Just looked through the brochure for the Sherwood Newcastle R-972...that sure looks like a winner. The only thing I don't see in the specs is whether or not is can decode/playback multi-channel SACD via HDMI. Anyone know?
Well that depends.
HDMI spec 1.2 allows for M-channel SACD, so you are covered, sorta. The sorta is whether the unit accepts PCM or DSD or both. DSD is not a widely supported format, but there are currently only two SACD players available that output DSD over HDMI. One is the Oppo 980, the other is a Pioneer unit that is not available in North America. All other SACD players decode DSD to M-channel PCM.
