EMI SACD releases

I just want to add a word for Oppo Model 95 and also 93.  They both play SACDs and every other type of disc superbly and cost a lot less than Krell, etc.  Here in the States the 93 is about $500 and the 95 is $1,000. I have played hundreds of various types of discs and my 95 is great.  I have no financial interest in the comany.  I must also state that their service for their customers is wonderful.

I have seen a very substantive difference, even in Stereo SACD, in terms of ambience, dynamics, attaca and bandwidth.

However, I have seen all that with my Krell, which is quite expensive. So, it depends on the investment you wish to get into.

Parla

I have the Oppo 83 model and it plays sacd like a dream as well as conventional cds.These Oppo players are also great with dvd.I have several dvds that are defective and mess up when I play them on other dvd players,but they play flawlessly on the Oppo.I had bought a $1,000 Marantz sacd player but returned it for a refund because I just wasn`t impressed with it.I then got the Oppo(after reading super positive reviews in both audio and video magazines)for $500.It has a very rich, full, detailed sound with a great sound stage with depth.

I wonder how many of them will be worthwhile Classical titles?The SACD releases from Japan are a mixed bag as far as being classics and even in being in stereo.

SACDs do sound better than their equivalent CDs but:

1. its advantages are only evident in first-rate dsd digital recordings or in very careful transfers, which are only a (small) fraction of what has been released, that's why many sacds don't impress: it's all the same to play any of the layers in a hybrid disc (I got many of those);

2. it's likely that legal rights on DSD midia imposed by Sony prevented this new format from prevailing in the HI-FI equipment industry (you normally cannot output it in the digital domain) and recording industry as well;

3. another factor that helps to explain why sacd didn't gain much more space (at least, up tp now), other than costs, lies in the undisputable fact that the red book standard (16bits / 44.1khz) evolved a lot in recent years, mainly due to new dac chips from companies like analog devices or wolfsom, just to name two;

4. if I was to buy a new player I wouldn't give much attention to sacd discs playing capability for the reasons above and due to the fact that the vast majority of my library is red book cds;

5. if I was to invest in a new digital source I would rather look for a great dac having computer audio in mind (Weiss, Dcs...) or for a great streamer like a Linn DS which you only need to add a NAS to. Then you would be able not only to  stream the files ripped from your library (that CAN - not will -  sound better than cdp) but also stream high-resolution files downloaded that are soundwise in another league indeed.

Well, that's only my experience after all.

 

 

They have escaped.

Usual fare except for one I cannot recall appearing before: Schuricht and the VPO in Bruckner 8 and 9. Curious.

Very expensive. Damn the deficit, look at the £21+ as investment for your grandchildren and do not hesitate to buy (smart design on the cover as well!).

I don't know the Schuricht 8th but bought the 9th after Testament issued it  some years ago, on LP only, if memory serves me correctly. Robert Layton in ICRC commented it wasn't initially well received in Gramophone but he thought it one of the finest ninths he had heard in very good sound. I wouldn't disagree.