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Blu Ray player versus CD/SACD player.

No info on my system, just a general, straight-up question for those that would like to offer some general, straight-up input.

I have a decent analog system, but when listening to CDs or SACDs I have been using a hold-over from my home theater days, an Oppo BDP-103 Blu Ray player which can play a variety of discs, including switching between PCM and DSD.

I have been very happy with the Oppo but now it’s getting a little long in the tooth, I’m wondering should I stick with it or start researching a CD/SACD stand-alone player for my digital discs?

Should I get a unit that specializes in music playback or stick with the Oppo as “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!” Will I notice a difference between the Oppo and a unit that is built for primary music purposes?

Just looking for a general sense of peoples thoughts, especially those that have maybe made a similar switch?

Thanks for any feedback!

Ian the BigE

 

ianhorseman

Showing 2 responses by moonwatcher

moonwatcher
336 posts
 

@ianhorseman thanks.  I just wasn't sure what the relevance of SACD was these days, but if you can find some used gems out there, and even a few new ones that trip your trigger then good luck to you. 

I'd forgotten that originally SACD were supposed to have surround information in addition to better overall sound quality compared to Redbook CDs. 

It's a pity that Sony tried to control it too much because of their piracy worries and that for the average clueless consumer it never caught on, or we all might be enjoying DSD64 and higher rate physical formats today.  Missed opportunities...

moonwatcher
336 posts
 

Curious, so many here seem to act like SACD is still a "thing". Is it?
Where are you buying these, and what kind of releases? Jazz, pop, classical?

Who is still releasing music in this format, and if it is so limited, is it really worth it when you can get DSD downloads (often in higher bit-rates)?

Online blurbs say, "Although SACDs are still being produced in limited quantities for a niche rock/pop market, the glory days of the format (approximately the years 2000 – 2005) are gone."

And, "Many SACD discs that were released from 2000-2005 are now out of print and available only on the used market. By 2009, the major record companies were no longer regularly releasing discs in the format, with new releases confined to the smaller labels".

Instead of finding new music on one of the streaming services to like and perhaps buy to support the artists in any format, vinyl or CD, do you actively seek out only SACD releases and then hope that you’ll like the music?

Just curious...2009 was well, a long time ago...

I could see it if someone was heavily invested in and had a large library of SACDs from "back in the good old days", but now?

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