News help choosing a SACD Player / transport

I also have a Lumin U2 streamer together with an English Electric8 switch. I use high quality Cat6 wiring from my cable modem to my Luxul AV router and then to the EE8. Finally, I use a Shunyata Sigma Ethernet cable from the EE8 to my Lumin U2. My DAC is a Bricasti M21. A DH Labs Mirage USB cable connects the U2 to the M21. Power to these components is conditioned by a Shunyata Denali and delivered via Shunyata Venom power cables. I think the music I stream (using either the onboard Lumin app or my Roon Nucleus+) from Qobuz and Tidal sounds rather good.

That said, I also have a Bricasti M19 SACD transport, which employs an I2S connection (using a proprietary cable supplied by Bricasti). The power conditioning and cable are the same Shunyatas. More often than not, using what I try to ensure is the same recording as I am streaming, the SACD or CD version sounds even better — greater clarity, better imaging, wider/deeper soundstage, and more dynamic.

I cannot explain why exactly, but I suspect that the far, far shorter and less complicated data path of the CD/SACD may be the reason.

@kennyc

Distilling what was previously posted, seems the options to play SACD on most DACs are:

Shanling Onix Zenith XST20 SACD/CD
or
A universal player used as a transport (used Oppo 105) + GeerFab Audio D.BOB Digital Breakout Box 

Wonder which sounds best?

As I mentioned in the prior post, I have the GeerFab D.BOB. I also have a RME DAC that can play DSD via DoP using DSD64 on the D.BOB. Sounds as good as the Benchmark DAC3B.

My problem today is that I have a new DAC that is better than anything I have heard, and I want to hear my best sources; that is my SACD’s. I have an incredible and simple fibre optic streaming setup, but a disk has some extra magic to it. The GeerFab does not work with the new Imersiv D-1.

I am going to try the SHANLING ONIX Zenith XST20 Flagship High-End SACD / CD Player Transport True DSD Support

$1,964.21 from AliExpress.

This will connect via SPDIF to my new Imersiv D-1 DAC. I may also get a Allnic DAC in the future which has i2s so the Shanling in theory should work with both. I can return the unit if it does not work.

Actually, I should get this next week because in a few days I will be able to demo the Bricasti m19 SACD transport which also does the same as the D.BOB and the Shanling via SPDIF. It also has a proprietary native DSD stream via i2s, but proprietary is not for me. If the m19 works via SPDIF on my Imersiv D-1 then the Imersiv will work with the Shanling.

The m19 will show up at a headphone meet so I am not taking up any dealer’s time.

@yyzsantabarbara 

Waiting for your impressions on your new Onyx SACD transport coupled with your DACs

@corente I am paying for a DAC today that is hurting my finances. However, the person getting my cash needs a CD/SACD transport for his DACs that he demos at shows. My GeerFab D.BOB did not work with his DACs, including the one I purchased. I have a strong feeling he will be buying the Shanling Onyx that I sent him info on this morning. His need for a transport is much higher than mine.

I will pass along his feedback. However, let me say that a super cheap OPPO transport and the GeerFab D.BOB ($600) sounded great with the RME and Benchmark DAC3B.  The Onyx transport is likely as good or better than my old OPPO. The unknown factor on the Onyx is the extraction of DSD and then out via DoP on SPDIF. 

If the only variability on the Onyx compared to the D.BOB is the DAC that is connected to it. Then that is exactly what I want.

@corente Don't you just love it when you ask a question and get every response except WHAT you asked about?  LOL  As a "died in the wool" SACD devotee, here are your options.

First off, suggestions about picking up some universal player or cheaper player and playing it out of the analog outs and it will be fabulous and so on... That has not been my experience.  I have a flagship Marantz SACD player that's 20+ years old that annihilates OPPOs..  You are seeking really good quality SACD sound.

Here are my experience-based suggestions, but they are at the end of the day opinions.  I also don't know what inputs you have on your DAC.  Coax?  I2S?  I do not know.  Here it goes.

>Look on the used market for a used SACD player.  You want something that offers excellent sound quality with parts and service availability.  Marantz service and parts availability is awful.  Companies like Esoteric and Luxman have superior parts availability.  McIntosh is good as well.  Try not to buy "outside" of the 10-12 years old timespan though.  That's getting old enough that problems can start appearing.

>Purchase a Blu-Ray player that also plays SACD and is capable of sending DSD via HDMI.  Then buy a Geerfab DBOB Breakout.  IF, and only if, your DAC can accept SPDIF or TOSLINK DSD64 via DoP, this will work.  You will be able to listen to SACD.  The DBOB can struggle with Sony players (oddly).  I know guys who have purchased used OPPO BDP-93 or 95 players to use as the transport.  They hook up to the DBOB nicely!  You're going to want to use an outboard linear regulated 12DC power supply for the DBOB as opposed to the 120vac input, because it sounds far better.  Check Ebay for linear power supply for audio and things like that.  There are such supplies that come from China that are brilliantly engineered and with shipping hit $140 - $150.  You will want a good quality HDMI cable and a good quality SPDIF digital cable.  The better they are, the better your sound will be.  You can also upgrade the OPPO with a linear power supply from China that really does improve overall performance.  This method offers a great deal of versatility, room for improvements, and the ability to replace the transport if it dies, rather than having to pitch the entire player.  There are people all over the place with SA-11S-1-2-3 SACD players that are gathering dust because of a lack of parts.  I have heard finely tuned DBOB setups that sounded truly excellent.

>Shanling- Onix XST-20 Zenith SACD Transport.  This device sends native SACD via I2S to a DAC that has an I2S input.  If your DAC does not have an I2S input, you can output with a SPDIF cable DSD via DoP.  I have not personally heard this transport, but it does intrigue me.  If your DAC does not have an I2S input and you don't plan on getting a DAC with an I2S input, I'd probably just go with a DBOB with a used OPPO 95 or 93.  These players still have parts available, and they do have an upgrade path.

I hope this is of some use.