SACD and two channel stero receiver with Dolby

[TMMerlin]

Hi folks .. I am new to forum and would like to get a basic question going. I also plan to do some historical reading as I realize there is a wealth of information here.

Question: I have a two channel Pioneer VSX-D701S stero w/Doly Pro Logic surround. It's an older system.

I also have a new Denon2910 player that will play SACD. Thus, I can connect the Left/Right (red/white) audio outputs of the Denon to the Aux audio In on the receiver.

If I buy a SACD music disc, will it sound any better than a regular CD ? If the music on the SACD is rendered in 5.1 surround, will that actually play as well.

Long and short of it .. does it make sense to start buying SACD discs for my music on the system I have ?

Also, does anybody have a favorite site/s that you can share a URL with me, so I can go and get "smart" again on stereo systems ??

Thanks in advance for your help and advice ..

Regards

 

[hopjohn]

I also have a new Denon2910 player that will play SACD. Thus, I can connect the Left/Right (red/white) audio outputs of the Denon to the Aux audio In on the receiver.

If I buy a SACD music disc, will it sound any better than a regular CD ? If the music on the SACD is rendered in 5.1 surround, will that actually play as well.

Long and short of it .. does it make sense to start buying SACD discs for my music on the system I have ?
Regards

The high resolution DSD tracks on SACD will sound better than regular CDs, all things being equal. Nearly all SACDs have a hi-res stereo track, and many also have a hi-res surround track. You won't be able to take advantage of a surround track because you would need 5.1 preamp level analog inputs, which your receiver doesn't have.

 

[TMMerlin]

The high resolution DSD tracks on SACD will sound better than regular CDs, all things being equal. Nearly all SACDs have a hi-res stereo track, and many also have a hi-res surround track. You won't be able to take advantage of a surround track because you would need 5.1 preamp level analog inputs, which your receiver doesn't have.

Thanks for the useful information. I am going to do a test run on SACD and start off with Far Side of the Moon. I understand that the remixing of the original content (tracks) came out extremely good.

Regards ...

 

[Rip Van Woofer]

...Also, does anybody have a favorite site/s that you can share a URL with me, so I can go and get "smart" again on stereo systems ??

Thanks in advance for your help and advice ..

Regards

May I humbly suggest you take a look at my sig:

 

[markw]

Thanks for the useful information. I am going to do a test run on SACD and start off with Far Side of the Moon. I understand that the remixing of the original content (tracks) came out extremely good.

Regards ...

Let's not confuse a different sounding remix with the technical superiority of ome medium over another.

 

[TMMerlin]

SACD = CD on Steroids for older receiver/amps

To SACD or not to SACD ?

OK ... I can now relate to the "mixing" comment and understand.

Re-read all my literature on the Pioneer VSX-D701S and still have IMH opinion a "kick-***" stereo system. That coupled with my Advent speakers which all in all, are very closely matched to the output of the receiver (the tech specs etc).

I have done several hours of reading up on the "new stuff" (the world beyond stereo) and decided that it will cost a small fortune to re-outfit "mah-system" to the world of 5.1 and beyond !!

As I read this partial comment from HOPJOHN The high resolution DSD tracks on SACD will sound better than regular CDs, all things being equal. Nearly all SACDs have a hi-res stereo track, and many also have a hi-res surround track. (and I trust my brain cells are functioning correctly) the SACD music will have more "ambience" with my system.

So I think i'll try a SACD and play it back through my new Denon2910 player.

 

[shokhead]

4-500 bucks for a nice reciever. Not a fortune{although to some of us it might be}.

 

[TMMerlin]

Upgrading "dah old system"


Went and took a look at some newer gear and would agree that a new receiver in the 5.1 and beyond world can be had for $500 to $700 with parameters that are close to my Pioneer but still less, when you start comparing the fine points.

I have already created a great sound for home theater as the Pioneer is Dolby Surround/ Prologic II. I adjusted speaker seperation, delay and accoustics for the living room and it is just dynomite.

I think for the time being, I'll try the SACD's out on the Denon2910 and "listen at ..what do it sound like" ..

Who knows, maybe my current equipment will pick up and make a difference with the DSD sound. Logic says, the more "data per sample" the better it should sound.

Thanks folks for helping out on getting me going on the SACD material.

 

[shokhead]

Your Pioneer is DD,DPL and DTS so you got that. Try some DTS music Disc's. www.dtsonline. They are pretty dam nice.

 

[Rock&Roll Ninja]

You may want to try a Hybrid SACD also. The CD layer will sound like a CD, and the SACD layer should have the same mix and reveal any audible diffrences from a regular CD on your system.

 

[WmAx]

The CD layer will sound like a CD, and the SACD layer should have the same mix and reveal any audible diffrences from a regular CD on your system.

Uhm. Their is no guarantee of such a thing. So far, investigations of this have revealed the CD versions to have a different mastered version as compared to the SACD or DVD-A version(s). Even Telarc's head engineer(Michael Bishop) admitted to me in e-mail that the CD layer on the SACD version of at least one of their releases was different(Tierney Sutton - Dancing In The Dark).

An analysis of the waveforms from both the SACD and CD version would have to be performed, in order to determine if they were from the same basic mastered version. Both a very high resolution FFT spectrograph of the two waveforms needs to be confirmed to be identical up to 20kHz range and a comparison of the waveforms to insure equal dynamic range are required. In order to realisticly compare the actual limitation(if there is one) of 44.1kHz sample rate, however, a 44.1kHz PCM AD-DA unit should be used. 1st, the unit should be measured thoroughly to insure that the device is not producing artifacts of known audible levels to humans. Then, the unit should be placed in the line of the SACD player, comparing these two states:

(1) SACD-->AD--DA-->amplifier

(2) SACD-->amplifier

Level matched, DBT protocol should be used.

Of course, the above assumes that a FAIR comparison of the formats is desired.

-Chris

 

[TMMerlin]

You may want to try a Hybrid SACD also. The CD layer will sound like a CD, and the SACD layer should have the same mix and reveal any audible diffrences from a regular CD on your system.

The SACD I bought just so happened to be "hybrid" ...will try them out both ways. I do have the original DC version too. Thanks for the reply.

Regards ..

 

[TMMerlin]

For: WmAx

"I aint no Rocket Scientest" and waveforms make my head hurt and cause my braincells to be confused. So i'll "just play it by ear"

I also got Hotel California by the Eagles.

I really am not going to replace the hundreds of CDs I have but am experimenting to find out how SACD and DVD-audio sound on my current Pioneer system. This is a result of my getting the Denon2910.

I bought the Pioneer gear (integrated amp/receiver; dual, 6 CD pack CD player; and Advent speakers (6 of them) back in '92. There is about $2,300 of '92 dollars in the system.

So I am very reluctant to "re-invent" my system as it has served me very well and it plays "my kinda music" with great perfection (yes, I am stuck in my 60's timewarp and generally only buy new releases from artists of that era or those new artists than can "come up" to comparison).

Thanks for the input though.

I will save this overall thread and come back with my "action report" and let all of you know what happens.

Regards to all ,,,

 

[TMMerlin]

YES ... very pleased with both SACD and DVD-Audio
Darkk Side of the Moon = SACD
Hotel California = DVD-Audio

I bought both formats to experiment on my current system....I must say they both sound fantastic !

Regards ..