SACD / DVD-V player question

[exile_ken]

I am considering purchasing a NAD T-535 DVD / Universal Disk player (on sale for $299 at Audio Advisor) and I have a few questions that perhaps one of you with much knowledge could answer. This player would replace my NAD C521BEE CD player in my 2 channel audio system. I have no plans to hook it up to a TV at this point. I own a number of CDs that are hybrid CD / SACD (The Stones ABKCO re-masters, the Dylan Columbia re-masters, and Derek & the Dominos Layla among them) and the Genesis Box Set 3, 1970 – 1975 which includes all titles in DVD-V. I have long wanted to hear the advantages of these enhanced formats, and before plunking down the hard earned cash I want to be sure that my current system will do them justice:

Amp: Forte 4a (50 wpc pure Class A)
Pre: Classe Audio Thirty
CD : NAD C 521BEE
Spkrs: Mission 750LE ( in the process of upgrading these)

The Classe pre-amp is capable of stereo only, so I would be connecting the NAD T-535 via the two channel RCA connectors to the pre-amp. From my limited understanding of these formats, the SACDs will all include a 2 channel stereo mix that will be playable on my system. According to Wikipedia The Genesis Box set DVD-Vs include a mix in Dolby Digital Stereo. In this case I am assuming I would be able to listen to enhanced versions of these albums on my 2 channel rig. Please confirm this or let me know if I don’t have it quite right. Also, any opinions on the NAD T-535 are welcome. It originally sold for $600 as recently as 2008 and procuring one for half that seems like a pretty good value and an inexpensive path to enjoying the benefits of SACD sound. In reviews I read on this player it seems it would perform just fine playing Redbook CDs in my system. Does anyone believe otherwise?
Thank you in advance for any knowledge you may share with me.

Ken

Tell the folks back home this is the Promised land callin’ and the poor boy’s on the line

 

[j_garcia]

No, not all SACDs include a 2ch track. MOST do, but not all, which is odd.

SACD is a very nice format IMO, but you are coming to the highdef audio realm a bit late in the game, as both DVD-A and SACD have all but died out already. Titles will be tough to find and popular/better ones may be quite expensive at this point.

Oppo also offers the BD-80 which would give you Blu-ray capability in addition to SACD and DVD-A, so even though you don't intend to hook it up to a TV now, you would be able to in the future technically.

You could also look for a used Oppo 980H which was only $169 new and had pretty good SACD/DVD-A capability, and IMO, a much better investment into these formats. They should be selling for around $100-125.

If you are looking for a more heavy duty player, then perhaps a Denon 3910 or 3930. Even my 2900 is still an excellent player.

 

[exile_ken]

oppo 981HD

Thank you for your observations. I see an oppo 981HD on sale at Audiogon for $135. I see that plays SACD and DVD- & DVD-A. It says its compatible with HDCD. I have a few of those too. Any idea of "compatible" means it will play the HDCD disks in HD mode, or just that it will play them?

Ken

when I was young I thought only of getting out
I said good-bye to my street good-bye to my house

 

[j_garcia]

I saw that 981 and was going to mention it, but the 980 has a superior board and is a bit better in the audio spectrum vs the 981 (I asked Oppo) so that is what I'd look for. The 981 is also a good all around player though - better video processing than the 980.