SACD on a Sony 4K Player?

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by Bill Why Man, Dec 11, 2018.

Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. Bill Why Man

    Bill Why Man Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Fellow Audiophiles,

    After years of observing threads with SACD fans, I’d like to give it a whirl. The Sony UBP-700 4K Blu-Ray Player is on sale for $149 many stores/sites. It’s Hi-Res Audio-capable. As much as I’d love some schmancy dedicated CD player, I also need to get my son the 4K. It seems like it’s too good to be true. Is it?

    Does anyone out there have any experience with audiophile CDs on a player like this? Is it worth the feature?

    I’d be playing the CDs via coaxial cable into a Schiit Modi 2 Uber DAC into my vintage McIntosh MA5100 into a pair of Klipsch KG4’s.

    Does this seem like a decent investment, or is there something better out there for similar pricing that I’m missing?

    All constructive advice is greatly appreciated.

    Thanks and Happy Holidays,

    Bill
     
    Wasabi likes this.
  2. F1nut

    F1nut Forum Resident

    Location:
    The Mars Hotel
    Your DAC does not support SACD.
     
    TarnishedEars, scobb and Bill Why Man like this.
  3. Sterling1

    Sterling1 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Louisville, KY
    You can play stereo and multi-channel SACD's via the HDMI output, assuming you have a pre/pro or AVR that has an HDMI input. If you want or need to enjoy stereo SACD via analog output you will need the Sony UDP-X1000ES.
     
  4. Bill Why Man

    Bill Why Man Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Whoa. I knew this seemed too easy. But...

    Why is that? Is the signal too complex to travel through the digital coaxial from player to DAC? They have to play from the HDMI? I play my Blu-Rays via HDMI into my TV and run a digital optical from TV to DAC via analog connections to amp. It gets great results.

    Is it just SACD’s? Can it play hybrids?
    My Modi DAC has a digital coaxial that seems ready for this type of hookup. The player does, too. I bought it because my TV has no analog outs, and I needed the transition to my analog amp.

    I have a vintage amp. Alas, no HDMI ports. Maybe I’ll check out the other $$ Sony if this is so.

    If it is, thanks for the advice, saving me time, money, and hassles.

    Thanks,

    Bill
     
  5. Kal Rubinson

    Kal Rubinson Senior Member

    Location:
    NYC
    It is not permitted by the SACD license. It can be done over coax by a protocol call DoP but that requires a source and a DAC that both support DoP.

    Won't work for DSD.

    Sure but those hybrid layers are just CDs.
     
  6. Bill Why Man

    Bill Why Man Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Thanks for the feedback, Kal. I never would have fathomed that there was a unique license for this type of CD. That’s why this site and its members are so helpful. I’m definitely disappointed, but I am also relieved.

    Thanks,

    Bill
     
  7. F1nut

    F1nut Forum Resident

    Location:
    The Mars Hotel
    A little more feedback. You're not going to get what SACD has to offer from a $200 player.
     
    Bill Why Man likes this.
  8. Bill Why Man

    Bill Why Man Forum Resident Thread Starter

    I’m almost afraid to ask: What is the low-end price point/example where you get a real taste of SACD?
     
  9. direstraitsfan98

    direstraitsfan98 Well-Known Member

    Location:
    QC
    A Sony SCD-777ES can be got for under $1000. I consider this a somewhat entry level CD/SACD player, as I prefer dedicated transports... but for most sane people it shoudl be more than sufficient. It has a built in dac, I believe. That's probably pretty decent. In any case, better to add your own dedicated dac and use it as a transport. If you can find one with a spare laser I'd definitely pick one up.

    Oh and i just realized, the man who posted above me, Kal Rubinson, reviewed this very unit in Stereophile magazine in 2002...
     
    Bill Why Man likes this.
  10. Bill Why Man

    Bill Why Man Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Hmmm...
    I thought this digital move would be cost effective.
    Looks like I might hang in Analog Alley for a bit longer.
     
  11. F1nut

    F1nut Forum Resident

    Location:
    The Mars Hotel
    About $1500.00
     
  12. Sterling1

    Sterling1 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Louisville, KY
    You might want to look into the Sony UDP-X1000ES. You can get it for under $500. It will play and decode Stereo SACD and CD for analog output. I have no experience with it but others report a very satisfying experience with the player for audio as well as video. Now, here's something else, 5.1 SACD is where SACD has come to shine, delivering a listening experience with a breadth and depth which is quite compelling; and, all you need to enjoy that experience is the player you were initially looking at and an AVR with HDMI input and of course a 5.1 speaker arrangement. For about $600 total you could get a Sony STR-DN1080 surround sound receiver and the X700 and enjoy stereo SACD via HDMI, from your existing speakers. Later you could add surround, center, and subwoofer channels to enjoy 5.1 SACD, as well as Ultra Blu-ray movies in surround sound. Klipsch makes some very economical speakers which would get the job done.
     
    Last edited: Dec 12, 2018
    bever70 likes this.
  13. daytona600

    daytona600 Forum Resident

    Location:
    UK
    I’m almost afraid to ask: What is the low-end price point/example where you get a real taste of SACD?
    $5,000+ gets you a good Sacd reply marantz , $10/20k+ for real sacd player Dcs , Esoteric , Playback , Metronome etc
     
  14. Tom Littlefield

    Tom Littlefield Forum Resident

    Location:
    New Hampshire, USA
    Also to play 4K movies you need an AVR that has that capability as well...
     
  15. Sterling1

    Sterling1 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Louisville, KY
    The HDMI audio/video output from BD Player can be connected to the TV, while the other HDMI audio output can go to the AVR, meaning the AVR does not need to pass 4K.
     
  16. Wasabi

    Wasabi Forum Resident

    Location:
    Lutz, FL
    What about an OPPO 103? I see those in the $350-$400 range. How is the SACD playback on it?
     
  17. Vinny123

    Vinny123 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Florida
    I have the Sony 1000es. Pretty good w sacd as well as Blu-ray and DVDA. It has stereo analog outputs in addition to hdmi.
     
  18. matthew2600

    matthew2600 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Colorado
    I just bought this specific model, I like it for the price. I'm using coax digital out, it plays 24/96 flac, multichannel flac, I don't have any DSD files to test that. It's played almost all of the video files I've thrown at it including weird 540p BBC stuff. The streaming apps are kinda limited. I've mostly done files on USB not discs.
     
  19. vwestlife

    vwestlife Forum Resident

    Location:
    New Jersey, USA
    This video explains a lot of the difficulties involved in trying to get SACD playback, especially over HDMI, from consumer-grade equipment today:

     
    Bill Why Man likes this.
  20. Sterling1

    Sterling1 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Louisville, KY
    That video is mostly about the author's difficulty with used equipment he bought on eBay. The fact is HDMI output of multi-channel SACD has given SACD a second chance, since it allows multi-channel SACD pleasure for anyone who has a surround sound system which receives HDMI. Acoustic Sounds has a huge selection of stereo, and hybrid SACDs, many just released.
     
    lv70smusic likes this.
  21. Classicrock

    Classicrock Senior Member

    Location:
    South West, UK.
    Oppo if they still made them (so used). Old Denon DVD/Universal models can be had for well under $200 or £150.
     
  22. Tom Littlefield

    Tom Littlefield Forum Resident

    Location:
    New Hampshire, USA
    I'm lucky that I bought my OPPO 203 two years ago when they first came out, paid $549. I just saw them going for $1700 on Amazon
     
  23. GilesM

    GilesM Forum Resident

    Hi, inspired bythis thread, I just tested my cheap Panasonic 4K player and it works for both SACD and DVD-A.
    Amazing. This is connected to a 4k amp via HDMI.
    DMP-UB700 is the model number.
     
    Last edited: Dec 12, 2018
  24. Bill Mac

    Bill Mac Forum Resident

    Location:
    USA
    The Panasonic DMP-UB700 does not have SACD or DVD-A playback capability. So you must be playing the CD layer of hybrid SACDs and the DVD-V layer of DVD-As.

    Panasonic DMP-UB700 Specs
     
    c-eling, bever70 and F1nut like this.
  25. Kal Rubinson

    Kal Rubinson Senior Member

    Location:
    NYC
    More than that. The entire system has to be quite decent to appreciate SACD.
     
    scobb and F1nut like this.
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.

Share This Page

molar-endocrine