Legato-Link conversion and relevance to SACD or DVD audio in 2channel (1 Viewer)

[Adil M]

Alright so a lot of the cd players use Legato link conversion to reproduce the rolloff of sound from 20khz and up. That way the cd instead of getting cutoff at 20 khz continues it's rolloff to say between 30 or 40 khz.

Now a lot of people are listening to SACD in 2 channel. Is there a significant improvement in this case of redbook vs SACD? Is there any info I'm missin here?

I guess my point is: Is SACD or DVDAudio really a big stepup? I've heard the CC demoes w/ crappy sony speakers and was only semi-impressed?

 

[Lewis Besze]

Actually Legato Link[at least in my experience] "rolls off" even below 20khz,this is quiet audible to me and others to various degree and preffences.
Also the "brickwall" filter is part of CD's 16 bit 44.1khz sampling rate which puts that filter roughly at 22khz.
Leagato Link was designed to "restore the lost harmonics above 20khz".I'm sure that sounds cool in the audiophile journals.
I don't know if other then Pioneer Elite to use this "technology",so it's not widespread at all.
SACD and DVD-A has quiet of advantage over CD without any "wodoo technology"[LL].

 

[KeithH]

I agree with Lewis. I have a Pioneer Elite PD-65 CD player that employs Legato Link. The PD-65 is a very nice CD player, but I'm not sure that Legato Link has anything to do with it. It's a good player, but not my best. Anyway, SACD and DVD-Audio are much better than anything the PD-65 can do. Even with Legato Link, if you believe that helps, CD is still CD.

 

[Adil M]

One myth down, billions to go...

thanks guys.

 

[Rich Stone]

Got to chime in here as well.

I have no idea if Legato link contributes to the great sound of the PD-65 (and the PD-54 which I own) but it's a moot point with regard to SACD/DVDA. Talkin apples and oranges here. SACD and DVDA have the POTENTIAL to be far greater than anything redbook CD has to offer.

Funny Lewis mentions that Legato Link CD players tend to roll off below 20 hz - I know they measure that way but I'm not sure I've noticed any real audible effects even after direct A/B comparisons with other CD players (I selected my player only after level matched, close as I could, blind switching). Voodoo? Probably - maybe. Perhaps there are other reasons the PD-65 sounds so good to me.

Regards,

Rich

 

[Kevin C Brown]

Also remember that the Legato Link on Pioneer players only is applicable on the analog outputs. For the digital output, you get what exactly is on the disc.
To be honest, if you check out Secrets at Link Removed and some of the Pioneer DVD player reviews, and what the Legato Link does to their audio performance, I really don't even know why they are still using it.
I almost got rid of my DV-05 when I got "educated", but then realized it wasn't an issue because I use the digital output 99% of the time anyway.
I guess a question I would ask before I got a DVD-A or an SACD player from Pioneer is: do they use this on the analog outputs of the player? I can't think that that would be a desirable thing...

 

[Rich Stone]

Thanks Kevin for the link, looks like the DV-09 measures poorly in terms of audio. I would still caution that these measurements do not indicate that all other Legato Link CD and or DVD players measure this way. In fact, the measurements on my PD-54 show: 1:ruler flat frequency response to near 17-18Khz with some rolloff after that; 2. LOW distortion levels; and 3. ULTRA Low Noise Levels. This seems consistent with other measurements I have seen from other Legato Link products (the Pioneer PD-54 is exactly the same as the PD-65 w/o the class A buffer amp or the tank like construction).

BTW I use the analog outs of my PD-54 exclusively (analog bypass/tone direct through preamp to a Carver TFM-35 and on to a a pair of Thiel CS3.6's) and just love the sound. As always the proof is in the listening!

Again thanks for the link.

Rich

 

[Lewis Besze]

Funny Lewis mentions that Legato Link CD players tend to roll off below 20 hz - I know they measure that way but I'm not sure I've noticed any real audible effects even after direct A/B comparisons with other CD players (I selected my player only after level matched, close as I could, blind switching)

Well I have The PD-54 as well,and I can easily hear the effects of the LL,which in a few cases I preffer it to the sound of the Denon receiver's DAC and my Sony DVD players.It was also favorable to my old Pioneer LD players when I had 'em a few years ago.On many recordings however the Denon's newer Dacs gives a better defined more detailed presentation of the source[cd].However this player is a kick ass transport with it's "stable platter mechanism".