Anyone still involved with SACD ??

[navychop]

The PS3 cannot and will not play the DVd-Audio Hi Rez stereo or surround tracks. Sony would never allow that, even now.

However, you should be able to play the surround Dolby Digital or DTS tracks on the DVD-Audio discs' DVD layer from any discs that have them - on any player/receiver that can play DD or DTS.

Remember though, you'd just be playing the DVD surround tracks, not the DVD-A tracks. Still, it's surround sound, so it can't be that bad!

That was my understanding - Sony would never put out a DVD-A player. But I read Philhu's comment above to mean it would in fact pass the data to the receiver to decode, but that isn't happening.

I thought Fragile had DTS, but I may be mistaken- I'll check tonight.

Gotta get the controls working for playing SACDs on the PS3.

 

[jvc]

Positive. You can't miss it on these disks and the multichannel light lights on the rcvr
which is a sure give-away. Saying Dolby Digital 3/2.1

That is not DVD-A Hi Res music tracks. That's regular Dolby Digital 5.1 tracks, like you find in movies. The Hi Res tracks are better. You need a DVD-A, or Universal player to hear those.

Oppo players will play SACD, DVD-A, and more..............
See them here: OPPO Digital - Up-Converting DVD Players - Buy Direct from the Manufacturer
They are very affordable too.
I have the old Pioneer 563a universal player, and I still love it. Gets used more for movies, than SACD and DVD-A, but the music discs sound great. I especially love the DSOTM sacd. It's like hearing it for the first time....................again!

 

[navychop]

Well, I got my controllers working again with CDs & SACDs. I have no idea how. Just fiddled.

And I've never heard Dark Side with such clarity. I think this weekend I'm going to get drunk on music.


I think there's an Oppo in my future. But I just don't think I can swing the 983. I'd buy the 981, but they seem to indicate the 980 might be a better choice for my 720 rear projection LCoS unit. Or maybe they just mean that for DLPs. Anyway, there'll be another HDTV in my future in that spot.

 

[bhelms]

DS is certainly a "rush" in SS and with the higher bitrate/BW.

The 5-disk Moody Blues SACD set arrived yesterday (3 days, not bad!) but I did not have the time to play any of them last evening, perhaps tonight. Hopefully I can "review" at least one soon...!

Tell me which of the albums I should listen to first !?!

5 years ago, lesseee... I was struggling with one in college and another about to start, so disposable income was very limited. That was in my "dark days" of essentially no home audio system when the new expanded digital formats passed me by completely. I have asked several of my friends what they know/knew of these formats and I am getting universally blank stares. Not too many audiophiles in my crowd....>> sigh <<...!

 

[jvc]

I'd listen to them in the order the albums came out.
I don't remember. Too long ago. Do a search to find out, if you don't remember either.

 

[bhelms]

Well, one verdict is in! In the 5-disk Moody Blues set, apparently 4 are in 5.1 SS and the 5th (In Search of the Lost Chord) is just 2 ch SACD.

I listened to Days of Future Past and Search last evening. I chose Days as I am most familiar with it (going back to vinyl; I have it in 3 media) and Search to hear what a 2-ch SACD is all about. Incidentally, these are in order of release with Days in '67 and Search in '68.

The status lights on the Sony player confirmed that Days is 5.1- and Search is 2-ch. The "Multichannel" light on the player also was on for only the former. (I mistakenly stated in a previous post that the "Multichannel Decoding" light on the Sony receiver is lit for 5.1 selections. That is not true as I am using the multichannel analog inputs and of course in that situation the receiver is not doing any decoding.) Since the renditions and status lights confirm 5.1-ch for Days and 2-ch for Search, then the other 3 disks that are marked as 5.1 should actually be that. Search did not say 5.1 SS on the package, the other 4 did. (It still remains to be seen whether or not the bonus material is in 2- or 5.1-channel.)

Days was good, not great. The dimensioning was interesting with voices often coming from the surrounds, and I did hear some good separation of the instruments. During "Nights" I'm sitting right in the middle of the French horns, and at the end the gong came from the left surround and echoed in the right. But there seemed to be some limiting happening in some crescendos (perhaps in the original recording, I don't recall and need to verify) and some harshness/distortion especially in the voices that probably shouldn't be there. This was not a result of loudness; for this "concert" I was conservative with the volume control. I would have thought that remastering could have removed such artifacts, but perhaps not completely.

Search on the other hand was fantastic even if rendered in only stereo! I listened to both the 2-ch SACD track (through 2 speakers only) and the standard CD track with a prologic concert hall SS applied and it sounded great both ways, but I wasn't actually sitting down listening critically to either, doing other busywork instead. I'll repeat that comparison and listen more critically in a future session. But when "Om" (final track) came on, I almost cried it sounded so good !! I had to stop what I was doing and restart that track. What a takeback to my former care-free, mentally impaired days...!

For the record, Seventh Sojourn ('72 release and not part of this set) sounds great in 5.1 with no hint of the aforementioned distortion or limiting. Perhaps the newer works are easier to remaster.

I can't wait to jump into the other 3. More "reviews" coming...! The overall jury is still out on this set, but it's looking promising! Next will be Threshold of a Dream ('69) followed by Children's Children's Children (also '69), then finally Question of Balance ('70).

PS - I noticed that these SACD disks (made in Germany) were created in 2006, so that's an indication that there is still some activity remastering "classics" and re-releasing them in the SACD format. That has got to be great news for me, a newcomer, as well as the early adopters who are still intrigued with this medium!

 

[philhu]

That was my understanding - Sony would never put out a DVD-A player. But I read Philhu's comment above to mean it would in fact pass the data to the receiver to decode, but that isn't happening.

I thought Fragile had DTS, but I may be mistaken- I'll check tonight.

Gotta get the controls working for playing SACDs on the PS3.

Well, on the PS3, when you put a DVD-A disk in, it shows 2 disks available,
1 labelled 'CD', and the other 'Multi-channel audio'. The latter lights up the nultichannel lights on my rcvr and says 3/2.1 and I have descrete sound from the back channels. That is alot more than a 2 channel output.

Are you saying there is another track on those disks ABOVE the DD 3/2.1?

 

[navychop]

Well, I let my Sound & Vision magazine subscription lapse at just the wrong time. See this. Skip the first couple of paragraphs.

Surround Records has been releasing music on Blu-ray. They released a few on HD DVD but I suppose that has come to an end. I'll be ordering "Uncommon Bach" and maybe a couple of others tonight on Blu-ray from the amazing dot com people.

Sadly, I don't think people listen to music like we used to. We'd sit in a room and play music. Little or no conversation. The music was the primary activity. Today, people just want it as background. For that, MP3 is good enough. So the market may be so small that none of these old Rock hits will ever be released on BD-audio. I suppose that maybe the best scenario we could expect would be BD-A at the high end, MP3 at the low, and CD squeezed out. That won't happen quickly, if at all. Maybe the manufacturers and studios are hoping that BD-A will catch on as CD sales decrease. Maybe I'll win the lottery.

OR- maybe there will be some resurgence in interest in high end music, in contrast to the MP3/WMA world. At least, this time around, there will be only one high end audio format, and everyone with a Blu-ray player will be able to play the music. Two flaws of the previous attempt at consumer high end audio, IMO. I wonder how many people even have subs, and how many will have 5.1 or 7.1 in 5 or 10 years.

All the same, I think I'll have to pick up a few more SACD/DVD-A discs, since it seems unlikely that we'll see many releases in BD-A soon. And few catalog reissues. They probably figure the market for Yes, Moody Blues and Elton John is losing it's hearing anyway.

 

[navychop]

Well, on the PS3, when you put a DVD-A disk in, it shows 2 disks available,
1 labelled 'CD', and the other 'Multi-channel audio'. The latter lights up the nultichannel lights on my rcvr and says 3/2.1 and I have descrete sound from the back channels. That is alot more than a 2 channel output.

Are you saying there is another track on those disks ABOVE the DD 3/2.1?

Sounds like what happens when I put an SACD in. I'll have to look again. But my DVD-A did not play 5.1 out of the PS3, but it did out of my old JVC.

 

[bhelms]

...Sadly, I don't think people listen to music like we used to. We'd sit in a room and play music. Little or no conversation. The music was the primary activity. Today, people just want it as background. For that, MP3 is good enough....

Agreed! I have had some of my friends (aforementioned Fraternity Brothers) for 35+ years. Back in the days the darkened room with whatever was playing on the stereo being the focus was much more common and widely enjoyed. Somehow we were communicating vicariously through the music. I/we never experience that anymore. Even those with whom I shared the experience don't practice that listening style; music is more a footnote to whatever other activity is taking place. OTOH, I am re-discovering the joy of throwing on an "album" and listening uninterrupted to the whole thing. Beats the former experience in that I don't even have to jump up to flip the record over! Perhaps I can draw one or two of the guys back and we can relive the days, especially with the tunes of the times in expanded format. One missing ingredient however - and this may be the deal buster - is that most of us no longer engage in certain "consumable enhancers". But a well-timed beer belch or other noxious emmission is still likely, and equally worth its weight. We always considered that a form of bonding..!

...So the market may be so small that none of these old Rock hits will ever be released on BD-audio...

...OR- maybe there will be some resurgence in interest in high end music, in contrast to the MP3/WMA world...

That's exactly how I see it. If BD-A is a mainstream medium we can expect the providers to focus on the hits of the times as that's where the growth market will develop. OTOH, since this is still - and possibly always will be - considered "high end" stuff, perhaps the real market is with those with the disposable $$, and there is still a large pool of us "boomers" that could be easily lured into the BD-A market with the right material available.

...All the same, I think I'll have to pick up a few more SACD/DVD-A discs, since it seems unlikely that we'll see many releases in BD-A soon. And few catalog reissues. They probably figure the market for Yes, Moody Blues and Elton John is losing it's hearing anyway.

Hearing, probably. $$ and incentive, no. I hope there remain a few out there who realize this and continue to support the small and fragile SACD/DVD-A disc market until the inevitable catches-on...!

 

[Stacy A]

I don't know if you guys know about SACD, DVD Audio, Vinyl Record, Audiophile equipment - Acoustic Sounds or not, but they send me catalogs about three or four times a year, and SACD is still alive and kicking, although in a niche. There is even DVD-A available through them as well as AIX records. I just got a new catalog today. Now, it's very high end audiophile stuff, which I'm not, but it's nice to see we haven't been forgotten about.

 

[bhelms]

Looks like they have about 2K titles in hybrid multichannel SACD. Prices comparable to others, and might even find some bargains. Tks for another source! I bookmarked it and will return for a more serious scan when I can...

 

[navychop]

Yes, same here. They'll get a few bucks out of me.

 

[SatinKzo]

Sadly, I don't think people listen to music like we used to. We'd sit in a room and play music. Little or no conversation. The music was the primary activity. Today, people just want it as background. For that, MP3 is good enough. So the market may be so small that none of these old Rock hits will ever be released on BD-audio. I suppose that maybe the best scenario we could expect would be BD-A at the high end, MP3 at the low, and CD squeezed out. That won't happen quickly, if at all. Maybe the manufacturers and studios are hoping that BD-A will catch on as CD sales decrease. Maybe I'll win the lottery.

I hear ya on that! I put on some music in my house and suddenly it seems eveyone wants to talk and hang out with me. WTF, I put on music to listen to it, where were you people 10 minutes ago to talk when I was out in the kitchen and everyone was mute?

I used to love sitting in my bedroom at night as kid, putting on some music, closing my eyes and just listening.

Same thing in a car, it can be all quiet with people, so I'll put on a CD and then suddenly everyone is a motormouth.

 

[Stacy A]

I hear ya on that! I put on some music in my house and suddenly it seems eveyone wants to talk and hang out with me. WTF, I put on music to listen to it, where were you people 10 minutes ago to talk when I was out in the kitchen and everyone was mute?

I used to love sitting in my bedroom at night as kid, putting on some music, closing my eyes and just listening.

Same thing in a car, it can be all quiet with people, so I'll put on a CD and then suddenly everyone is a motormouth.

I know exactly what you mean. It happens to me as well. I always took it to mean that no one liked my choice in music.

 

[jayn_j]

I know exactly what you mean. It happens to me as well. I always took it to mean that no one liked my choice in music.

Or it could be that music is a catylist to conversation these days. If that's the case, you need to create a sanctuary where you can listen in peace.

 

[nuts4scuba]

If you like Dire Straits - Brothers in Arms is really good. ( Available in SACD or DVD-Audio )
Talking Heads Brick is also good if you like them. It's DVD Audio only.

I have bought a few discs from sellers on Amazon. Caiman is one that comes to mind.

 

[nuts4scuba]

You can pick up a few SACDs at yourmusic.com for 6.99. Search their site with SACD in album title.

 

[bhelms]

Or it could be that music is a catylist to conversation these days. If that's the case, you need to create a sanctuary where you can listen in peace.

Ahhh - What ever happened to listening with headphones ?? I'm not talking about this generation's "ear buds" (tho' I do have a quality set of those ear-plug type and they're great for some activities, like when I'm running a chainsaw!). I mean the ominous over-ear monsters like the Koss Pro 4As that told anyone else in range to "Back-off - I'm into some serious private, head-space time now and what I'm currently listening to takes priority over anything you could possibly want to say to me...!!!

 

[bhelms]

You can pick up a few SACDs at yourmusic.com for 6.99. Search their site with SACD in album title.

OK, I bookmarked that one too. I had some trouble with their search engine, tho'. For instance when I input "Every Good Boy Deserves Favour" or the same title with SACD appended, it takes me to the same (remastered) version for 6.99. But neither one says anything about whether or not it's actually SACD. For that price I'm somewhat skeptical. I'll fool around with it a bit more before I pull the trigger. But it looks promising, and if real the prices are unbeatable...!

(PS - I'm also "nuts for scuba", but don't get too much opportunity these days except in 8' of water putting patches on my pool liner! I just spent my next 3 or so 6-pack excursions on the new HT...!)