Thread: The future of SACD in 2006

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Post by jbpfrance January 22, 2006 (71 of 163)
DSD said:

It's not as much as what is missing from CD but what is "artificially" added. The cold sterile sound of CD is something I have never heard from live music, or recorded LP, RTR or cassette. The sound of massed strings on CD is more irritating than fingernails scraping a chalkboard. I have a harder problem listening to CD, as its problems are most effective in the area when my hearing has a spike. I hear frequencies between 14kHz-17kHz boosted by +4dB and it sloops down from there to the end of my hearing range at 24kHz. Other people without such a spike in their hearing may be able to tolerate CD better than I can.

A friend once suggested I get a equalizer to cut the frequencies -4dB between 14kHz-17kHz. I don’t like equalizers and I cannot take one with me to a live concert.

Happy listening,
Teresa

Quite interesting these facts....

I also assumed that not everyone has this capability of detecting such differences. I may be quite same to you in this respect.

May I ask you ? In my case, I also do not consider deep bass as essential (low medium frequencies yes) in music, at first instance. Of course, when someone like my brother tells me that this loudspeaker is not good at bass (extreme bass, I mean again), I can recognize what he says, but only after he tells me, or I must really take care from the beginning.
But for the treble range, I immediately perceive the smallest difference. My brother does not immediately in reverse.
That is why I ask the question.
But for SA-CD, the details of music are perceived all the frequency range, and to me, the highest difference with CD's is around the medium-bass range (between the second left to the third left A of a piano.
Just for info,
Thanks in advance,

Post by azure January 26, 2006 (72 of 163)
Re: Pink Floyd's Wish you were here, I received a reply from Matt Johns of Brain Damage:

"WYWH is still a work in progress... once that is done, and released, I understand that The Wall will be considered. The band, and James Guthrie, are very keen on the format, so expect more to come!"

I must say "The Wall" in surround is what I really want. . .

Post by DSD January 26, 2006 (73 of 163)
jbpfrance said:

Quite interesting these facts....

I also assumed that not everyone has this capability of detecting such differences. I may be quite same to you in this respect.

May I ask you ? In my case, I also do not consider deep bass as essential (low medium frequencies yes) in music, at first instance. Of course, when someone like my brother tells me that this loudspeaker is not good at bass (extreme bass, I mean again), I can recognize what he says, but only after he tells me, or I must really take care from the beginning.
But for the treble range, I immediately perceive the smallest difference. My brother does not immediately in reverse.
That is why I ask the question.
But for SA-CD, the details of music are perceived all the frequency range, and to me, the highest difference with CD's is around the medium-bass range (between the second left to the third left A of a piano.
Just for info,
Thanks in advance,

I do love deep bass, however it is the midrange that is the most important. If the midrange sounds artificial then no amount of low frequencies or high frequencies will help. Bass frequencies including the upper bass you mention just sound more realistic on SACD due I believe to correct timbre, natural warmth and ambiance. I also do not like distorted "one-note" thump-thump subwoofers, I prefer distortion free full range speakers, My floor standing Infinity's have 12 inch woofers that sound quite realistic in the lower regions.

For me the problem with 44.1kHz CDs is in the upper midrange which sounds extremely shrill combined with the high frequencies which sounds rolled off. So with the CD format you end up with music that sounds both painfully shrill (upper midrange) and dull (high frequencies) at the same time. No other format in the history of mankind does this grossness to music not even the high wow and flutter 8 Track cartridge. And to add further insult the music sounds COLD from the deepest bass to the highest treble. We should have had only LPs until Sony finally got digital right. CD was a big waste of time and 18 years of Master tapes compromised by PCM.

Well Sony I guess it's better late than never. I cursed you for inventing the dreadful CD format but I now bless you for the wonderful SACD format.

Teresa

Post by Valavien January 27, 2006 (74 of 163)
It has been mentioned earlier but there really needs to be more software released. I have a Pioneer 686a dvd player which I bought specifically for SACD and watching dvd's (of course). I have been thinking that since I love my music and as a better source for the rest of my equipment, Bryston 3BSST etc, that I should buy a new player. In the end I think I have decided at this stage to get a NAD 542 cd player. I can't justify spending at least AU$1000 on a decent SACD player when I only have about ten discs. I am interested in some of the new OST's that have been released. I have a few classical SACD's but I just don't know enough of the composers and pieces (yet) do get anymore. I have to say that Bjorks - Vespertine and Amon Tobins (DVD-A) Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory are quite brilliant. But there is not enough of the more modern stuff. Do these artists decide that they would like to be released in the new formats or is it someone else?

I must admit that I was quite impressed with the release of the remastered War of the Worlds just on SACD Hybrid. A very good idea and a brilliant use of Multichannel.

I also recommend subscribing to the SA-CD.net RSS feed as that is very handy!

Post by Peter January 27, 2006 (75 of 163)
Bach - Goldberg Variations; Italian Concerto; Chromatic Fantasia & Fugue [Widescreen]

Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach
Performer: Wanda Landowska
Label: Emi
Catalogue Number: CDH5672002
Released: January 24, 2000

Seen on Amazon - widescreen CD, an exciting new development! :-)

Post by Johnno January 31, 2006 (76 of 163)
Peter said:

Yes, I read Mr Duff's letter several times over several days as I was sure I'd misunderstood something. But no, I don't think I had. Bizarre!

Feb Hi-Fi News has got some dismissive SACD comments, particularly as there's a review of the latest Musical Fidelity 2 box system which renders SACD superfluous. Apparently.

I've already commented about Mr Duff's letter elsewhere. "Hi-Fi News" is another matter and I've become very disappointed in its attitude towards the format. Ken Kessler has made it known, at least when he reviewed the Marantz SA-11S1 stereo player, that he supported the format, but Martin Colloms has made his opposing opinions equally clear too. I haven't read the February issue of "Hi-Fi News" but might I ask how much that 2-box Musical Fidelity player costs in the UK? That seems to be its argument -- pay megabucks for a CD player and it's sure to make CDs sound better than SACD. (I admit I'm only assuming at this stage that the MF player is really expensive). However, pay megabucks for an SACD player and I vouch that such an argument would not longer stand close scrutiny.

Post by Claude February 1, 2006 (77 of 163)
Johnno said:

That seems to be its argument -- pay megabucks for a CD player and it's sure to make CDs sound better than SACD. (I admit I'm only assuming at this stage that the MF player is really expensive). However, pay megabucks for an SACD player and I vouch that such an argument would not longer stand close scrutiny.

I don't think it's about making CDs sound better than SACD. For many music lovers SACD is simply not an option because of the software situation. They need a high end CD player to play the dominant format on the market, but it's not sure they'll want a SACD player if there are only a few dozen SACD titles that interest them.

They are just being pragmatic! It's not about which format is better.

What is the proportion of SACDs/CDs in your music collection? In mine it is 200/3500 (less than 6%), although I mainly listen to jazz and classical which are better represented on SACD than rock/pop, and I buy every SACD that presents some musical interest to me. I'm generally less critical on the musical content when it comes to SACDs, because the selection is so limited. I bought stuff on SACD which I would not have bought on CD.

As now more labels seem to abandon SACD, it is even more difficult to convince consumers to invest into expensive SACD equipment, and manufacturers to integrate SACD support in their high end CD players.

Post by DSD February 1, 2006 (78 of 163)
As now more labels seem to abandon SACD, it is even more difficult to convince consumers to invest into expensive SACD equipment, and manufacturers to integrate SACD support in their high end CD players.
Consumers are either afraid or unaware of their power. If everyone and I mean everyone refused to buy a new release unless it was on SACD, guess what every single release would be on SACD! That is the power we consumers have.

But consumers are afraid and try to improve CD sound instead, if they only knew their power SACD would completely replace CD in no time flat.

Post by nickc February 1, 2006 (79 of 163)
Johnno said:

I've already commented about Mr Duff's letter elsewhere. "Hi-Fi News" is another matter and I've become very disappointed in its attitude towards the format. Ken Kessler has made it known, at least when he reviewed the Marantz SA-11S1 stereo player, that he supported the format, but Martin Colloms has made his opposing opinions equally clear too. I haven't read the February issue of "Hi-Fi News" but might I ask how much that 2-box Musical Fidelity player costs in the UK? That seems to be its argument -- pay megabucks for a CD player and it's sure to make CDs sound better than SACD. (I admit I'm only assuming at this stage that the MF player is really expensive). However, pay megabucks for an SACD player and I vouch that such an argument would not longer stand close scrutiny.

At least this month's Gramophone has a Channel Classics SACD as disc of the month (Walton -Serenade for Strings + Beethoven String Quartet 16)!
Cheers
Nick

Post by musicman February 1, 2006 (80 of 163)
azure said:

Re: Pink Floyd's Wish you were here, I received a reply from Matt Johns of Brain Damage:

"WYWH is still a work in progress... once that is done, and released, I understand that The Wall will be considered. The band, and James Guthrie, are very keen on the format, so expect more to come!"

I must say "The Wall" in surround is what I really want. . .

The Wall is available in DSD / HDCD now from Toshiba-EMI (Japan) catalog number FA20955.

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