Super Audio CD Hybrid

[ShotgunSteven]

I was looking at a CD of some of Tsaichovsky's work, and the CD bore this notation.

**Super Audio CD (SACD) Hybrid**
This CD will play in standard CD players.
A Super Audio CD player is required to take advantage of the SACD sound technology.

What is this SACD sound technology? Some stepping stone between regular CD's and DVD audio?

 

[ethebubbeth]

SACD is a competing format to DVD-A.

A hybrid disc contains a normal redbook audio cd layer, and an enhanced SACD layer that will only playback in an SACD capable player.

 

[ShotgunSteven]

Originally posted by: ethebubbeth
SACD is a competing format to DVD-A.

A hybrid disc contains a normal redbook audio cd layer, and an enhanced SACD layer that will only playback in an SACD capable player.

Must not be competing too well if this is the first I have heard of it. :laugh: Is there any way to take advantage of the SACD layer with a CD-ROM drive?

 

[Nohr]

Multi-channel audio on a CD.

 

[ethebubbeth]

Originally posted by: ShotgunSteven
Is there any way to take advantage of the SACD layer with a CD-ROM drive?

To access the SACD layer, you would need a standalone player that supports SACD.

Originally posted by: Nohr
Multi-channel audio on a CD.

Most SACD's are just a higher quality stereo mix. There are multichannel versions, but they are the minority.

 

[IAteYourMother]

Originally posted by: ShotgunSteven

Originally posted by: ethebubbeth
SACD is a competing format to DVD-A.

A hybrid disc contains a normal redbook audio cd layer, and an enhanced SACD layer that will only playback in an SACD capable player.

Must not be competing too well if this is the first I have heard of it. :laugh: Is there any way to take advantage of the SACD layer with a CD-ROM drive?

no

 

[Nohr]

Originally posted by: ethebubbeth

Originally posted by: Nohr
Multi-channel audio on a CD.

Most SACD's are just a higher quality stereo mix. There are multichannel versions, but they are the minority.

Ah true, my bad. I tend to only pay attention to the surround releases.

 

[ShotgunSteven]

Any online stores that specialize in DVD-A? If there is a good selection of classical music available in that format, I would actually be tempted to get a player.

 

[Nohr]

I don't know about any specialist stores but you can start looking at Amazon. Here's a DVD-A release list to peruse so you can see what's out there.

If you want a player recommendation the OPPO DV-970HD is supposed to be nice for ~$150.

 

[AnitaPeterson]

Welcome to 1998!

 

[0roo0roo]

yup wiki it, dvda/sacd battle lost by both long ago really. they are high def audio formats murdered by drm. sacd is by sony, screw sony.

makes buying cds these days that much sadder, inferior product. and the music companies are tryhing to peddle even more inferior stuff in downloads

 

[ethebubbeth]

Originally posted by: 0roo0roo
they are high def audio formats murdered by drm.
(

I hear ya

Not being able to output over a digital connection killed the format for me.

I can only play the DVD-V side with dolby digital or DTS surround tracks over toslink.

If I want the high resolution MLP, I have to run analog cables to my amplifier.

I could use denon link with my amplifier, but I don't want to have to buy an $800 dvd player just to get my 5 DVD-A discs over a digital connection

 

[0roo0roo]

they could have won if they had ditched the drm. the first dvd players didn't have dvd audio because they were still fiddling with the drm. a huge missed opportunity to have a massive installed base of players. the industry never learns.

 

[darkswordsman17]

I wonder if we'll see a new generation of high-def music now that we've got Blu-Ray/HD-DVD. It could actually catch on for several reasons this time:

HD is all the buzz and consumers are buying in now
They can actually do lossless surround tracks now (Dolby Digital HD, DTS-HD)
With HDMI becoming prevalent they're letting the surround signal be pass through that instead of requiring analog
With the abundance of crappy stereo MP3s the quality difference should be very noticable (easier to sell to the consumer).

 

[spidey07]

It's a super high defintion super audio CD.

If you have a SACD player you will experience a sound that rivals vinyl in terms of quality.

SACDs are called hybrid when they include a CD compatible layer/recording.

If you like music, you already have a SACD player. It's mind blowing.

 

[spidey07]

Originally posted by: darkswordsman17
I wonder if we'll see a new generation of high-def music now that we've got Blu-Ray/HD-DVD. It could actually catch on for several reasons this time:

HD is all the buzz and consumers are buying in now
They can actually do lossless surround tracks now (Dolby Digital HD, DTS-HD)
With HDMI becoming prevalent they're letting the surround signal be pass through that instead of requiring analog
With the abundance of crappy stereo MP3s the quality difference should be very noticable (easier to sell to the consumer).

Not likely.

People don't want to hear quality recordings. They want it to fit on their iPod. Why do you thing CDs sound so freakin' crappy these days? Because the artist wanted it that way? No, because that's what people wanted.

Vinyl for life.

 

[darkswordsman17]

Originally posted by: spidey07

Not likely.

People don't want to hear quality recordings. They want it to fit on their iPod. Why do you thing CDs sound so freakin' crappy these days? Because the artist wanted it that way? No, because that's what people wanted.

Vinyl for life.

Sad but true.

It'd likely also fail because they'd want to charge a ton of money for it and it'd be DRM'ed worse than the HD movies are.

 

[AnitaPeterson]

Unfortunately, it's true...

Most CD's these days are badly mastered, and the sound is terriby "loud" and distorted.

Read this, one of the most compelling analyses of the phenomenon.

 

[spidey07]

That's just one of the many reasons why vinyl sounds so much better.

They don't compress/clip the crap out of it.

 

[giantpinkbunnyhead]

I love SACD's. The sound quality just blew me away. When I bought my HT gear, I asked the sales guy about SACD's and he was like "Oh, they're just a gimmick, don't waste your money on them" and so I didn't. But a few months later I got curious and picked up a few discs. I now wish I could go back and smack that salesman because SACD's are like a whole new world to me.

It's hard to find music in this format because it never was successful; but a handful of websites exist that carry upwards of 1500 titles as opposed to my local B&M store which has... 25. But it's oh so worth it. For the first time I could just sit on the couch with music playing... and do NOTHING ELSE but listen, and enjoy.