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Playing SACDs

Howdy,

A few months ago I changed my DAC from a Bryston BDP-3 to a CE Hugo TT2. My source of digital music is an Aurender N100H using USB to the Hugo. The change from BDP-3 to the Hugo was significant to my ears so I am as happy as I can be in that respect but... and there is always a but, isn't? I have a collection of ~150 SACDs which I enjoyed playing from my Oppo, through HDMI, to the BDP-3. Since the BDP-3 is gone and the Oppo can not pass SACD/DSD/PCM in its other digital outputs, I now have to use the onboard DAC of the Oppo and use its analog outputs. It does not sound bad... but it is not as good as it used to sound.

I am have been reading multiple posts here and in other forums but from what I can gather, there isn't a SACD transport that will output SACD (DSD/DoP/PCM), am I correct? I don't have that many movies anymore so I could get rid of the Oppo and get me a SACD transport if it would be possible to play SACDs without HDMI.

Any ideas or should I just suck it up and move on?

Thanks!

Ivan
smdb01us
junzhang10
252 posts
 
Historically, recording start from mono to stereo (actually 3 front channels) to multi-channel. Vinyl limited to stereo (2 channel) the sound image is hard to image with just 2 channel (you need to toe in and sit the at the best spot to get good image) with 3 channel, it will become much easier. So you could ignore surroud channel if you are not used to that. But with three full-range front speakers, there is no match with only 2 channel stereo.
dbphd
1,632 posts
 
Ripping the DSD portion of SACDs seems complicated, but apparently can be done with the right equipment.  You might instead use analog from a high-quality disc player you might find in the used market.  I use an Ayre C-5xeMP for that purpose, although I now have a DX-5 DSD as well.  The sound of SACDs played using either is superb,                        
jafant's avatar
jafant
20,127 posts
 

Another +vote for AYRE DX-5. Honorable mention for Marantz KI- Pearl and Marantz SA-10.  Big fan of the SACD which now is 20 years old as a format.


Happy Listening!

melm
1,085 posts
 
" Ripping the DSD portion of SACDs seems complicated" It is not!

Once set up you simply put each disk into the player, one after another, click on a program once, and they download to your computer. Thousands of audiophiles have done it. The designer of Ayre products has done it. To suggest that the OP buy a multi kilo-buck player when he already has an outstanding DAC is a bit silly IMO. He already has the USB set-up and the rips will provide a very high level of SQ, likely higher than from any disk player.
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