SACD players

[jazzbo]

On 3/27/2021 at 0:15 PM, mjzee said:

Jazzbo, where do you go for reliable recommendations regarding system upgrades?  Which sources do you trust?

I pretty much have spent thirty years developing systems at home and currently my own intuition is instrumental in guiding me to incremental changes. I've used Decware components for the most part for pre- and amplification and speakers, and their forums and the friendships I have made with members and owners there and the builder have been influential in the directions I choose which often have a lot to do with tube substitutions and gain experimentation. And having Decware components have shown me that high quality sources are beneficial and over a decade ago PS Audio showed me their mettle in that regard after quite a journey trying digital sources and I have followed their product line development for improvements.

I could go on but audiophile talk here usually gets met with derision or distaste or insult and ridicule and I'll just say no more right now.  Tired of that sort of stuff.

 

Edited March 28, 2021 by jazzbo

[mjzee]

Thanks.

[porcy62]

22 hours ago, jazzbo said:

I could go on but audiophile talk here usually gets met with derision or distaste or insult and ridicule and I'll just say no more right now.  Tired of that sort of stuff.

Quote

 

yep, we audiophiles should organize ourself, I mean mocking an overweight person is "bodyshaming", why mocking an oversound person isn't "audioshaming"? Clear discrimination here imo. WE ARE AUDIOPHILE AND WE ARE PROUD!

Edited March 28, 2021 by porcy62

[mikeweil]

A reliable source on SACD and other high resolution discs issued is https://www.hraudio.net/

[Dub Modal]

6 hours ago, mikeweil said:

A reliable source on SACD and other high resolution discs issued is https://www.hraudio.net/

Thanks for sharing this link. One of the comments under the review for Ornette's Shape of Jazz refers to some good quality hi res downloads from Presto Jazz and Classical, a site I'd seen before but had forgotten about. Looks like they have a ton of jazz and classical lossless (some at 192/24) downloads from $14 to about $20 or so (they sell CDs & SACDs as well) which seem to be good deals. 

[Son-of-a-Weizen]

On 3/27/2021 at 11:32 AM, jazzbo said:

I'm of the same age, and after losing my first spouse 13 years ago and realizing how fleeting life is I have had no hesitation in keepng competent reliable audio equipment and making improvements to my system as music is a primary joy. . . and life is not guaranteed and always too short, and I don't deny myself principle pleasures and enhancements are welcome. 

Some SACDs that I have are phenomenal sounding--Miles and Duke and Mingus and Coltrane and Armstrong and Santana and Dylan et al. A pleasure to hear, and the preferred version. SACD playback is worth exploring if time and money allow.

“losing my first spouse 13 years ago and realizing how fleeting life is I have had no hesitation in keepng competent reliable audio equipment and making improvements to my system as music is a primary joy. . . and life is not guaranteed and always too short, and I don't deny myself principle pleasures and enhancements are welcome. “

Same here.

[mjzee]

Is it preferable to have balanced outputs?  I notice many SACD players do not.

[Brad]

On 3/27/2021 at 1:12 PM, jazzbo said:

I pretty much have spent thirty years developing systems at home and currently my own intuition is instrumental in guiding me to incremental changes. I've used Decware components for the most part for pre- and amplification and speakers, and their forums and the friendships I have made with members and owners there and the builder have been influential in the directions I choose which often have a lot to do with tube substitutions and gain experimentation. And having Decware components have shown me that high quality sources are beneficial and over a decade ago PS Audio showed me their mettle in that regard after quite a journey trying digital sources and I have followed their product line development for improvements.

I could go on but audiophile talk here usually gets met with derision or distaste or insult and ridicule and I'll just say no more right now.  Tired of that sort of stuff.

 

When I purchased my system (about 20 years ago; time flies), Lon was very helpful in helping me put it together with a dealer (who I still use). 

[erwbol]

I'm happy with my Arcam CDS50. Everything sounds much better since I purchased that machine. It's got a 32-bit/192kHz ESS Sabre DAC. It's reasonably priced.

[mr jazz]

happy I have a 203 AND a 205 Oppo. I've been using the 203 but will integrate the 205 into my new setup when I move next month.

[jazzbo]

On 4/20/2021 at 10:17 PM, mjzee said:

Is it preferable to have balanced outputs?  I notice many SACD players do not.

If you have a preamp or amplifier or integrated amplifier that is truly balanced and has inputs for a balanced connection, yes, I think it may be worth strongly considering. If your downstream components are single-ended I wouldn't think you need to look for that feature.

27 minutes ago, mr jazz said:

happy I have a 203 AND a 205 Oppo. I've been using the 203 but will integrate the 205 into my new setup when I move next month.

Yes, I bought a UDP-205 shortly before they closed up shop. I mainly use it to decode my DVR digital output and for SACD, DVD and Blu-ray discs. Redbook cd playback I'm not over the top about. I'm used to better in the other systems I have. But that's okay. An hour ago I was listening to the Spectrum jazz channel to a track from "Beck/Abercrombie" and it sounded superb. It's too bad that Oppo has gone out of the audio business--their products are easy to recommend for almost any inquirer.

[Brad]

I have a HDCD Rotel player.  Will upgrading to a SACD player make any incremental difference for CDs that are non-SACD. I have an integrated amp, Arcam A75, if that makes any difference. 

[jazzbo]

My two cents Brad. . . if you haven't a collection of SACDs then a DAC might benefit your system more than an SACD player. There has been an improvement in digital to analog conversion over the last decade. The whole system would likely benefit from better sound and you will likely be quite content using your Rotel as a transport. You may have a hard time finding one that will pass along and decode the HDCD specifics, but you might also be able to use your Rotel for HDCD discs if you have an additional analog input downstream.

[Brad]

Thanks Lon.  I will look into the DAC. I’ve taken a look online and understand a little more about how an external DAC can improve the DAC that’s in the CD player. 

Edited April 21, 2021 by Brad

[mr jazz]

Thanks Lon. I have a Jolida tube cd player I use for redbook playback generally.

[erwbol]

6 hours ago, Brad said:

I have a HDCD Rotel player.  Will upgrading to a SACD player make any incremental difference for CDs that are non-SACD. I have an integrated amp, Arcam A75, if that makes any difference. 

Brad, the Arcam CDS50 I mentioned having bought has the same DAC as the final SACD player Oppo put out, a 32-bit/192kHz ESS Sabre DAC. User feedback (e.g. on the Hoffman forums) especially mentions how it makes redbook CDs shine. And it is a bit cheaper than the Oppo was.

Edited April 21, 2021 by erwbol

[Brad]

2 hours ago, erwbol said:

Brad, the Arcam CDS50 I mentioned having bought has the same DAC as the final SACD player Oppo put out, a 32-bit/192kHz ESS Sabre DAC. User feedback (e.g. on the Hoffman forums) especially mentions how it makes redbook CDs shine. And it is a bit cheaper than the Oppo was.

Thanks. I talked to my dealer today and he said that, considering that my CD player was 20 years old, he said it was probably time for a new one and wouldn’t be surprised if it quit soon. He suggested either a DAC or a new player, either the CDS50 or the Rotel 1572. 

[Kevin Bresnahan]

I would consider the Denon DCD-1600NE. It seems to be a nice player. See if you can listen to one at a local dealer.

[Late]

On 4/20/2021 at 11:42 PM, erwbol said:

I'm happy with my Arcam CDS50.

Looks like a good machine! My Rotel is still going strong, but I've bookmarked this as something to look at down the road.