SACDs will only play on PCM not DSD.

No sound when I have my settings set to DSD conversion, only with PCM. Is there a way to rectify this? Does it honestly matter soundwise?

 

Which settings have you set? On your Marantz or on your 752BD?

Also, you get DSD via HDMI with the 752 not analogue, so you need to listen via the HDMI channel you've assigned.

 

On the 752, which I have hooked up through the aux stage on the marantz.

 

If it's via analogue RCA, then you won't hear DSD on your receiver. Which, I've just looked up, isn't an option anyway. Upsampled PCM only (but that's no hardship as it's very good!).

 

Depends on your player and amp

My oppo puts out DSD over HDMI, and my Onkyo AVR plays it as DSD or PCM. For some reason, i think the PCM sounds better

 

I just looked up the Marantz 2225 and it came out a few years before HDMI . It looks like a real nice vintage receiver. The 752BD is an excellent universal player but the inability to do DSD over analog is a negative IMO.

If the 752BD output DSD over analog I believe the Marantz 2225 would play that analog signal. I've had a number of analog preamps and they all played DSD converted to analog by both of my Oppo players.

Bill

 

I think it's fair to say that the majority of SACD players don't do DSD over analogue as far as I'm aware. Some did, NAD and its T585 universal player for instance, but they're few and far between. So it's rather a stretch to say is a disadvantage unless it's also a shortcoming for those other players too.

It's not one to shortlist if that feature is important to you. Spend the extra £300 and buy the Oppo. Or save the money and get the aforementioned NAD.

If it's not, then you still get a terrific - and class leading - universal player.

Products are built to a budget for a sector in the market, Cambridge called it right to my understanding.

 

Not doing DSD over analog is only a negative for those wanting that feature when using a receiver without HDMI or an analog preamp. Probably in the minority but still something that is sometimes found after buying a player like the 752BD. Such as in the OP's situation.

Bill

 

That would be caveat emptor then rather than Cambridge goofed, no?

I've long said buyers are responsible for their purchasing choices. As it is, they've addressed this in their CXU model which does play DSD via analogue outs.

 

Did I miss something here ? How could you possibly pass DSD over analog cables, it is a completely digital format, the only way for this to work is to have the player convert it to PCM then to analog out, at which point it is no longer in it's native format, thus negating the whole point of DSD.

 

I'm not pointing blame at Cambridge Audio or the OP. The OP has the 752BD and tried to get DSD over analog. He can't because the 752BD doesn't have that feature.

For some time there has been comparisons between the 752BD and the Oppo 105. A number of 105 owners have switched to the 752BD as they feel the SQ is better when using analog. It is apparent that Cambridge Audio put a lot of effort and thought into the design of the 752BD especially the DACs and analog stage. To not offer DSD conversion to analog on the 752BD is a faux pas on CA's part IMO. You as a 752BD can think otherwise which is fine with me . When the 752BD was being cleared out at I believe $799 I seriously thought of buying one. But the fact that it didn't do DSD conversion to analog is the reason why I didn't.

Bill

 

Apparently so...

Does the CXU support multi-channel and stereo DSD? »

 

I'm the most technically knowledgeable member here. But as far as I understand players like the Oppo 105D and CA's CXU convert DSD to analog. That eliminates the need for DSD to be converted to PCM then to analog.

Bill

 

Well I guess Cambridge Audio saw the need to add DSD conversion to analog where they didn't with the 752BD .

Bill

 

I think they made the right choice for the time with the 752BD. Adding additional functionality for niche user groups is something they perhaps didn't want in that model when they designed it back in late 2011 or so. Incidentally, the CXU comes in at £900 which I think is £100 more than the 752 on release. It also offers Darbee which the 752 doesn't. Seems they got it right after all if folks are trading the 105D in for a cheaper model.

 

Players such as the Cambridge Audio and Oppo universal players are for "niche users". I'm not sure which "cheaper model" you're referring to. But the CXU is the same price as the 105D at $1,299 and the 752BD originally listed for $1,299 which was $100 more than the 105.

Bill

 

In the UK, the 752BD came in at £800, the 105D £1100. And I mean that DSD/SACD is a niche format, not so much the players, but most consumers will opt for a cheaper player as performance is so good for cheaper models (Sony's BDP-S370 springs to mind here). Hardly anybody outwith padded cells like this and places like it online give a hoot.

 

I don't see multichannel DSD hapenning most of the time. I have an Oppo BDP-93 and I've set up a 103 for a friend and on the audio set up there are options for big or small speakers (AKA bass management) and audio delay. I don't think bass management and audio delay can be performed on the DSD domain, it's most likely done on the PCM domain. Beware, I said "most of the time" as people with 5 full range speakers placed at the same distance from listening position don't need neither bass management nor audio delay.

 

That's in the UK, I was referring to costs in the US. I agree that DSD/SACD is a niche format.

I agree that using DSD for multichannel is not a good idea. To forgo bass management and audio delay to have the "purity" of DSD is not the wise choice. Not many have five matched full range speakers set at equal distances from the MLP.

Bill

 

I get that Bill, but it's a major factor when there's a a £300 difference over here!

 

My amp automatically converts to PCM and even has the b**** to tell me on the gui DSD > PCM !

 

My A/V receiver is a Pioneer SC-LX76 from 2012 (also marketed in the US under the Elite badge) and does that also and says so on screen.