sacd help please

Emster, does the MC-1 digitize analogue inputs? If so you are not getting the most out of your SACD player because of overprocessing the signal. Ideally, you need an analogue pass through feature.

Thanks Simon. I will check on the various mfg of speakers. They are Aerial and B&W but I have never checked on your point, and I appreciate the heads up. Bmpnyc, the Lexicon does digitize the inputs. What type of equipment will have an analogue pass thru? As you can tell, I use my equipment for both theater and music. Thanks for your help.

I have a Rotel 985 ($2K list). All standard analog inputs convert the signal to 24/48 digital, process the signal, and then convert back to analog. However, the 5.1 input stays analog. Comparing the two, the 5.1 is cleaner, more defined, and extended. Using the 5.1 input, the volume contral still works, but I lose everything else (sub-out, bass/trebble control, DD, DTS, DPL, DSP modes, bass management, and center channel and rear speakers. It's just stereo. I have a two channel S9000ES.

BTW, analog by-pass (the 5.1 inputs) slightly improve the CD sound as well, but not to the same extent as SACD.

I suspect that your unit's digital performance is superior to the Rotel, and you won't experience as great a difference. Through the normal inputs, SACD was still clearly superior to CD. Buy the SACD with your current equipment. Still, down the road, you should be looking for a unit which has analog bypass option.

Bmpnyc - the MC-1 does digitize everything passing through it, so you do lose a lot of the advantage of a high-end analog source. I believe I read somewhere if you have analog in and feed it to the Zone2 output it stays completely analog, but that may not be true and, even if it is, is convuluted enough to not be particularly worthwhile. -Kirk