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Have you heard SACD?

Just spent better part of an evening, picking jaw up off floor after listening to SACD sampler disc about seven times in a row on newly obtained Sony 9000ES. If you haven't heard SACD, please, please, go listen to one. It is a statue of beautiful proportions and curves compared to CD's poster-flat presentation. The sound comes alive, and the music is THERE with you. Tonally, it is awesome, with every detail, nuance, hint of sound clearly presented in its proper place, with no brightness or etched quality. Bass is round, firm, fleshy. Midrange will carress you. Does that seem a bit too sensuous for audio? This isn't audio any more. It's not just electronic junk coming from wires and plastic. It occupies space and has at least four, maybe six sides to it. All this with a $15K SS system. With tubes, I would expect even more life.
madisonears
detlof
1,899 posts
 
Steve, you are dead on! That's why I had the 777ES upgraded at Audience for almost 3k, but they did a tremendously good job especially on its analog stage. I am now burning it in and am truly amazed! Cheers!
aida_w
308 posts
 
Yes I have.
You guys better go out and do a good job in the advertising industry :-)
What sense - in all fairness - can it make to transfer CDs to a new format and accept the hiss that transaction creates or has at the same time? That isn't even HIFI level to do so.
Listen to REAL music and then listen to SACD. Hear the difference? Sure - it is a DIFFERENT difference from the real thing than CD or Vinyl is, but that's it! High End ALWAYS will stick to that difference - and well so! A Steinway grand is a Steinway no matter if you have it on SACD or whatever. We all can save a lot of money accepting that our CD collections of thousands of CDs are very close to real music played over a true High End system. The sound may be different but it is so with the change of every cable.
Viva la difference and keep up the good music!
Cheers
rgd
656 posts
 
Yes an I own a 333ES but the lack of software in Canada (Sony single layer and a few Telarcs via HMV.com) and what is available is prohibitively expensive. Forget about buying off US sites as the current exchange rate is in the toilet coupled with duties/taxes makes it no better. A great format that needs some decent titles and cheaper prices for everyone - something thats been said a million times before. For what I invested in a SACD player last February I could have bought a much better redbook player (probably used)! I am very disillusioned with the whole process...
listener
36 posts
 
I have not yet auditioned SACD in my home, but I have heard it in dealer environments. I tend to agree with Sbruzonsky. I opted for the Audio Aero Capitole 24/192 tubed output player. Expensive, but worth the price when you consider how much my Redbook CD's now sound like music. And, I didn't have to buy the same material AGAIN on a different format!
jtinn
1,124 posts
 
It truly is amazing (Detlof, way to go!!!), and I like it quite a bit better than DVD-A.

What I still have a problem with is the software availability, not just in our neighboring Canada, but everywhere. I am getting quite impatient and look forward to the day when most software can be heard in this GREAT format!
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