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external DAC with SACD

Please excuse what may be a stupid question, but here goes. I've got a Marantz SA8005 CD/SACD player, and a PS Audio UltraLink DAC through which I play Red Book CDs, using the Marantz as a transport. However, SACDs will not play through the external DAC (I have the Marantz connected to the CD input on my amp, routed through the PS Audio DAC, for Red Book CDs, and to the Tape1 input, in order to bypass the PS Audio DAC, to play SACDs). I read somewhere that SACDs have some sort of encoding that prevents this, but that there is a way around it.

I ask because the PS Audio DAC very definitely improves the sound of Red Book CDs played on the Marantz (I can, of course, A/B Red Book CDs through either DAC by simply pressing the Tape1 button on the amp's remote). I can only suppose that playing SACDs through the PS Audio DAC will improve their sound as well. In fact, a standard Red Book CD played through the PS Audio DAC is, in some ways, better sounding than the same recording on SACD played through the Marantz's own DAC. For example, I have compared the DGG CD of "Credo"--a Helene Grimaud recital featuring, among a variety of other things, the Beethoven "Choral Fantasy"--against the DGG SACD of the same recording, physically changing discs and engaging the Tape1 circuit for the SACD; allowing for subjective uncertainties introduced by the necessary time lag, and the possibly different mastering of the two discs, I still believe there are aspects of the Red Book version through the external DAC that I prefer to the SACD through the Marantz, although I do think the resolution of the SACD is marginally better. 

Thanks in advance for your sage advice.
128x128snilf
pmotz
412 posts
 
The device twoleftears recommends will do the job of extracting the SACD layer from the disc, however the SACD layer is DSD format and you will need a DAC capable of supporting DSD.  Your UltraLink does not support DSD so a new DAC will be required.

Having said that I have heard of some folks getting an 88.2/24 signal from the SPDIF output of an SACD player when playing an SACD.  I have no idea if your player does this, but if it does it would be an alternative to spending a lot of money to get the DSD output.
snilf's avatar
snilf OP
208 posts
 
Thank you, twoleftears and pmotz. The Marantz's own DAC will just have to do for SACDs. Talk about a first world problem! I don't have so many SACDs, anyway. I was just curious how'd they sound through that sweet PS Audio DAC, and hoped there was a simple fix.
mahler123
3,327 posts
 
The Marantz presumably will only output the DSD from SACD and therefore the DAC can’t read it.  My DAC is a Bryston DAC 3 which can accept the DSD over HDMI and my Oppo 105 is set up to output the DSD over HDMI.  If I want the CD layer to go to the DAC then I use a non HDMI output from the Oppo.  See if your Marantz can output just the CD layer to your DAC, otherwise perhaps it has analog outputs for the SACD layer
cm6td
14 posts
 
The SA8005 isn't capable of outputting DSD. When you're playing an SACD layer there is no digital output of any kind, so your only option is to use the analog output. (When you're playing a CD layer you have your choice of digital or analog output.)
philgo01
73 posts
 
DSD's are not available on digital coax nor toslink digital output ports. It's only available on I2S outputs (PSAudio uses HDMI type of connector but it is different from the normal HDMI port available on many blu-ray players that contains video and audio signals)  of the SACD player, if available.  Even that, it is a bit of a risk to then attach it to a DSD capable DAC with I2S as pinouts are not standard.  Safest bet is to use the internal DAC of the SACD player.
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