SACD Opinions: Gimmick? Like it? Don't? Why?

I agree with most of the comments above. That is, on a decent player with a good recording, SACD is capable of measurably smoother sound with greater detail and spacial cues than a competitively priced mass produced redbook player. BUT, and this is a BIG "but", the quality of recording is the main factor here. I have purchased some SACD's that sound like crap i.e. just as crappy as the redbook versions. As such, i've been pretty selective about what i've purchased on SACD. I'm not going out of my way to buy SACD's, but if i've got the choice between a strait SACD or hybrid disc and a straight redbook version, i'll buy the SACD or hybrid first.

As far as multi-channel SACD goes, the majority of older recordings are being re-mastered by incompetent idiots. Just as engineers liked to fiddle with the pan pots ( balance controls ) when we switched from mono to stereo, these guys are in their second childhood with five or six channels to play with now. While the effects that they come up with might be cool if you were totally inebriated or looking for a "sound effects" recording to demo your multi-channel system, it isn't much good for listening to music. At least not on the majority of multi-channel discs that i've heard, which isn't too many. Like everyone else though, i'm willing to be convinced, so if somebody knows of either "killer" SACD's or multi-channel SACD's, i'd like to know about them. Sean
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I just bought a Sony DVP-S9000ES with SACD and was trying out the difference on a Hybrid of Boccherini's "Stabat Mater" and the SACD layer seemed what I expect from music, so alive and present. The CD layer was shockingly flat in comparison but then I realized that it had the sound I was used to... I can imagine hearing the differences in the makers of violins with SACD. It is amazing. It's not just one thing that's better, it's the seductive whole. Just one guy's opinion.

Sean...If you can tolerate Bach, try the multichannel Sony SACD SS87983, E Power Biggs playing Toccatas and Fugues using the four organs installed in the cathedral of Freiburg. The multichannel aspect of this recording is not a creation of the recording engineers, but merely reflects the antiphonal character of the music and the instruments.

There are many more good DVD-A than multichannel SACD. The "killers" are Tacet DVD-A. They put you in the midst of a small chamber music group (eg: quartet) as if you were one of the musicians. Unless you have experienced this perspective, this may seem like a "gimmick" dreamed up by the engineers, but it really is not.

Some of the % of differences everyone is hearing comes down to the system. I have the Sony SCD-777ES along with Pass Labs X-1 and X-250 along with B&W matrix 803s. I have been auditioning speakers in my system and now have a pair of Talon Raven-Cs in the system now. The differences that I can now hear in my system such as details (especially micro), and dynamics is night and day over the B&Ws. So IMHO it all depends on the SACD and CD players you are comparing the paly back on. I have heard a few of the Agon member systems that have posted above me and in one system we compared my stock 777 to the same model with a mod. The difference was pretty much night and day. I also heard what a $10K CDP combo transport and DAC can do versus the stock Sony and again the differences are very much real.

There are also some poor SACD and redbook recordings so in my system, the differences can be small or large depending on the recording.

I have found in my system that SACD is a little smoother sounding with less digital edge, has better mirco details, better dynamics and overall more listening pleasure. I have not compared the Sony to other stock units like the Musical Fidelity Tri-Vista to see how much better that player is over the stock Sony or an EMC-1, Audiomeca or Wadia on redbook play back.

So I do not think that SACD is a gimmick and there are probably bigger differences in the top of the line players that Rcprince mentions.

Happy Listening.

Yikes, looks like I touched on a hot topic. You guys are right, I should have done a search. Good info though, plenty to go on. Thanks.