2. digital
  3. 1019166002

Beyond SACD with Redbook: Price No Object

I just read the SACD/DVD-A is Dead thread which bummed me out a bit as I have been pondering the purchase a Sony SCD-1.

If it is true that redbook has already or will soon eclipse SACD, is there any consensus on state of the art CD players or DACs that can actually approach the fun of analogue.

Some of you have suggested that the Sony SCD-1 offers glorious redbook, the new Musical Fidelity DAC seems to be chateau Lafite to some and snake oil to others.

Is there any consensus on world class, undisputed heavy weight champ redbook players and/or DACs these days?

I would especially appreciate your opinions on what you think is the best of the best -- not "sleepers", good for their price range etc.

I don't mind spending the big bucks, just want to enjoy music again.
cwlondon
pardales
652 posts
 
I have tried to read every post on this thread and have tried to come to some conclusion. I am in a similar position to the original author of this thread. I beleive that new digital recordings that are designed for SACD likely produce the best sound we can achieve today. BUT!

What I want to know is, can a good SACD player do a better job of playing my 500+ redbook CD's than a really good redbook CD player or upsampling DAC?

This thread leads me to beleive that one needs a really good CD player or upsampling DAC for their redbooks, and a SACD player for real SACD recordings (whenever a decent number of them become available)......I would love to learn differently......

gpalmer
174 posts
 
Remember that this is "a price is no object" thread, and what us mere mortals find acceptable may vary somewhat. I would thaink for most folks, the results of taking a decent Sony player to a modder like modwright would be acceptable, even a stock XA777ES is no slouch on redbook. There is some perception among the posts which I have seen (not neccessarily in this thread) that the redbook CD on the SACD players and discs may have been compromised to make the new format sound better, but I can't say if this is true or not.
detlof
1,899 posts
 
I've read the entire thread with great interest, because I find myself in the same dilemma which Albert has described so well: Vinyl, if set up right and without compromise, is still the best sonically, but what about new releases, which won't come out as LPs.....So far, I've helped myself much the same way as Albert has described, except that I had my Sony modded by the Audience people. What I am wondering about however, is the question whether there is further improvement with Redbook rendering through the new upsamplers (192)like the DcS Purcell for example. I've heard conflicting reports. Perhaps someone can enlighten us more about this. It does seem to fit the topic. Cheers,
More to discover