SACD - Are you surprised at the format's recent resurgence?

Based on the data at sa-cd.net, here are the number of new releases through the first 6 months of each respective years....

At the current rate of release, we're looking at a year with over 700 new releases. Granted, much of this "resurgence" is fueled by the SACD programs in Japan. Still, at this relatively late period for SACD, I didn't expected such a "comeback".

 

No, not at all. I'm actually surprised that we are not getting more titles.

 

I'm pleasantly surprised

 

Comeback? More like a resurrection, really. As I thought it was dead and gone.

 

I am surprised, yes. I just wish more of them were coming out for less than $60 a pop!

 

It's kind of a chicken/egg thing - the explosion of releases has helped stimulate interest

but I don't think it will ever be more than a 5000-pressed-type format.

 

I'm definitely happily surprised, yet hungry from more - much more.

 

And that low number explains the prices

 

I'd like to see an average retail cost/SACD listed along with those numbers...

 

So if the only people getting the benefit of SACD are the .00001% that may have a first gen Sony SACD player, why did you take the time to do the NKC's in SACD? Was it for the 5 guys in the country with that player? Or are you exaggerating when you say SACD is 'defeating the purpose' if listened to on a modern SACD player? Not meaning to sound confrontational...I really would like your thoughts on this...

 

It's pretty standard...North American SACDs are about $30-$35 and Japanese ones are closer to $55 each. Obviously there are exceptions but usually the pricing follows those price points..

 

I did point that out in my original post.

 

I'm not surprised. I'm more surprised that Sony seemed to abandon the format a few years ago, presumably because it didn't explode into the marketplace like CD did. Then again they didn't market it well (at all) and there was a competing format (DVD-A).

SACD should have been the logical successor to CD, and should have been treated as such instead of being treated like a red-headed stepchild with kid gloves.

And Sony doesn't make the only true DSD player, do they? I thought most SACD players did this and only a few converted to PCM, esp with the advent of HDMI connectivity.

 

Japan Sony Music never abandoned SACD; it continued to release new SACD titles, mostly jazz or classical, until May of this year. I don't know why Japan Sony Music stopped releasing new SACD (at least according to its website). May Japan Sony is allocating SACD production to produce those SHM-SACDs?

Aren't the Oppo Blu-ray players true DSD players? Even those "lowly" Sony Blu-ray players are true DSD players when connected by their HDMI outputs. I have the last Onkyo DVD-based uni player, the 506, and it's a true DSD player with either its analog or HDMI outputs.

 

First, most SACD player don't convert to PCM, and second, even if it does, it's still hi-rez PCM and better than CD.

 

I really hope it's a new start for that format. I supported this trend however by buying very recently a very fine SACD player (of Arcam); my first one. And at least 40 old and new SACDs in the last month! Pixies! Dead Can Dance! Bob Marley! Talk Talk! Human League! T Rex! Fairport Convention! Yes, even the R Stones which I'm not really into!

Dear commercial market, do you hear my demand? I want good money to spend!

 

Why no surround mix???

 

Me suprised. 24/192 from original masters, downloads and/or blu-ray would be much better.

 

I've owned like four SACD players. None were Sony and none converted DSD to PCM for the analog out.

DSD-ready standalone DACs are coming stateside too. Weiss before the end of the year, I'm told. A few others .. Already available in Japan.

 

Indeed. Instead if having japanese labels release $50 stereo-only SACDs from 24/96 PCM copies of the analogue masters, they should release them as 24/96 downloads costing $15-20, through HDtracks or even iTunes.

 

Except MoFi, Analogue Productions and a bunch of shm-sacd's.

Really disappointed with the Warner dvd-a to sacd-reissues.

 

I do find a subtle benefit in PCM converted to DSD and released on SACD. Of course production in DSD without PCM in the chain has better results, but I wouldn't be so quick to write off the Warner JSACDs until we actually hear them.

Edit: and yes I'm pleasantly surprised at the volume of SACDs being released, especially the APO stuff.

 

Thankfully our favorite audiophile labels are putting several good ones out.