Should I get a SACD/DVD-A player?

Again, I don't believe that SACD/DVD-A has the technological possibility of sounding better than Redbook to human ears. The only reason I was even passing interested in SACD/DVD-A was the fact that they tend to be mastered pretty well due to their target audience.

My impression, which this thread corrected, was that there was a lot of music available on SACD-only that wasn't available on CD. However, the responses in this thread indicate that I was mistaken in believing that and that pretty much everything that was released on SACD was either hybrid discs or had an accompanying CD-only release. Since it seems like I can get just about the entirety of the SACD catalog out there on CD/hybrid, there's no reason to spend the money on SACD playback.

 

yes

 

I get at least 2 new SACDs (remasters) a month through Audio Fidelity and Mobile Fidelity. I have an OPPO 105 that serves as my universal disc player, Digital Media Renderer (DMR) to play Ethernet files through jRiver that are physically stored on a NAS (DMR is THE killer app of the OPPO), to play the occasional locally plugged in media, and of course for the apps; Pandora, Rhapsody, VUDU, Netflix, and ROKU (via the MHL slot in the front).

It's the heart of my entertainment system really. I have the RCA outs to play back 2-ch material (audio only), and either the 7-channel coax or HDMI for the multichannel material. I know you are looking at 2 channel only, but the OPPO handles tons of file formats including multichannel FLAC files (that's how I've ripped all my DVD-A DTS discs).

Yes, it's also $1200, but it' worth saving up a little longer for given what it does.

My 2c.

 

I auditioned the Oppo 95 for a month and it was great, but when compared to my Sony ES using digital coax out to my on board Arcam DAC pre/pro (700) it was not much different. I wanted the flexibility that the Oppo offered with better audio & video & file formats. So with some research I settled on the Oppo 103 and upgraded to the Arcam ir-Dac. That combo blew away all (reasonably priced Opppo=500, Arcam Dac=250) combos in 2 channel use.

This new combo opened me up to the SACD/DVD-A experience and while I was (horribly) disappointed with the Mofi J.Taylor & Billy Joel SACD's, I perceive a lower noise floor & slightly greater dynamics in the other copies of SACD format that I have. I look forward to auditioning the new HD track formats available, which I think I can use by USB input into the Oppo.

 

I can't really tell the difference between SACD and a well mastered CD. The appeal for me is, the 5.1 of SACD and DVD-A. Now there are a couple of exception, with Steve's America SACD being a prime example.
This doesn't mean that I wouldn't go out tomorrow and purchase the entire Beatles library on SACD, if they became available.

 

N

no. Save your money. You will spend way more on software then the player will cost.

 

I have a used Yamaha DVD-S2300 that I got for a steal on Ebay. It is my dedicated CD player, with DVD audio and SACD capability, along with a few others.
It's great to have choices.

 

My advice on the BDP-105: watch this page: https://www.oppodigital.com/proddetail.asp?prod=ZBDP105

When they have them in stock, Oppo sells refurbs for 20% off. I got mine a couple of months ago. Good as new, looks and works great.

 

Buy an SACD player.

 

Ehhhh....I like my Oppo's and whether it's because of the bit rate or some other reason I think the RCA Living Stereo and Mercury Living Presence are tremendous sounding releases. I'd say yes.

 

Redbook CDs can sound very good, especially for recordings originally made in the 60s and before IF the mastering is done taking into account the differences between what vinyl cutting requires and what digitizing requires.

 

Predictably, those with SACD players say to get one and those without say to stick to redbook. Order the 103 from Oppo or from Audio Advisor, get a good SACD like the MoFi Pet Sounds or a Steve CCR one and try it out on your system. Trust your ears. Try a Blu-ray disc, too, like Quadrophenia and a DVD-A like one of the Clapton reissues, which the Oppo can handle. If you like the 103, keep it. If not, return the unit within 30 days and you'll only be out the shipping. Not a bad downside to answer the question that led you to post here. And you'll know. Don't listen to us.

 

If you asked me 10 years ago I would have said yeah. But I'd get a vinyl rig today.

 

Depends if you like surround mixes. There are quite a few only on SACD. But don't ignore Blu-Ray, especially as some previously SACD-only mixes are now turning up on BR.

Tim

 

Chances are, it's not the same mastering. Linn uses a different mastering for their hi-res releases than it does for their CD and 320kbps release. It didn't wrote say that openly but markets it as being "hear the difference!! " type thing.

It's a good format but like for like, not the gulf many think it is. Pitching the consumer that it is but using different mastering versions to do so is somewhat disingenuous IMO.

 

There is a lot more BR titles out there, than I thought. Where you get them, in the US?

 

Forgive me, but your post rather reads as if it's the result of a thought experiment you conducted. And you conclude it's "somewhat disingenuous" of Linn?

Yep, there are different masterings out and about. Linn itself could even be a practitioner. But your post reads like raw speculation, no particular founding on solid ground.

"Different masterings" seems to be becoming a ready convenience--hard to prove, hard to disprove--for any heard sonic differences. Easy to state, but not philosophically so very far removed from speculating, in an earlier time, a person was sick because they were "possessed by evil spirits".

 

Read my lips: if you're selling a product, and claiming that the product sibs better by virtue of it being hi res, but is by all intents and purposes based on a completely different mastering of the same album, then it's pitched unfairly at the consumer. Apples and oranges.

And no, my post isn't based on speculation as I'm making a direct claim about Linn. Member Steve_1979 did a comparison about a year ago on the what hifi site, measured the output and Linn responded to this effect.

No "thought experiment" on my part, just some good work done elsewhere. If of course they'd been clearer, then no problem, people are in an informed position. But they weren't, they pitched it as being the hi res element that was the significant factor, but all else was not the same and hence not equal. Savvy marketing, not so fair for the consumer.

 

What discourages many against SACD players is that the SACD layer doesn't really sound much better than the CD layer. This is largely because MOST SACD players that have been produced are NOT actually "native" DSD players. They are simply SACD "compatible", the SACD(DSD) layer is converted to PCM. Which defeats what is special about DSD!

In fact there are only a handful of true SACD players with native DSD DAC's, most of which were made in the initial roll out with Ed Meitner's (who Sony hired to develop DSD) DAC.

However, SACD's were hacked a couple of years ago with a special PS3 firmware. Now that people can share DSD files around the world the format has been rejuvenated!

With the new interest in DSD playback chip manufacturers are producing a new breed of native DSD chips to be used in new DAC's.

Don't bother with an SACD "compatible" player(especially OPPO! all internet hype), you are correct the SACD layer doesn't sound much better than the CD layer. But, you will hear a HUGE difference with a native DSD DAC playing back DSD files that you can find online from over 40 different websites.

DSD DAC's I can recommend:
TEAC UD501 or UD301
Resonessence Labs
Chord QuteEX or Hugo

JRiver software

If you must get an SACD player the new Marantz SA8005 is very cool, it has a USB connection to allow for DSD streaming from a computer natively.

Have fun...

 

And here's that thread I mentioned. Go a couple of pages in.

http://www.whathifi.com/forum/hi-fi/linn-free-hi-res-download?page=1

 

I still can't get serious about vinyl. It's more work with the cleaning, aligning, etc. It's hard to find older LPs in good condition. Related to that, it's risky to buy used LPs by mail. Also, there are a lot of production issues with new records today -- non-fill, warping, surface noise, misalignment, etc. We're not exactly talking about new technology.

To each his own. I respect the folks who enjoy vinyl, but it isn't for me.

 

I've purchased some some Blu-Ray Audio discs direct from amazon.com, but many of them cheaper through beaches_entertainment in the Amazon Marketplace.

 

Ok! Keith.

 

Just an opinion. It's the right one, but it's just an opinion.

 

To the original poster: If you do not believe the format is superior I would not buy a SACD player. There are for sure some very good mixes only available on SACD, but not All SACDs are good, there are also some bad ones.

I was in the same situation as you are now four years ago. I bought them a cheap SACD player. At least for me it didn't worked out. Looking for other alternatives I bought a turntable this years. I already have more vinyl than SACD