Thread: Sony BDP S790 and SACD sound quality

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Post by Ian_of_glos December 27, 2012 (1 of 37)
Recently I purchased a Sony BDP S790. I chose this player mainly for Blue Ray, DVD, and internet video content streaming but as it also supports SACD I tried hooking it up to my amp to hear some of my SACDs for the first time. However, the results are disappointing - nowhere near as good as the sound from the CD layer on the same disc.
I cannot believe that the player is at fault, but rather I suspect that I have not installed it correctly.
Can anyone offer advice on how to configure this player for the best quality sound? The number of options is bewidering. For example - what is the best choice for each of the following:

Audio (HDMI)
DSD Output Mode
BD Audio MIX Setting
Dolby Digital / DTS
DTS Neo:6
Audio DRC
Super Audio CD Playback Channels

Post by rammiepie December 27, 2012 (2 of 37)
Does your player in the main menu offer the option of setting speaker size (large or small) and distance from the listening position (The various Oppos do).

Also, DSD should be the preferred output mode unless your pre/pro converts it to PCM

HDMI should be the output for multichannel and stereo SACD unless you'd rather use the stereo analogue outputs for stereo playback.

Also maybe you might want to upgrade your HDMI cable.......in my system it makes a difference. Also make sure the HDMI cables are probably inserted into the unit (should be a tight fit).

If your cd playback betters SACD playback..........that shouldn't be so double check all your connections.

Regarding SACD playback, choose multichannel or stereo as your preferred listening mode. I leave the Oppo on multichannel so it accesses the mch layer but it will also play in stereo (SACD) if the disc is not multichannel.

DTS and Dolby Digital should be automatically engaged if you choose either in the DVD menu (or Blu~ray as some still have lossy DTS/DD)

Also, a breaking in of the unit should yield better results...........play a cd in repeat mode for a few days and that should do the trick. Some units sound better after 100 hour break in period (although some skeptics believe otherwise).

Post by seth December 27, 2012 (3 of 37)
Ian_of_glos said:

Recently I purchased a Sony BDP S790. I chose this player mainly for Blue Ray, DVD, and internet video content streaming but as it also supports SACD I tried hooking it up to my amp to hear some of my SACDs for the first time. However, the results are disappointing - nowhere near as good as the sound from the CD layer on the same disc.
I cannot believe that the player is at fault, but rather I suspect that I have not installed it correctly.
Can anyone offer advice on how to configure this player for the best quality sound? The number of options is bewidering. For example - what is the best choice for each of the following:

Audio (HDMI)
DSD Output Mode
BD Audio MIX Setting
Dolby Digital / DTS
DTS Neo:6
Audio DRC
Super Audio CD Playback Channels

DSD Output mode: DSD
BD Audio Mix: Off (Allows for high-resolution audio bitstream)
Audio DRC: Off (This is compression)
Downmix: Surround

Post by Iain December 27, 2012 (4 of 37)
Ian_of_glos said:

Recently I purchased a Sony BDP S790. I chose this player mainly for Blue Ray, DVD, and internet video content streaming but as it also supports SACD I tried hooking it up to my amp to hear some of my SACDs for the first time. However, the results are disappointing - nowhere near as good as the sound from the CD layer on the same disc.
I cannot believe that the player is at fault, but rather I suspect that I have not installed it correctly.
Can anyone offer advice on how to configure this player for the best quality sound? The number of options is bewidering. For example - what is the best choice for each of the following:

Audio (HDMI)
DSD Output Mode
BD Audio MIX Setting
Dolby Digital / DTS
DTS Neo:6
Audio DRC
Super Audio CD Playback Channels

My BDP-S790 settings are:
Audio (HDMI) - Auto
DSD Output Mode - On
BD Audio MIX Setting - Off
Dolby Digital / DTS - Bitstream
DTS Neo:6 - Off
Audio DRC - Off
Super Audio CD Playback Channels - DSD Multi

Also I have the following questions for you:
1) What is your firmware revision level?
2) What AVR is S790 connected to?
3) Have you tried turning "DSD Output Mode" to "Off"? This will let player decimate DSD bitstream to 176.4 kHz/24 bit PCM.

I've had my S790 for almost 2 months and it's predecessor, BDP-S770 was in my system for 2 years. Both are excellent/reliable machines.

Post by Oakland December 27, 2012 (5 of 37)
Ian_of_glos said:

Recently I purchased a Sony BDP S790.

There is currently a discussion at Hi-Rez about this player. The OP compares the analog outs vs. the HDMI and seems to think both outs are the cats meow.

http://www.audioasylum.com/forums/hirez/messages/27/279735.html

Robert C. Lang

Post by chariot February 25, 2014 (6 of 37)
Iain said:

My BDP-S790 settings are:
Audio (HDMI) - Auto
DSD Output Mode - On
BD Audio MIX Setting - Off
Dolby Digital / DTS - Bitstream
DTS Neo:6 - Off
Audio DRC - Off
Super Audio CD Playback Channels - DSD Multi

Also I have the following questions for you:
1) What is your firmware revision level?
2) What AVR is S790 connected to?
3) Have you tried turning "DSD Output Mode" to "Off"? This will let player decimate DSD bitstream to 176.4 kHz/24 bit PCM.

I've had my S790 for almost 2 months and it's predecessor, BDP-S770 was in my system for 2 years. Both are excellent/reliable machines.

Having just replaced a BDP-S760 with a BDP-S790 (for its SACD playback capability only), it appears it plays only Stereo via the digital coax and optical connections; no multi-channel. This is at variance with the user manual.
Not having HDMI inputs on my Myryad pre-amp processor, I can't vouch for that option......

Post by Claude February 25, 2014 (7 of 37)
chariot said:

Having just replaced a BDP-S760 with a BDP-S790 (for its SACD playback capability only), it appears it plays only Stereo via the digital coax and optical connections; no multi-channel. This is at variance with the user manual.

Only sound from the CD layer of a hybrid SACD is output digitally over the coax or optical connections. Therefore only stereo. When you select to play the SACD layer (stereo or multichannel), those outputs stay mute.

That's the case with every Blu-ray player with SACD support, for copyprotection reasons. The only possible digital output from SACD (hi-rez layer) is via HDMI.

Post by Iain February 25, 2014 (8 of 37)
Claude said:

Only sound from the CD layer of a hybrid SACD is output digitally over the coax or optical connections. Therefore only stereo. When you select to play the SACD layer (stereo or multichannel), those outputs stay mute.

That's the case with every Blu-ray player with SACD support, for copyprotection reasons. The only possible digital output from SACD (hi-rez layer) is via HDMI.

Indeed.

Post by Fitzcaraldo215 February 25, 2014 (9 of 37)
chariot said:

Having just replaced a BDP-S760 with a BDP-S790 (for its SACD playback capability only), it appears it plays only Stereo via the digital coax and optical connections; no multi-channel. This is at variance with the user manual.
Not having HDMI inputs on my Myryad pre-amp processor, I can't vouch for that option......

Digital coax is always limited to 2channel only on all players everywhere. It can handle up to 192k, potentially on many players. Optical, presumably Toslink, is only capable of lossless stereo or lossy, compressed Mch. If the manual says otherwise, I would be surprised because it would be an industry first.

HDMI is the only way to output lossless digital Mch, and depending on the player, that could be bitstreamed DSD or PCM up to 192K.

Post by chariot February 25, 2014 (10 of 37)
Fitzcaraldo215 said:

Digital coax is always limited to 2channel only on all players everywhere. It can handle up to 192k, potentially on many players. Optical, presumably Toslink, is only capable of lossless stereo or lossy, compressed Mch. If the manual says otherwise, I would be surprised because it would be an industry first.

HDMI is the only way to output lossless digital Mch, and depending on the player, that could be bitstreamed DSD or PCM up to 192K.

Not correct. The BDP-S790 plays BluRay music discs perfectly through the coax and optical connections in multi-channel format.

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