School me on SACD?

[darrencouch]

Alright, so I've read some discussions about SACD and am still lacking in any concise, good info as to the worthiness of jumping into this format. I'm basically looking for testimonials, recommendations on good players that aren't in the 6000 dollar range, or reasons why to avoid it like the plague. I am not too interested in whether it is a "dead" format, as I own and still collect vinyl. Is it truly superior (at the ears, so to speak) over CD? Best things about it, worst things about it?

Thanks!

[ozpeter]

http://drewdaniels.com/audible.pdf is worth reading - the difference between SACD and CD isn't demonstrably audible in terms of the audio standards used, but the study does concede that SACD releases may be better engineered and mastered than ordinary CDs.

[darrencouch]

http://drewdaniels.com/audible.pdf is worth reading - the difference between SACD and CD isn't demonstrably audible in terms of the audio standards used, but the study does concede that SACD releases may be better engineered and mastered than ordinary CDs.

Interesting-so it seems it isn't quite the technology as much as it is the mastering process and the fact that SACD et al is marketed to an "upper" end of music listener. It is sad that the same techniques could be used on a hugely dominant format (CD), but that there is no "market" for it.

[Hiro]

If you are interested in the format I would suggest checking any of the below websites:

http://sa-cd.net/home

http://puresuperaudio.blogspot.com/

http://ps3sacd.com/

[bat21]

This Wikipedia article covers the basics. PS3s "downscale" the audio. A better option are universal players. Universal players play SACD, DVD-audio and DVD. About.com has a solid list of players but it's a little old. You'll want a player that supports HDMI v1.2 or later. It will output the full digital audio signal over an HDMI cable to a compatible AV receiver. The best universal player right now is the Oppo BDP-83 Blu-ray player for $500.