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SACD or not

I have a question regarding SACD format. I am looking to replace my CD player and noticed some CD players have the ability to process SACD and some do not.  I have never heard this format and was wondering if I should consider this in my purchase. My purchase price is in the $1400 range
I know people will question why I am using CD at all. That is another discussion for another time. I still like some physical media in my listening experience. 
I look forward to your comments 
schmitty1
krell_fan1's avatar
krell_fan1
97 posts
 
I would absolutely purchase a unit that supports SACD playback. While I love listening to 2.0 stereo, nothing sounds as good as a well produced  multi-channel SACD with the exception of the very limited range of a Blu-Ray content that’s out there. 
OPPO has always been the audiophile market leader in terms of bang for buck but they’ve closed down that division. Maybe you can find one out there on Audiogon or eBay. And for what it’s worth, the single best transport that ALSO supports stereo SACD is the PS Audio DMP player, now unavailable as the company had sourced that transport tray from .....OPPO!  So here again, if you can find one of these, it will blow you away. It reads music like no other device on the market. Think of it like this: if a great telescope can deliver images from 10,000,000 miles away, this DMP player can read images from a billion miles away. 
mikado463
40 posts
 
while my SACD collection is small(around 50 or so) I am also in the SACD camp (Cary 306 pro). Granted it spins a lot more CD's of my collection than SACD's I like having the ability. I don't believe I give any sound quality to CD playback with my Cary.
2channel8
756 posts
 

I agree with those who have recommended Oppo. I started with a humble DV-980 and discovered the advantages of not just SACD; but DVDA, which was a really great format and there are still some available on ImportCDs.com; but also HDCD. Quit a few CDs in my collection had HDCD layers I never even know about until I put them in the Oppo. I am now up to an Oppo BDP-105 with EVS mods that cosr me about $1,300, if I recall. Besides the superior sound quality, it has the ability to stream (which I never use) and to play DSD and FLAC files which I download onto a USB thumb drive. That was a real revolution for an old vinyl guy like me.

I also have an Ayre universal player that cost about $1,000 more. It sounds slightly better on CDs and SACDs; but has no USB input. Now, it may be that my ancient auditory faculties are no longer able to appreciate the full difference in SQ; but for my money I should have been satisfied with the Oppo. I also had a BDP-95, and with the exception of not supporting DSD downloads, was quite the deal.

lalitk's avatar
lalitk
5,377 posts
 
Is OPPO players still a affordable option since they seize production? Every reseller is asking 2 or 3 times of the original retail price 😔
alexgla's avatar
alexgla
5 posts
 
I had compared sound track on the hybrid SACD and the difference quite significant between CD and SACD. I am using SA10-S1 and OPPO UDP-205. Marantz sounds significantly better. There are new titles appear every day for classical, jazz, and classic rock.
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