Gerry- Better start saving them pennies! This just keeps getting better and better. I hear you about the money thing though, my financial advisor really dislikes me having this audio habbit :o) as if he isn't getting enough of my money already!!
Roxy Music "Avalon" is spectacular on this remaster. I must admit I have never heard of Roxy music prior to getting into SACD- give me a break I was born in 1981- and am not only blown away by the sonics on this disc, but the music is very very good. I want to get the Brian Ferry "Frantic" disc as well, I suspect it will be very similar. "Avalon" even on two channel does some amazing imaging(including from behind and along side the listener) they must have took some lessons from Roger Waters("Amused to Death" has a similar effect).
You CAN NOT use a Sony as a transport so DO NOT buy one of them. The only player they modify is the SACD1000, talk to Jtinn and get the scoop, I ordered/paid for mine so long ago I don't know what the scoop is currently. If available the Philips is the easy way to save bit of money, comparing it to the Emm labs transport. FWIW I bought my Philips from Emm labs, I am not sure if they still offer this service or not, but it made my life easier. Mejames is correct in stating that the "magic" lies in the Emm opti-link that is employed by the both the DAC and Transport from Emm labs. I am not sure about not modifying SACD1000's though, the reason they were going to stop was because they were going to have there own out- as we can see there transport is still not available. Best bet is to contact Jtinn and get the current information.
Rgd- Thanks for the comments!
As for the follow up I told you I was going to post up yesterday, well it didn't happen! I had time allocated in my schedule to do it, however I spent that time listening instead. Things changed for the better over the last week, I want to listen to every disc I have over and over and hear all of the subtle details(in some cases not so subtle) I was missing. SACD is inspiring to say the least, it reproduces some of the finest sound I have ever heard period. And SACD disc's that are mastered very good will leave you speachless, there's just so much information coming at you its hard to believe its digital.
Now Redbook has become MUCH better, I didn't think Redbook CD was capable of this much resolution and detail. Images have become more focused, the stage is more detailed. As good as SACD is, Redbook is still VERY enjoyable. My 2000 cd collection has had a new light shed upon it!
Discs such as Counting Crows "Hard Candy", Patty Griffin "Flaming Red" and La Rondinella "Songs of the Sephardim" have all became HUGE, they sound so much bigger then ever before. They have a relaxed/in your face sound which I have never experience before- it seems almost offensive and edgy but then you realize that THIS IS WHAT REAL MUSIC SOUNDS LIKE! Real music is not sugar coated and tuned on an RTA, it can be in your face and rough- this dac captures that feeling, but at the same time is not fatigueing at all to listen to. On some smaller and lighter arrangements detail and refinement has become paramount. This was VERY aparent with Buddy Guy "Blues Singer" and Jennifer Warnes "The Hunter". "The Hunter" has long been one of my favorite female vocals to demo with, it has a warm euphonic sound with almost a glow surrounding her singing- of course there was no exception here. The most improved area on these discs would be the extreme detail on the vocals and the texture/body of the instruments that brought new life to these recordings.
So I had a friend visiting the other day and we were just listening to music at random and a disc I had just purchased ended up being played, this disc was Jason Mraz "Waiting for my Rocket to Come", the first track is called "you and i both", this song has seen a fair amount of radio air play. Well we were listening and he asked me when the live recording of this came out, he had never heard it before- I double checked and we were listening to the studio recording! He could not believe how different it sounded and how BIG the sound was. He is a mildly enthusiastic audiophile, but he had never heard detail like this before from a regular "pop" recording.
I have yet to find any real flaws from the sonics of this, there is nothing wrong! Trust me I would love to find something to complain about, but I can't. I find myself paying less and less attention to the audiophile goodies and paying more and more attention to the music- does this mean I am happy with my system now???????? Lets see if it can keep my interest for months to come.
Roxy Music "Avalon" is spectacular on this remaster. I must admit I have never heard of Roxy music prior to getting into SACD- give me a break I was born in 1981- and am not only blown away by the sonics on this disc, but the music is very very good. I want to get the Brian Ferry "Frantic" disc as well, I suspect it will be very similar. "Avalon" even on two channel does some amazing imaging(including from behind and along side the listener) they must have took some lessons from Roger Waters("Amused to Death" has a similar effect).
You CAN NOT use a Sony as a transport so DO NOT buy one of them. The only player they modify is the SACD1000, talk to Jtinn and get the scoop, I ordered/paid for mine so long ago I don't know what the scoop is currently. If available the Philips is the easy way to save bit of money, comparing it to the Emm labs transport. FWIW I bought my Philips from Emm labs, I am not sure if they still offer this service or not, but it made my life easier. Mejames is correct in stating that the "magic" lies in the Emm opti-link that is employed by the both the DAC and Transport from Emm labs. I am not sure about not modifying SACD1000's though, the reason they were going to stop was because they were going to have there own out- as we can see there transport is still not available. Best bet is to contact Jtinn and get the current information.
Rgd- Thanks for the comments!
As for the follow up I told you I was going to post up yesterday, well it didn't happen! I had time allocated in my schedule to do it, however I spent that time listening instead. Things changed for the better over the last week, I want to listen to every disc I have over and over and hear all of the subtle details(in some cases not so subtle) I was missing. SACD is inspiring to say the least, it reproduces some of the finest sound I have ever heard period. And SACD disc's that are mastered very good will leave you speachless, there's just so much information coming at you its hard to believe its digital.
Now Redbook has become MUCH better, I didn't think Redbook CD was capable of this much resolution and detail. Images have become more focused, the stage is more detailed. As good as SACD is, Redbook is still VERY enjoyable. My 2000 cd collection has had a new light shed upon it!
Discs such as Counting Crows "Hard Candy", Patty Griffin "Flaming Red" and La Rondinella "Songs of the Sephardim" have all became HUGE, they sound so much bigger then ever before. They have a relaxed/in your face sound which I have never experience before- it seems almost offensive and edgy but then you realize that THIS IS WHAT REAL MUSIC SOUNDS LIKE! Real music is not sugar coated and tuned on an RTA, it can be in your face and rough- this dac captures that feeling, but at the same time is not fatigueing at all to listen to. On some smaller and lighter arrangements detail and refinement has become paramount. This was VERY aparent with Buddy Guy "Blues Singer" and Jennifer Warnes "The Hunter". "The Hunter" has long been one of my favorite female vocals to demo with, it has a warm euphonic sound with almost a glow surrounding her singing- of course there was no exception here. The most improved area on these discs would be the extreme detail on the vocals and the texture/body of the instruments that brought new life to these recordings.
So I had a friend visiting the other day and we were just listening to music at random and a disc I had just purchased ended up being played, this disc was Jason Mraz "Waiting for my Rocket to Come", the first track is called "you and i both", this song has seen a fair amount of radio air play. Well we were listening and he asked me when the live recording of this came out, he had never heard it before- I double checked and we were listening to the studio recording! He could not believe how different it sounded and how BIG the sound was. He is a mildly enthusiastic audiophile, but he had never heard detail like this before from a regular "pop" recording.
I have yet to find any real flaws from the sonics of this, there is nothing wrong! Trust me I would love to find something to complain about, but I can't. I find myself paying less and less attention to the audiophile goodies and paying more and more attention to the music- does this mean I am happy with my system now???????? Lets see if it can keep my interest for months to come.