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Have you heard SACD?

Just spent better part of an evening, picking jaw up off floor after listening to SACD sampler disc about seven times in a row on newly obtained Sony 9000ES. If you haven't heard SACD, please, please, go listen to one. It is a statue of beautiful proportions and curves compared to CD's poster-flat presentation. The sound comes alive, and the music is THERE with you. Tonally, it is awesome, with every detail, nuance, hint of sound clearly presented in its proper place, with no brightness or etched quality. Bass is round, firm, fleshy. Midrange will carress you. Does that seem a bit too sensuous for audio? This isn't audio any more. It's not just electronic junk coming from wires and plastic. It occupies space and has at least four, maybe six sides to it. All this with a $15K SS system. With tubes, I would expect even more life.
madisonears
detlof
1,899 posts
 
It is Greg, it is! I'm still burning it in and experienced an amazing leap forward in transparency and finesse after about 60 hours of continuous play. Cheerio!
sbruzonsky
25 posts
 
Hi Detlof!!!! I luved SACD, with the Sony SCD-777ES SACD player. HOwever, I sold it because I demod the then prototype (now available) Granite Audio tube CD player, vs my internally Bybeeized Sony 777, and the Granite using the tube analog redbook CD output sounded a bit better across the board than the Sony in SACD. This was using duplicates of SACD/CD dual layer CDs with players volume matched
and hit a button and A-B switch. Now, the same Granite player with analog non-tube outputs sounds nowhere near as good on redbook CD as the Sony on SACD. This leads me to conclude how important the analog output stage is and that the Sony SACD players still have somewhere to go to reach their obvious potential. The Granite tube player is in the SACD player ballpark, at $2900 retail, but a web dealer listed it at $2400, with a thirty day money back guarentee.
I apologize, this sounds like an ad. It ain't, at least I have no affiliation other than being a reviewer/moderator over at www.avsforum.com . But I luv this tube CD player and the option of an outstanding redbook CD player which makes all your regular CDs sound much better should be at least considered.
detlof
1,899 posts
 
Steve, you are dead on! That's why I had the 777ES upgraded at Audience for almost 3k, but they did a tremendously good job especially on its analog stage. I am now burning it in and am truly amazed! Cheers!
aida_w
308 posts
 
Yes I have.
You guys better go out and do a good job in the advertising industry :-)
What sense - in all fairness - can it make to transfer CDs to a new format and accept the hiss that transaction creates or has at the same time? That isn't even HIFI level to do so.
Listen to REAL music and then listen to SACD. Hear the difference? Sure - it is a DIFFERENT difference from the real thing than CD or Vinyl is, but that's it! High End ALWAYS will stick to that difference - and well so! A Steinway grand is a Steinway no matter if you have it on SACD or whatever. We all can save a lot of money accepting that our CD collections of thousands of CDs are very close to real music played over a true High End system. The sound may be different but it is so with the change of every cable.
Viva la difference and keep up the good music!
Cheers
rgd
656 posts
 
Yes an I own a 333ES but the lack of software in Canada (Sony single layer and a few Telarcs via HMV.com) and what is available is prohibitively expensive. Forget about buying off US sites as the current exchange rate is in the toilet coupled with duties/taxes makes it no better. A great format that needs some decent titles and cheaper prices for everyone - something thats been said a million times before. For what I invested in a SACD player last February I could have bought a much better redbook player (probably used)! I am very disillusioned with the whole process...
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