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#5445 - 07/23/03 10:23 AM The future of SACD
Bassman Offline
Deputy Gunslinger

Registered: 07/23/03
Posts: 5
Loc: UK
Seems to me it will be superceded by DVD- Audio, so not much point in having it given current limited avavilability of source material.

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#5446 - 07/23/03 04:58 PM Re: The future of SACD
Jason J Offline
Desperado

Registered: 09/02/02
Posts: 615
Loc: Northern Garden State
Hmmm...I think this article says something a little different. Here's an excerpt:

Quote:
We've also got a couple of interesting bits of news this morning. First of all, the SACD format seems to be stepping up the attack on DVD-Audio. According to High Fidelity Review, the second-generation, SACD II format is set to be introduced later this year. This will be basically identical to current SACD, but will add enhanced video features like current DVD-Audio, and will also add even more robust copy-protection measures.

In addition, in a move to build on SACD's already impressive success, producers and hardware manufacturers have organized a semiformal cross-industry forum of music labels. This new SACD "forum" will work to create and promote more music releases on the format.


You can find the links for this article at:

www.thedigitalbits.com

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#5447 - 07/23/03 06:30 PM Re: The future of SACD
Jed M Offline
Desperado

Registered: 05/02/02
Posts: 526
Loc: Home on the range
I own a dvd-a player (by default; I just liked the dvd player) but if I was going to choose which one I wanted based on the software, I would choose SACD. SACD seems to have more current and classic rock than dvd-a. I have a real hard time finding albums I like on DVD-A and the fact that a lot of SACD's can be played in regular CD players is an enormous advantage IMO. Can't comment on sound quality because I have only heard one format.

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#5448 - 07/24/03 04:40 AM Re: The future of SACD
Bassman Offline
Deputy Gunslinger

Registered: 07/23/03
Posts: 5
Loc: UK
More than a couple of UK dealers think SACD will have a short lifespan compared to DVD Audio. But what do they know?

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#5449 - 07/24/03 05:39 AM Re: The future of SACD
D'Arbignal Offline
Desperado

Registered: 02/23/03
Posts: 327
Loc: NJ, USA
Even if SACD is technically superior, it doesn't mean the format will win out. Recall (Sony's) Betamax format, for example.

I think the real threat is consumer confusion. If Sony's going to keep changing formats, that could work to their detriment, even if the changes are improvements.

Jeff

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#5450 - 07/24/03 08:34 AM Re: The future of SACD
Oaf Offline
Gunslinger

Registered: 06/19/02
Posts: 90
Loc: Vancouver,British Columbia, Ca...
I think you have it right D'Arbignal ... the marketers of DVD-A had a great idea by associating the multi-channel standard to DVD video which is highly recognizable as superiour quality in its field (and yes I know that DVD-A is really just an accurate description of the medium, Digital Versitile Disc - Audio, but they could have called it anything ) If they had gone with something like CD-5 or CD+, they probably could have gotten better customer recognition. But are we really talking about SACD being a superior sounding format to DVD-A? I haven't seen definitive comments one way or the other, from what I read, the variances in mastering quality mask the differences in format by far.

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#5451 - 07/24/03 11:23 AM Re: The future of SACD
Bassman Offline
Deputy Gunslinger

Registered: 07/23/03
Posts: 5
Loc: UK
Here's what Arcam thinks in response to a mail I sent them>

I was thinking of buying a DV27A, but it doesn't seem to support SACD for
some reason. Is this true, and is there any reason for the omission?
BR
Phil
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Dear Phil,

This is completely true Arcam as a company does not support SACD and we have no intention of doing so. We have given 100% commitment to DVD-A not only because it is a faster growing format and that every music company except sony has committed to DVD-A, we also feel it has much more potential in the market place as the format that finally topples the mighty CD from the top spot will not be another CD format it will be DVD based. Not that I am saying this will be the current DVD-A but it will be a relative of it. Another CD based format cannot win this war as allot of budget manufacturers are dropping CD players from their ranges and producing DVD players only. We just feel that SACD was defeated before it had started and although it is a good format and there are people that enjoy it it is a fact that DVD-A is out selling it by 10 - 1 and when we produced a survey of our customers we found that 79% wanted DVD-A, 10% wanted SACD and 11% were not interested and that was the basis of it all.
I hope this sheds some light on it.

Regards
> Matt Frost
> Customer Support
>
> Tel:+ 44 (0) 1223 203 203
> Fax: +44 (0) 1223 863 384
>
> Arcam
> Pembroke Avenue
> Waterbeach
> Cambridge
> CB5 9PB

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#5452 - 07/24/03 12:57 PM Re: The future of SACD
Jason J Offline
Desperado

Registered: 09/02/02
Posts: 615
Loc: Northern Garden State
Quote:
Originally posted by Bassman:
Here's what Arcam thinks in response to a mail I sent them>

We have given 100% commitment to DVD-A not only because it is a faster growing format and that every music company except sony has committed to DVD-A, we also feel it has much more potential in the market place as the format that finally topples the mighty CD from the top spot will not be another CD format it will be DVD based.


Of course sony supports SACD, it created the format. "Every music company" is a bit of an exageration.
Quote:

Another CD based format cannot win this war as allot of budget manufacturers are dropping CD players from their ranges and producing DVD players only.


IMHO, it would be suicide for companies to produce DVD players that in some way do not support CD playback in the present market and probably for the next 5 years plus. CD has been entrenched as the consumer format for around 20 years and it isn't going away anytime soon as much as some companies would want it to.
Quote:

We just feel that SACD was defeated before it had started and although it is a good format and there are people that enjoy it it is a fact that DVD-A is out selling it by 10 - 1 and when we produced a survey of our customers we found that 79% wanted DVD-A, 10% wanted SACD and 11% were not interested and that was the basis of it all.


One companies feeling does not a format make. According to reports that I've read, neither format is selling all that well. Also, I think there may be some consumer confusion in there survey to exactly what each format is. An uninformed consumer may pick DVD-A just because it has DVD in its title.

Of course, you can take all of this as my thoughts and feelings on the matter just as Arcam has their thoughts and feelings.

My personal feeling is that both formats need better marketing, cheaper players, and more titles. I completely agree with Jeff that consumer confusion is going to bring down these formats faster than anything else. That would be a shame as technology has allowed us to get beyond 16/44.1.

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#5453 - 07/24/03 04:37 PM Re: The future of SACD
steves Offline
Desperado

Registered: 06/18/01
Posts: 356
Loc: Oregon
Bassman, it might be worth doing a little more research on the viability of SACD and whether it will "survive" before you completely take it off your list. Limited availibility of material? I believe there are around 1500-2000 titles now available in SACD format- and growing every day. If you look here you will find a list of more than 180 labels that have SACD releases available. The DVD-A list shows approximately 80 record labels currently producing recordings in that format. Both are growing. Arcam is a fine Company and is entitled to their reasons regards SACD and as to whether they want to produce equipment for it. However, you might want to contact Linn, (Linn Products, LTD) another fine Company in the UK, and get their take on the subject. This is an article they have on their Linn Records site you might want to see. You will also notice they have produced many recordings is SACD. So-- who is right? My 2 cents says they will both survive. And we will see more universal players in the future capable of playing both formats. Chips are cheap! In the end, you pays your money and takes your chances! Go with what you feel comfortable with ! Best wishes...

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#5454 - 07/24/03 06:25 PM Re: The future of SACD
sdurani Offline
Desperado

Registered: 01/23/02
Posts: 765
Loc: Monterey Park, CA
Jason,
Quote:
it would be suicide for companies to produce DVD players that in some way do not support CD playback
I think you're misinterpreting that quote. Companies are dropping production of CD only players specifically because every DVD player supports CD playback. With more and more people owning DVD players, it makes very little sense to have a separate player just for CDs. I seriously doubt that any manufacturer is considering producing a DVD player that can't play CDs.

Sanjay
_________________________
Sanjay

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#5455 - 07/24/03 06:57 PM Re: The future of SACD
sdurani Offline
Desperado

Registered: 01/23/02
Posts: 765
Loc: Monterey Park, CA
Quote:
Originally posted by Bassman:
Seems to me it will be superceded by DVD- Audio, so not much point in having it given current limited avavilability of source material.
Limited availability of source material??? Considering that there are roughly 3 to 4 times then number of SACD titles than there are DVD-A titles, when do you think SACD "will be superceded by DVD- Audio"? Phil, this is the second forum (the other being SMR) where I've seen you make this claim about SACD; do you have some actual figures or market trend numbers to back up what you're saying?

Best,
Sanjay
_________________________
Sanjay

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#5456 - 07/25/03 06:53 PM Re: The future of SACD
Oil Can Offline
Gunslinger

Registered: 03/05/02
Posts: 138
Loc: Shelbyville, KY, USA
I don't think Sony will lose again like they did with VHS vs. BetaMax.

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#5457 - 07/25/03 10:12 PM Re: The future of SACD
Jeff Mackwood Offline
Desperado

Registered: 12/19/02
Posts: 427
Nyet to both formats!

Hugely inflated prices for discs.

And no means (for the average consumer / wallet) to digitally plug and play a device into his or her system. Six analogue cables! Give me a break!

I've got a DTS 5.1 DVD (the regular kind) music demo disc that sounds plenty good to my ears. I'd buy lots of releases in THAT format if they were available and priced like CDs - and I could use any one of the five DVD players that I already own to play them with - through their digital outputs.

I've spent some time listening to DVD-A and SACD in several well-equipped listening rooms, and I do not believe that the admitedly better specs (over plain-Jane CD and DVD) of the these formats translates into significantly better audible sound. At this stage I certainly don't think it's worth my while to buy yet another device, a mitten full of copper to hook it up, and overpriced "software" to play on it.

Regards.

Jeff Mackwood
_________________________
Jeff Mackwood

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#5458 - 07/26/03 02:37 AM Re: The future of SACD
OFCCM Offline
Gunslinger

Registered: 03/22/03
Posts: 84
Loc: Hueytown, Al. 35023
Well I have a SACD CD Player not a DVD player. I really like it. As far as releases, there are more and more each month. If Sony just release's all of their past catalog I will be a happy camper and will not worry about the money spent. I Listened to my MoFi DSOTM the other night and then the multichannel release on my new 950 (SACD for $14.99 and has 3 mixes on it) and was blown away. In September all of Dylans recordings will be released in Hybrid SACD. Steely Dan Gaucho will be out in August. There is a large number of jazz, classical, and accoustic recordings that are right up my alley. I am enjoying listening to music in both 2 channel and multichannel more now than at anytime since the decline of records.

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#5459 - 07/27/03 01:34 AM Re: The future of SACD
Slee_Stack Offline
Gunslinger

Registered: 06/26/03
Posts: 24
Loc: GA
I have a universal player. It is easy for me to tell the difference between CD and high-rez. While I understand that many may not, or don't care to, acknowledge the notably superior formats, I hope that both (or at least one) format survives. At the start I was more in the DVDA camp, but I have crossed over to the SACD one. The BIG advantage (potentially) is the hybrid format of SACD which plays in CD players and the simple track access. DVDA, however, is talking of adding hybrid playback and does have the extra of video menus/lyrics, etc.

I pray that at least one will survive despite the 'I don't care or see any advantage' mentalities out there. If we had that mindset on video, we'd all still have VHS.

[This message has been edited by Slee_Stack (edited July 27, 2003).]

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#5460 - 07/27/03 11:53 AM Re: The future of SACD
soundhound Offline
Desperado

Registered: 04/10/02
Posts: 1857
Loc: Gusev Crater, Mars
Quote:
Originally posted by Slee_Stack:
...It is easy for me to tell the difference between CD and high-rez. While I understand that many may not, or don't care to, acknowledge the notably superior formats, I hope that both (or at least one) format survives....


To give credit where credit is due, in all instances where you are listening to a re-release of an older recording on either SACD or DVD-A, you are hearing either a complete re-mix of the album or a re-transfer of it, and in both cases the engineers are taking advantage of a lot of signal processing and mixing capabilities that did not exist even 10 years ago. In some instances you are hearing a multi-channel presentation of what was originally a two channel stereo album, and this will make all the difference in the world.

It would be fantastic if there was a box that mastering engineers could use with the label "high resolution 24 bit 192Khz" that they could run the signal through to make the imporvements you are hearing, but in reality you are hearing a lot of work and skill being done behind the scenes. SACD and DVD-A are merely the storage mediums, regardless of what the marketing types would like consumers to believe.

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#5461 - 07/27/03 04:45 PM Re: The future of SACD
sdurani Offline
Desperado

Registered: 01/23/02
Posts: 765
Loc: Monterey Park, CA
Soundhound, there was an article recently in Stereophile mentioning that the stereo PCM tracks on some hybrid SACDs are purposely degraded in order to make the stereo DSD tracks sound better in comparison. I too wish there were a way of comparing (optimally mastered) CD quality versus DSD.

Jeff M, personally I think the digital interface issue is a bit of a red herring. Suppose you woke up today and found that your disc player could play both the hi-res formats and could connect via one digital cable to your pre-pro; would you suddenly run out and buy a bunch of SACDs and DVD-As? If a digital interface existed right now, does anyone here think that this limited catalogue of overpriced software with somewhat dubious benefits would suddenly take off like DVD did? Just my opinion but I don't think that the use of 6 analog cables is really what's holding SACD and DVD-A back.

Best,
Sanjay
_________________________
Sanjay

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#5462 - 07/27/03 07:28 PM Re: The future of SACD
soundhound Offline
Desperado

Registered: 04/10/02
Posts: 1857
Loc: Gusev Crater, Mars
Quote:
Originally posted by sdurani:
Soundhound, there was an article recently in Stereophile mentioning that the stereo PCM tracks on some hybrid SACDs are purposely degraded in order to make the stereo DSD tracks sound better in comparison. I too wish there were a way of comparing (optimally mastered) CD quality versus DSD.


That would be pretty blantant, but I suppose anything's possible. Even a subtle level or equalization difference will make a recording sound "better" or "worse" depending on what it's compared to. The vast number of consumers wouldn't know the differences they are hearing, just that one sounds "different". In my experience, a good recording will sound good no matter how many bits it is using or what the sampling rate, and a bad recording will likewise sound bad regardless. I don't think you heard that CD that I circulated awhile back where I took a cut from the Columbia Legacy CD of "Kind of Blue" and made reductions to 12 bits and 8 bits, then spliced these sections together with unaltered 16 bit so that they switched seamlessly. I didn't exactly get a flood of correct answers from people who could tell correctly when each switch was made.

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#5463 - 07/27/03 09:29 PM Re: The future of SACD
Jeff Mackwood Offline
Desperado

Registered: 12/19/02
Posts: 427
Soundhound,

Love your insight into this topic. I could not agree more.

Sanjay,

To me the digital interface is not a red herring. It is in fact one of the key reasons that I refuse to support these formats. I do not accept that in this digital age, new formats should force a consumer to "dummy-down" to analogue, especially when the "software" is in digital form. So to partially answer your question, yes I would give these formats a more serious glance if there was a universal digital connection available.

To further answer the question let me first note three characteristics of the formats that you have raised, namely: 1. the catalogues are limited; 2. software is overpriced; and 3. they are of dubious benefit.

I don't have enough knowledge to comment on the first bullet except to say that I have read some reviews of some titles / recordings that certainly seem appealing. At this stage it's not what's stopping me from adopting these formats. I was an early adopter of DVD - when DIVX was still creating loads of marketplace confusion and sales had not yet taken off. (I was also into HD, satellite, laserdisc, and S-VHS on the relative front end of the curves as well.) So the limited availability of titles (if true), while a consideration, is not such a big deal to me.

However bullets 2 (price) and 3 (benefit) certainly are considerations - as mentionned in my original post. A digital connection, with disk prices the same as CDs (in Canada - where we pay far less, in equivalent $US, than south of the 49th) would probably make a convert out of me, despite the "dubious benefit" - based on my past history with new technologies.

Regards.

Jeff Mackwood

ps. this reply gives me a chance to correct an error in my original posting. In it I claimed to have a DTS 5.1 music recording in DVD format. Sorry - that was incorrect. It's in CD format. Which proves my original point in even stronger terms. I can play that recording through my 15 year old CD and laserdisc players (or through any of my DVD players), through their digital outputs, and enjoy fabulous sound (as decoded by my Model 950) right now. So we can already have multi-channel, high quality, great sounding music, on CD, that will play on all existing DVD players, and probably most CD players (in multi-channel set-ups), without having to go to SACD or DVD-Audio. So why do we really need these new formats?
_________________________
Jeff Mackwood

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#5464 - 07/27/03 10:08 PM Re: The future of SACD
soundhound Offline
Desperado

Registered: 04/10/02
Posts: 1857
Loc: Gusev Crater, Mars
Quote:
Originally posted by Jeff Mackwood:
......So why do we really need these new formats?


I think it really boils down to the multi-channel capability of the new formats. This has varying degrees of importance to different people. I've heard some great classical SACD recordings in multi-channel, but personally I get just as much enjoyment from a good stereo recording that has good soundstaging. However, I would much rather have two very high quality channels than 5.1 lower quality ones.



[This message has been edited by soundhound (edited July 27, 2003).]

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#5465 - 07/30/03 01:03 AM Re: The future of SACD
Paul J. Stiles Offline
Gunslinger

Registered: 05/24/02
Posts: 279
Loc: Mountain View, CA, USofA
"So why do we really need these new formats?"

Partially so the mu$ic/record companie$ will have more/better copy control. Partially so many of us will buy SACD/DVD-A versions of what we have on CD that we bought to replace what we have on vinyl or tape that we bough to replace 78s that we bought to replace cylinders.

Partially because it DOES sound better.

I replaced a high-ish end CD player that I bought in the mid 80s with a high-ish end CD/SACD player. Regular CDs sound MUCH better, and well made SACDs, especially multichannel, sound even better.

I have a decent turntable system. My prior CD player, while much more convenient to use, left me feeling that the music was flat, two dimensional, somewhat uninvolving. The new player, playing CDs, is a big improvement. Playing SACDs on the new player, I feel no loss of musical enjoyment as compared to using my turntable, as I did when using the old CD player.

Paul

------------------
the 1derful1

[This message has been edited by Paul J. Stiles (edited July 30, 2003).]
_________________________
the 1derful1

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#5466 - 08/01/03 09:45 AM Re: The future of SACD
Bassman Offline
Deputy Gunslinger

Registered: 07/23/03
Posts: 5
Loc: UK
Paul,

Which player did you buy?

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#5467 - 08/01/03 12:27 PM Re: The future of SACD
Paul J. Stiles Offline
Gunslinger

Registered: 05/24/02
Posts: 279
Loc: Mountain View, CA, USofA
A Sony SCD-XA777es player.

Paul

------------------
the 1derful1
_________________________
the 1derful1

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#5468 - 08/01/03 07:37 PM Re: The future of SACD
Slee_Stack Offline
Gunslinger

Registered: 06/26/03
Posts: 24
Loc: GA
Quote:
To give credit where credit is due, in all instances where you are listening to a re-release of an older recording on either SACD or DVD-A, you are hearing either a complete re-mix of the album or a re-transfer of it, and in both cases the engineers are taking advantage of a lot of signal processing and mixing capabilities that did not exist even 10 years ago. In some instances you are hearing a multi-channel presentation of what was originally a two channel stereo album, and this will make all the difference in the world.


Completely true. Unless producers are really 'dumbing-down' tracks from DVD-A to CD then new recordings using a higher resolution end format, at worse, will be the same quality of CD, all else being equal. That said, there is obvious potential for the high rez format to 'sound better'.

I can tell the difference between Peter Gabriel's UP (SACD stereo) and Trey Anastasio (DVDA stereo) over their CD counterparts. There is the possibility of the mix being different, but I seriously doubt it in the Trey Anastasio case as it has been said the poor 5.1 mix was 'generated' by a computer from the stereo master. I suppose there could be two stereo masters. If companies are really doing this, it is quite sad.

Perhaps I notice the high-end a little more as I have Rocket speakers which really are dull on the high-end. Again, mix withstanding, Steely Dan's Everything Must Go has more, cleaner-sounding treble energy played on the 192Hz stereo tracks than on the DD version. (I don't have a CD copy to compare).


Prices have been 10 - 20% higher than equivalent CDs that I have purchased. I'm sure there are instances where this gap is higher, but I'm stating MY experiences. For this 20% mark-up, I have received (in some or many cases): better sonics, multiple mixes, lyrics, hybrid playback capability, and misc. extras (videos, interviews, etc.) To me, the 20% premium is well worth it. I understand that this premium may not be worthwhile to others.


So maybe, I'm just 'hearing' things. Maybe everyone else here is (or isn't) too! I get frustrated when people complain about a new format and I will defend it when I see a benefit of this format to myself. I did the same thing when CD came out 17 years ago and DVD followed some 10 years later. There were numerous people who told me I was a fool for being an early adopter of this format. To date, I have proven them otherwise.

Please don't help crush the DVD-A/SACD format. If you don't want to buy it, don't! Everyone needs to hear each format and decide for themselves.

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#5469 - 08/01/03 08:53 PM Re: The future of SACD
soundhound Offline
Desperado

Registered: 04/10/02
Posts: 1857
Loc: Gusev Crater, Mars
I certainly don't wish to crush new formats. I only take exception to the hype factor that attributes all the improvement in sound quality to the fact that the new recording is 24 bits and a higher sample rate. Certainly in the recordings I have mastered, they have a lot more work done on them beyond just running them through a higher resolution converter. Frankly, reducing these new masters down to a 16 bit copy on CD (carefully!) has yielded results that's pretty much indestinguishable from the higher bit master. The difference in sound quality between a 16 bit file and a 24 bit one with the only difference being their bit depths is almost impossible to hear with program material.

Let the flames begin.......


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#5470 - 12/20/03 10:42 AM Re: The future of SACD
bossobass Offline
Desperado

Registered: 08/19/02
Posts: 430
Loc: charlotte, nc usa
As I read this thread again, I couldn't help but wonder if any of the above opinions have changed in 1/2 a year, and, if so, how.

From the beginning of the release of Hi-Rez, MC discs, I've marveled at the lobbing of grenades from one side of the format nuetral zone to the other. From the wordlength/sampling rate discussions to the nonsense that EQ is all that's required to 'make people think there is improvement'.

It's simple...6 full range channels have multitudes more headroom than 2. Less information in each channel leads to cleaner reproduction from the source to the speaker.

SACD's advantage is an obvious one. A 1-bit system is easily converted to any format, existing or future. DVD-A's 24/96,192 system is a math nightmare to convert. That's why SACD has hybrid discs that play on any CD player and DVD-A doesn't.

If it was as simple as an EQ tweak to make any recording 'sound better', then surely those tweaks would have been implemented with the CD format years ago. The truth is, there are virtually no production tweaks that haven't been tried and certainly no yet-to-be-invented hardware that hasn't been built, bought and used to 'improve' the sound of a CD.

Hi-Rez, MC formats allow more information through with headroom to spare. They reduce intermod distortion. If the bass is 'cooked', it's because the format allows for it, not to 'trick' you into thinking it sounds better.

The CD process 'tosses' information from the originally peak-limited, compressed master to get the information under the format's headroom wire. Hi-Rez, MC formats have rendered the peak-limiter a dinosaur.

Though I know it's a cost-effective move to rehash 30 year old tapes that have been rotting on some shelf, it annoys the hell out of me. I like the fact that SACD has more titles that were written and produced for the format...they sound better, and offer more of what the format is capable of.

Be all as it may, I have recently purchased the Denon 5900 player. Long live BOTH formats and those to come.

CD (or as we who vehemently fought 16 bit digital drummers, samplers, midi keyboards and the rest of the "age of the cruel" referred to it for years, Corrupted Decimation) has had it's run as the cheap version of stereo.

Next time, I'll say what I REALLY think
_________________________
"Time wounds all heels." John Lennon

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#5471 - 12/24/03 09:34 AM Re: The future of SACD
Embries Offline
Gunslinger

Registered: 10/12/03
Posts: 46
Loc: Nashville, TN
Working in a mass market retailer, I'll tell you straight away, that given the current trends DVD-Audio will win the format war. It's not a matter of software, the number of titles, or the marketing. The problem is purchasing a mass-market grade SACD player. In my store a customer is unable to purchase a player that will play SACDs for less than $159.00, while the same customer is able to get a comparativly similar player that will play DVD-A for only $89.00. Knowing that and knowing how many hundreds of DVD players we sell daily, it is obvious to me that SACD will have a tough time. Furthermore, even though Pioneer has released its universal player, other manufacturers seem unwilling to pay the sony royalty for SACD. I have done some research and it seems that Sony owes Pioneer for some technologies that were licensed in the past, and therefore Pioneer is able to get a SACD license at a discounted rate (hence the <$200 universal). Yes, DVD-A discs cost more, and there are not as many available as SACD, but the player end is where the business is conducted for the majority of custoemrs, and therefore SACD is in a bad spot.

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#5472 - 12/24/03 12:16 PM Re: The future of SACD
soundhound Offline
Desperado

Registered: 04/10/02
Posts: 1857
Loc: Gusev Crater, Mars
Quote:
Originally posted by bossobass:
The truth is, there are virtually no production tweaks that haven't been tried and certainly no yet-to-be-invented hardware that hasn't been built, bought and used to 'improve' the sound of a CD.


In re-mastering an older recording, there certainly are new tweaks and tricks that have become available which, especially when you are completely remixing an album, will make an old master sound like it was recorded yesterday.

I know I will never convince you (and just ignore the fact that remastering has been part of my job for years) but I would just direct you to recent re-releases of old black and white films from the 1940s or earlier which by computer techniques have been cleaned up to look like they were photographed yesterday. The advances in the past couple years has been similar in digital audio workstations and their ability to clean up older audio recordings.

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#5473 - 01/24/04 09:26 AM Re: The future of SACD
JMS Offline
Gunslinger

Registered: 02/15/02
Posts: 133
Loc: NE Ohio
I don't think this conversation is even germane anymore. As long as they all look like little silver discs they'll all play in a universal player satisfactorily. What's more important is: which format will beat Dubya in November? LOL!

Jay

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