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View Full Version : Anyone Into SACD, Or Other High End Music Disc Formats?


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mr_june
03-27-2012, 12:50 PM
I got a PS3 the day it hit the streets back in 2006. That particular PS3 did SACD but I never took advantage of it. The machine has since died and shortly afterwards is when I got interested in SACD/Multi channel music thanks to a good friend at work. Since then, I picked up a dedicated SACD player and a few disc. After tasting how good the sound is vs. a CD version not to mention the lesser MP3version, I have to shake my head at what I had been missing. It's funny that as much as I like music, I had never heard or read about how much the average Joe is missing out on compared to what he is stuck with buying.

Shortly before this, I was watching The God Father Pt. 3 on Blu Ray and when the credits were rolling, I heard Harry Connick singing a song [[How Good We Are). I liked it enough to get the sound track on CD. It was when I was listening to that song on CD that I realised the difference between uncompressed [[blu ray movie) and compressed [[CD) music.

Sad to see that SACD and other formats didn't catch on. And now I'm stuck with trying to imagine how good some of my other favorite CDs would sound in high rez. My co-worker let me listen to some of his other high rez disc [[Blu Ray audio, DTS) and it got me to thinking the average person has settled for less when it comes to listening to music. Most of the music on high rez represents classical music. Then we have some jazz, rock stars, and others. When it comes to R&B there are very few artist represented. I have had a subsription to Sound & Vision [[formerly Stereo Review) for years and can't hardly remember ever seeing high rez reviews for r&b/soul artist and groups which made me wonder did R&B labels not think to go back and mine their catalog for releases in high rez form or was it just a lack of finances?

I'd like to hear Ralph and others who worked close to the source talk about the difference between what they hear when the music is recorded and what we get on the user side. Was competitive formats the reason this didn't catch on or was the public indifferent? Or was it both?

jack020
03-28-2012, 02:24 AM
For a lot of info on all High End Music Formats: check this out:
http://www.quadraphonicquad.com/forums/forum.php

And don't ever buy from this site:
http://www.dvd4music.com/index.php
Biggest fraud possible: based in the UK, they take your money at once and don't deliver! And emailing them does not help.

ms_m
03-28-2012, 08:22 AM
Mr June, Chi drummer also posted a site for High rez music awhile back. Hopefully he'll see this or hit him up on PM.

mr_june
03-29-2012, 11:18 AM
Thanks Jack an ms_m.

soulster
03-29-2012, 12:56 PM
About eleven years ago, SACD was the format that was going to change home audio. It is based on the 1-bit DSD technology developed by Sony for archival purposes. It won the battle with the competitor to JVC's DVD-A. Unfortunately, Sony pretty much abandoned their own technology by not offering free licensing to the hardware manufacturers. Sony also did not offer hybrid CD/SACD discs for sale, even though they had the most popular titles. Universal had the second most popular titles, but they were keen to offer hybrids.

I had an SACD player, but grew tired of the format because of the relative lack of titles, and that the players did not use digital outs for DSD.

Now we have hi-resolution downloads of which I have bought several so far. The number of titles I am interested in are picking up. Sure, downloading such large files takes a bit of time, but it's worth it for the sound quality. And, since servers and recievers [[streaming) is now the more popular way of enjoying music and movies, it's a no-brainer. Except for a hard drive [[or two), there is no need for physical media anymore.

My other hi-rez media choice is...vinyl! Of course, it requires good gear and tweaking to get it to sound right, and your records have to be clean.

If you guys want more hi-rez R&B, you'll have to start buying what R&B is available now. Marvin Gaye, Rick James, Staple Singers, and others. This will let the labels know to do more of the genre than to just stick to jazz, classical, and 'classic" rock.

mr_june
03-30-2012, 04:02 PM
Thanks Soulster. I have to go into my receivers menu and change settings to play certain disc but that's ok. I didn't know that The Staple Singers and Rick had any high rez disc. I have two Santana high rez disc but one of them has hardly any low end. I think it's a DTS disc.

soulster
03-30-2012, 05:22 PM
Thanks Soulster. I have to go into my receivers menu and change settings to play certain disc but that's ok. I didn't know that The Staple Singers and Rick had any high rez disc. I have two Santana high rez disc but one of them has hardly any low end. I think it's a DTS disc.

Check out the thread on that Rick James "Street Songs" hi-rez. Harry Weinger comments on how it was created.