Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Home Theater what exactly is SA CD ??

I just purchased Yamaha's 5 disc DVDC940. (for Shaun that works with Carrier, this too is on their rewards program with the rxv-1400 amp) It boasts about a SA CD decoder chip. Super Audio CD, I know there are some SA CD only discs available, That play only on SA CD compatible players, do these play in a non 2-channel format/surrond only, thats kinda the way the guy at circut city was explaining it, but he didn't sound to bright. What is the advantage and format of SA CD.

the SACD stands for 'super audio' cd.. i am not an expert, but the basic concept is they remaster a 2ch cd into a 5.1 multi-channel track. to get the FULL or REAL effect of the 5.1 multi-channel mix, you MUST connect the dvd/cd player using the individual component connections for each channel(fronts, center, surrounds, and sub). the quality of the sacd depends largely on who mixed it and how it was mixed, but in general, the SACD sound experience is much better and more enveloping than your basic 2ch original.

as far as the SACD disc and format, when purchasing the SACD you need to ensure if it is a 'single' layer SACD, or a 'dual' or 'multi' layer SACD.. the difference is the 'single' layer will ONLY have the 5.1 mixed version of the tracks.. it WILL NOT play in your standard cd player, only players that are SACD equipped. the 'dual' or 'multi' layer SACD have not only the track mixed in the 5.1, but also the original enhanced 2ch standrd format. these types of SACD's will play in ANY player. but, if it is put into a player that is not equipped to play SACD's, then it will ONLY play the standard 2ch mix, and not the 5.1 mix.

hope that makes sense and clears up some of your questions.

bigjohn

That was actully a very clear and concise explanation, I noticed the stickers on the SACD stating it will only play in SACD and others say either or CD / SACD, Have you ever listened to the SACD disc, if so, what was your opinion. I didn't get the dvd/cd changer for that, but I'll buy a disc for the heck of it, and give it a spin.

yes, i have an SACD player. like i was saying, you MUST make sure that you hook-up the cd/dvd player properly to get the actual 5.1 SACD track. you MUST use the individual component connections from the player to the receiver. once that us done, you should be good to go. the only other thing you have to do is ensure that the receiver is playing the 'component' input. there will be a selector on the receiver menu or remote that switches from STANDARD, MULTI-CHANNEL, COAXIL, DIGITAL, S-VIDEO, ETC.. just make sure it is set to the 'MULTI CHANNEL' and you are ready to go.

i personally think the SACD 5.1 mix is awesome. there sound is supurb, and there is a very audible difference. there have been several threads dedicated to sacd in this forum. so do a 'search', and you will find several peoples opinions on the best SACD's to get. the best i have heard so far is pink floyds 'darkside of the moon'. it is real awesome. i have heard that elton johns 'yellow brick road' is good, and the eagles 'hell freezes over' is supposed to be great.

good luck, and enjoy.

bigjohn

I'm no expert either, but here's my understanding...

SACD and DVD-Audio are both high-resolution digital music formats. They use higher sampling rates to produce a more "faithful" reproduction of the sounds originally recorded.

Though the higher sampling rate undoubtedly produces a truer reproduction of the music than a redbook CD, it is questionable how much the technology benefits alone can actually be perceived by the common ear. However, most of the SACDs and DVD-As are remastered, and that can make a HUGE difference in the quality and enjoyment of the album.

I believe that many SACD releases are hi-res stereo remasters, with some titles having multi-channel surround sound. DVD-A releases tend to be the other way around (mostly surround-encoded with a few stereo-only). Correct me if I'm wrong on that.

Hope this helps!

Most SACDs and DVD-As in my experience are surround sound or 5.1 channels. Some of them are only 5 channels or 4 channels (no sub/LFE track and possibly no center speaker track). Some are only stereo.

Some SACDs have both the regular cd tracks and the SACD tracks. Some (mostly older ones) have only the SACD tracks.

Some sacds have regular stereo cd tracks, high rez stereo tracks and surround sound tracks all on one disc.

Some have extra videos or pictures - expecially the DVD-As.

http://www.superaudio-cd.com/

Here is an excellent resource for this format. It tells you everything you need to know.

Jon, as previous replies have indicated, SACDs can deliver better sound, especially of course if the SACD is multi-channel rather than stereo only(the first SACDs and many now are still just stereo). There are also now some "hybrid" SACDs which have a separate CD layer and therefore will play on a regular CD player. Other than the multi-channel aspect(when present)SACDs and DVD-As use higher sampling and/or bit rates to provide for a higher frequency range and dynamic range than CDs have. However since the CD frequency range is ample for human beings and its dynamic range is plenty for recordings which are possible, these advantages are of only theoretical benefit. Besides the multi-channel aspect, the quality depends on the original recording technique and the mixing/mastering then applied, not on whether it winds up on a CD, DVD-A or SACD.