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SACD remasters- any better than CD version?

I have recently changed from an Ayre CX-7 to the Oppo 105 in my system which is straight forward balanced stereo into an Ayre AX-7 with Proac's 2.5

I have a variety of SACD hybrids and indeed the new and very expensive SACD version of Floyd's Wish You Were Here.

That particular disc is imho not as pleasing sonically as the Gold Mastersound version from years ago...came in the long box...and it is not as good as the last remaster either-smoother yes but lacking in dynamics imho.

The new Mobile Fidelity version of Dylan's Blood On The Tracks is probably the best digital version of that album but the differences between the CD layer and SACD layer are marginal-just different not better.

And that's a theme I hear time and time again...SACD doesn't really seem to bring anything to the party other than a smoothness and I would say that actually sounds a tad dull in most cases.

Indeed I think most interesting on the Oppo through my system is that HDCD's seem to give the best sonic replay-deep sound
stages and loads of detail.

Is it fair to say SACD has not made any of the classic recordings of the rock era sound any better?

Or are there discs I am missing out on?
ben_campbell

Showing 1 response by jmcgrogan2

jmcgrogan2's avatar
jmcgrogan2
6,346 posts
 
I would agree with you Ben that SACD's are smoother sounding and not the best for rock. That is probably why I only have a couple of rock SACD's. Most of my SACD's are jazz/vocal/orchestral performances, recordings where the slight smoothing SACD presents makes digital more listenable.

Of course my tube modified Marantz is pretty smooth on regular cd's too, which is why I have kept it for so long. I'd prefer a CDP to lean on the side of softness than to have to grind my teeth to that digital grit.

One person's 'dull' is another person's 'smoothness'. While one person's 'loads of detail' may be another persons 'ears bleeding'. That's why making recommendations on anything is so difficult, because we are all looking for something different. Which is why there are so many different flavors out there.
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