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SACD or not SACD?

Hej

I have two DAC:s but just one transport so I thought I'll buy another transport for my head speaker rig. But then I thought, maybe I should  look for a SACD player instead (have some classical discs with SACD and my interest for classical music is growing so there will surely be more SACD hybrid discs).
I've read some reviews of SACD players and the conclusion is always the same; SACD sounds better than CD. But they always compares SACD vs CD on the same player. Never the SACD player as a SACD player vs a dedicated CD player with the same SACD hybrid disc.
And I've even read that some people says that a SACD plays can't read Red Book properly.
So the question is; how much do I have to spend to get a SACD player that plays CD:s at least as good as my Cambridge CXC transport paired with LAB12 DAC1 SE or at least as RME ADI-2 DAC FS? Or maybe a SACD player that would be at least as good transport as my Cambridge CXC. Yes, I realize that the chance that anyone have had the chance to compare these combinations are almost none, but...

Any thoughts?
simna
Post removed 
roberjerman
4,319 posts
 
+1 elizabeth! You nailed it!
geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
23,365 posts
 
There is no consistency you can hang your hat 🎩 on for much of anything. Redbook CD, 20 bit CD, SBM CD, SACD, even Japan SHM CD and SACD. It depends on the recording engineer and the mastering engineer. Too many variables. Some sound great with terrific dynamic range but it’s getter harder to find the early uncompressed stuff. Everyone and his brother is dumping overly compressed CDs and SACDs like crazy on eBay, in thrift stores, dumping them as fast as they can get them out of the house. Including your humble narrator.
anwar
119 posts
 
I agree that it depends on recording and mastering.  As an example, I have Norah Jones - Come Away With Me SACD hybrid and vinyl, but later I found out the SACD version I have was mastered from redbook (wrongly done by Sony engineers) - that's why the SACD layer sounds horrible.  I then downloaded the correct version where the SACD layer was converted from analog master - it sounds so good just like vinyl.

I have many other SACDs which sound good, especially when played with my Marantz SA-10.  Right now my preferred format for digital music purchase is DSD, up to DSD 4x, as it sounds so good.

The OP does not mention budget.  My suggestion is to consider SACD players which has USB Audio input (that means possible to use the SACD player as a DAC) and/or USB external drive input.  This will allow you to purchase and play high-res digital music with the player.
tomcy6's avatar
tomcy6
2,597 posts
 
Of course the recording and mastering matter, so cds can sound better than sacds, but IMHO, sacd is a superior format.  If you plan to buy a lot of sacds get an sacd player, if only an occasional sacd, put the money into a better cd player or dac.
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