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SACD recommendations

some sony bluray players will play sacd, just look in the manual for the formats played by the particular units, even their lowest end bluray players do. there is a pioneer bluray player that is a universal disc player and i believe it will even play in surround.

https://www.pioneerelectronics.com/PUSA/Home/Blu-ray-Disc/Elite-Blu-ray-Disc-Players/BDP-62FD

even though there are those that don't like sacd, it is superior to CD, regardless of their foibles. it gives the relaxed, satisfied sound of nearly as much as LP. CD doesn't deliver that, you are done listening after about one disc whereas LP and sacd allow for longer listening periods without the fatigue that results from compact disc.

there are still new sacd discs being released by quite a number of record companies, check the usual suspects in vendors like acoustic sounds, music direct, and elusive disc. i assure you, the selections exceed your budgetary limitations.
 
hifitommy said:
there are still new sacd discs being released by quite a number of record companies, check the usual suspects in vendors like acoustic sounds, music direct, and elusive disc. i assure you, the selections exceed your budgetary limitations.
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I just read of a handful of 70s soul releases on SACD, which include the original quad mixes, released within the past month or two. These are on the Vocalion label and include Earth Wind & Fire, Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, The O'Jays and The Miracles (I believe all are originally from the Columbia label--I know EW&F and Harold Melvin are). Anyone who can't find new SACDs or DSD downloads (Acoustic Sounds offers them) isn't looking hard enough. :)
 
hifitommy said:
even though there are those that don't like sacd, it is superior to CD, regardless of their foibles. it gives the relaxed, satisfied sound of nearly as much as LP. CD doesn't deliver that, you are done listening after about one disc whereas LP and sacd allow for longer listening periods without the fatigue that results from compact disc.
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I don't find that to be true at all. For example, I get fatigued quickly listening to SACDs (or discs of any kind) on my Oppo BDP-103 but those same discs are fatigue free in the 205. I can play CDs all day long in my Pioneer PD-T07 without fatigue of any kind.
 
damacman said:
For example, I get fatigued quickly listening to SACDs (or discs of any kind) on my Oppo BDP-103 but those same discs are fatigue free in the 205.
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Similar here. The Pioneer DV45A was excruciatingly bad on everything it played. Grainy, bright, harsh, an edgy "buzzsaw" distortion especially on CDs that once heard, could not be unheard. My Oppo 105 improved everything quite a bit, but it took stepping up way beyond that to a DirectStream to make digital acceptable to me. It's quite different in how it operates (no DAC chips), so comparing it to other DACs is like comparing apples and oranges. It brings CD closer to what hi-res sounds like, and hi-res (PCM and DSD) is fantastic.

But since this is an SACD recommendation thread, I'm bowing out on the tech-speak and seeing if I have any other SACDs I can recommend for others to enjoy. :)
 
Just so the OP doesn't get the wrong idea, I have to agree with the last 2 posters that CDs sound great all day with a good CD / SACD player. I have a Linn Unidisk 1.1, playing thru a Naim Superuniti, and it's sweet and clear and not at all fatiguing.
My CDs are the best, most realistic music source I have. SACDs are great as well, but they're hardly even neccessary.
Just my experience.

Dave
 
It seems we all have varying results. I love the sound of my Oppo 203, and my Sony NS500V sounded GREAT with both SACD and RBCDs. The RBCDs sounded the best I ever had on the Sony. It made my CD collection worth more to me than ever until it stopped reading SACD. I gave it away as a CD,DVD player to a friend.
 
I hear so many good reports from AKers about Oppo's. I've never heard one, and I wish I hadda picked one up along the way, back when I was trying new things.
They must sound great.

Dave
 
CD sound quality is 100% dependent on the DAC being used. I rarely us CDs directly these days and have most all of the ones I own in a FLAC library. The UDP-205 plays CDs very well and also processes FLAC files equally as well. An amazing box with two ESS9038-pro chips with one dedicated just for stereo output. However, as good as the Oppo is, I prefer the musical quality of these signals through my Modwright Elyse DAC even though it has a more modest processor. This says a lot for the excellent tube based power supply and output designs of Elyse. Of course SACDs through the Oppo starts a whole new conversation. With the right recording, no other format I own (I have most all ever created) compares to the detail content I hear in the SACD format in my system. I am saving up for the Modwright modifications to my UDP-205 which should be the end game for me.
 
Modwright mods oppos, Sony's, and others.

The lowest level Sony Blu-ray players will play stereo SACDs in sacd quality (not pcm) through the 2 rca jacks in the back.

Oppos became hideously expensive after they stopped making them. There are various universal players that also play DVDA also.
 
@stoutblock
I don't think the sound of a CD player is 100% dependant on the DAC. There are some very good CD transports out there, both internal and standalone, that will actually sound better than other transport units. However, at a given level of CDP performance or cost, the internal transports are most likely comparable, which is probably what you were suggesting.
There are also CDP's that pre-read the CD data, removing any imperfections from the information before sending it to the DAC, which apparently makes the overall reproduction sound better. MSB does that, I believe.
And yes, SACDs sound amazing.
Cheers.

Dave
 
Picked up the Mofi SACD (hybrid) of The Grateful Dead's Workingman's Dead. Fantastic sound. The original CD used a bit of NR (noise reduction), so the high end had no decay. Always bugged me. SACD sound is true to my original WB "greenie" label LP.

BTW, I use a Marantz SACD player.
 
david1111 said:
@stoutblock
I don't think the sound of a CD player is 100% dependant on the DAC. There are some very good CD transports out there, both internal and standalone, that will actually sound better than other transport units. However, at a given level of CDP performance or cost, the internal transports are most likely comparable, which is probably what you were suggesting.
There are also CDP's that pre-read the CD data, removing any imperfections from the information before sending it to the DAC, which apparently makes the overall reproduction sound better. MSB does that, I believe.
And yes, SACDs sound amazing.
Cheers.

Dave
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Agree that some transport/lasers perform their function of reading data from a CD better than others. Some transports/lasers read poor/or damaged CDs better than others. Some CD players have the ability to correct errors from poor or damaged discs but this is done with post processing of the i2s data. Assuming the CD is a good one, assuming transport/laser is functioning correctly in reading the 0s and 1s from a CD, and assuming the i2s digital signal is correct without errors or signal interference, it has no effect on the sound quality. It is the timing of this data as controlled by the clock, the conversion of i2s to SPDIF or USB, and the processor’s conversion of this data to analog that will effect the quality of the analog sound.
 
KeninDC said:
Picked up the Mofi SACD (hybrid) of The Grateful Dead's Workingman's Dead. Fantastic sound. The original CD used a bit of NR (noise reduction), so the high end had no decay. Always bugged me. SACD sound is true to my original WB "greenie" label LP.

BTW, I use a Marantz SACD player.
Click to expand...

Good to know. A must own album!
 
Want to buy a copy of Jeff Beck "Blow By Blow" SACD. I've seen two versions from Acoustic Sounds, one is from Analogue Productions and the other Sony. Any thoughts on which is preferred?
 
Desert Dog said:
Want to buy a copy of Jeff Beck "Blow By Blow" SACD. I've seen two versions from Acoustic Sounds, one is from Analogue Productions and the other Sony. Any thoughts on which is preferred?
Click to expand...

I have the Sony (Epic) version and it is exceptional. It is also surround sound if that is important to you. I've never heard the Analogue version but most of their library is quite good.
 
I doubled my SACD collection Friday. Previously I had one, Hiromi's newest album "Spectrum" which I really liked the sound of. Solo jazz piano is crisp and clear on it.

Then Friday I was wandering around my local record shop. They had said that they sometimes have some SACDs but not enough supply or demand to have their own section so they are scattered with the CDs. I had picked out three LPs and was wanting to get a CD. After wandering around a bit and not finding anything, I saw a Miles Davis CD on display so I went to check out that section. I was about to give up when I saw a copy of "Filles de Kilimanjaro" which is an album I had been watching to check out. Then I saw the price tag which was a lot higher than the other CDs. Then I saw "ORIGINAL MASTER RECORDING" emblazoned across the top. I then realized this was the MoFi SACD release and I grabbed that quickly, even though it cost more than any of the individual vinyl records I had picked up.

It was amusing checking out when the guy did a double take at the cost of the CD until I explained it was SACD. Considering it was new and MoFi shows it out of stock, I am pleased with the purchase. Sounds great too.
 
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