Sacd?

[rollinrocker]

I have about 40 dvd-a discs. For the most part they sound fantastic, but there are some duds. I have 4 sacd/hybrids but i don't even have a sacd player, the remastered two channel sounds great. There are new releases coming out every month, but not in any great numbers. Hi-rez is not dead, but pulse is weak!

[j_garcia]

Most SACDs just contain the exact same tracks on the CD layer that are on the redbook CD. They are NOT remastered just for the SACD release in most cases, AFAIK.

[rollinrocker]

I have both redbook and sacd versions of "avalon" and "dark side of the moon". Trust me, there IS a difference.

[treetownal]

I bought my Denon 1920 for about $250, refurbed with full warranty. It works great and SACD sounds great. You can probably get it cheaper if you looked hard enough. There are enough good SACD titles out there that it is worth it to own just for them.

[j_garcia]

DSoTM has at least a dozen versions and I couldn't tell you which one is on the SACD, so that one isn't so easy to pin down. Avalon is different from the previous RB because I think they went back to what I believe was a thought to be lost analog master and they probably were remastered. That is not the case for all hybrids though, because I have a few that it is clear that there is no difference. All I'm saying is don't assume that every hybrid will contain remastered CD tracks. On the Nine Inch Nails The Downward Spiral, the CD tracks are identical to the previous redbook release (AFAIK) for example.

[Jack Dotson]

Snip...
Anyway, I can't get enough of my SACDs. Love 'em. Loooooove 'em. And oh MAN would I love to pick up a Denon 1920 -- it's the only current player I'd be able to afford right now. But I'll contine to drool over the 3910 every time I stroll into Bay Bloor Radio. Sigh. So pretty . . . so shiny . . . sigh . . .

cheers,
supervij

How about the Sherwood Newcastle SD-860? Have you taken a look at it? There is very little written about it, but I took a chance a ordered one yesterday, $418 shipping included, three year warranty. Look too go to be true on paper, I'll let you guys know how it turns out.

[StanTheMan]

Yeah, the iPod annoys me. People seem to think it is some sort of nice piece of gear, and it most certainly is not. It is an MP3 player just like the rest of them, and it is subject to the same limitations - the quality of the MP3 files themselves.

It's nice because of the portability, and for folks who travel a lot, it's an easy way to take your tunes with you without lugging another suitcase. Considering how often I lugged around a portable cassette player (25 years ago or so), it likely also is great for the young 'uns. But the fact that folks think it has suitable sound quality for an every day player is disturbing as is the emphasis on singles rather than albums. Albums are art, man. A single....is just a single. It's easy to see why the industries love 'em though...the record labels made a bundle off 45s and they've been trying to get back there ever since the 45 bit the dust.

[Geno]

If you do a lot of air travel, the portables are a gift from God. I burn from my own CDs using MP3Pro at minimum 192Kbs Variable Bitrate, and the sound is quite good through my Etymotic earbuds. I have a 20 GB Archos player and have about 50 CDs on it, and it's still only about half full.
Gotta agree about critical listening at home, though. I find enough SACDs and DVDAs to satisfy my habits, and most of the DVD concerts in DTS are also good audio quality.

[shokhead]

The more i listen to SACD and DTS discs,the worst redbook cd's sound.

[j_garcia]

The more i listen to SACD and DTS discs,the worst redbook cd's sound.

Sorty of I do listen to my hires more and more too, The resolution definitely isn't there on most CDs, but that is not the fault of the media, it is the mastering. I do have a few CDs that I think sound great. Jazz at the Pawnshop is a redbook CD, but it actually has as much detail as my best SACDs. I'd buy it on SACD, but that version is ~$60!