and tbh, if studios cant even take advantage of CDs properly they have no chance of getting SACD right

Was wonderinf about this - you'd need a complete studio with equipment with an singificant audible range...

Was just curious as to whether the equipment for SACD had hit mainstream yet...

james.miller · 6 Jun 2006 at 22:00

I dont think it has. Players are cheap enough, forgive me if im wrong, but you need 5 full (extended) bandwidth speakers plus a sub to take full advantage of it, or what it 'promises' to braing anyway. I dont know many people who use 5 full-range speakers capable of 30hz-40khz (roughly) AND the amplification to drive it.