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How much SACD do I need?

I've acquired a good number of hybrid CD/SACD disks and would love to listen to the SACD layer. Here's my situation, I have a CD player with which I'm very happy, works well in my system, and will keep (Linn Majik). I would think that some amount of the cost of higher end SACD players goes into getting decent redbook CD playback. What do I need to get quality SACD playback (two-channel)? That is, I don't want to sink a lot of money into reproducing redbook CD playback (already got that). But don't want to spend so little that SACD's end up sounding inferior to my CD player. Would something like a Marantz 8003 or Sony 5400 work? i.e. would a Marantz 8003 player the SACD layer do better than the Majik playing the CD layer? Would appreciate any thoughts and guidance. Tks.

John
john_adams_sunnyvale
audioholik
90 posts
 
"CD must be more than "low-rez"

unfortunately CD is low-rez, nothing less nothing more

just look at available audio formats

16-bit/44,1kHz
20-bit/44,1kHz
24-bit/48kHz
24-bit/88,2kHz
24-bit/96kHz
24-bit/176,4kHz
24-bit/192kHz
DSD 2,8MHz
mrthunder
7 posts
 
I have the sony 5400 player and it does a great job on SACD. It is also very good on CD with terrific base and mid range. It's better than any Marantz I've heard.
SACD sounds much better than CD.
Listned to a lot of players and until you move into very high $ like Esoteric P-03 D-03 SACD it is not substantially better.
The 5400 has nice solid build which is a good foundation for sound.
strateahed
303 posts
 
According to Kal Rubinson's May review, (Redbook) CD processing on the XA5400 is done in such a way that results in a 2.8MHz signal-sampling frequency - the same as DSD. That, plus comments here and on other boards that say it raises the difference between Redbook to SACD to near indiscernible, puts this machine on my must-audition list.
mrthunder
7 posts
 
There is still a substantial difference between SACD and CD on my XA5400. There is simply more information on a SACD than a CD. Multiply the CD information up to SACD doesn't add the missing data. Just look at the sampling rates for CD on higher frequencies.
If Wadia and others spend as much time improving SACD playback as they have on CD we would have "analog" quality and better.
The CD playback on the 5400 is great but not as good as a Wadia 581. SACD is better for much less $.
jph_22
2 posts
 
Audioholik: These higher rates don't mean much if they don't sound better. Most reviewers these days are struggling to put SACD ahead of CD. That's a fact. But it doesn't mean that a lower-priced unit ($500-1500) can't outperform CD. At these price points, SACD usually does. It's over $1500 where CD shines...and this is where some folks put CD *ahead* of SACD - myself included. Red Book playback is improving rapidly.

And JA states that Meridian's CD is virtually as good as 24-bit/88kHz audio. All this means that higher-bit and sample rates were a farce - as far as playback is concerned. High-bit capture, as I've stated above, was certainly helpful in production.....
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