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10-17-2003, 12:05 PM
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#1 of 36 
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Join Date: Jan 2001
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Local Date: 10-14-2008
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Will i lose the benefit of SACD...
when using a preamp that convert all signals to digital? I often hear than any preamp that redigitizes audio signals coming in then converts them back to analog will do SACD no justice. Is this true for all prepros like Lexicon DC-1 MC-1, EAD, Meridian? ANyone have the experience with any preamps that do this conversion and has a SACD player. I am looking to get a Sony NS900V dvd/SACD player. Will I need a analog preamp to hear SACD correctly? thanks for any insight given.
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10-17-2003, 12:28 PM
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#2 of 36
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Location: Castro Valley, California, USA
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Correct me if I am wrong, since SACD signals are output in analog, if they go through a pre-amp doing an analog>>digital>>analog process, it will just be unnecessary processing.
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10-17-2003, 12:46 PM
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#3 of 36
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Location: Singapore
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Does the player do bass management and time alignment on SACD?
Pre-pros are doing it for proper BM and TA - which are proving somewhat contentious issues for owners of universal or SACD/DVD-A players.
I guess it would be a matter of necessity depending on the overall resolution of your system - can you live without BM and TA, versus can you discern the effects of the processing. Given the fact that pre-pros do proper BM and TA it might shound better than straight analog from SACD, but this is moot if the player itself performs these functions adequately.
>
DVD-A registry for hirez/surround audio
Bluray, DVD-Audio, DAD/HDAD, DualDisc, MVI
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10-17-2003, 01:00 PM
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#4 of 36
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Danny,
Given how utterly transparent A/D can be these days, I would have to disagree with you. Of course if A/D i spoorly executed that's another story altogether.
The added benefits of digital processing for - Bass Management
- Time Alignment
- Room Correction
will far outweigh the very slight theoretical, and zero practical degradation that A/D incurs.
Being the very lucky owner of a Meridian Processor, I can tell Keir it's worth whatever slight degradation that might happen.
Regards,
Surround Music Enthusiast / Curmudgeon in Training
Opinions are my own, not representative of the publication I write for.
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10-19-2003, 10:48 PM
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#5 of 36
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John, as far as the two Lexicon Processors that Keir listed, it is very unnecessary to convert from analog to digital and then back to analog again. It just kills the resolution! Your Meridian Processor might be newer, which is why you see very little "degradation". The Lexicons he listed, are simply out-dated for today's Hi-rez Music Formats. I added a Sony TA-P9000ES, and haven't looked back. I still keep the Lex for Satellite, Xbox, etc. But for Hi-rez Music, you need a receiver/preamp with analog bypass inputs, IMHO.
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10-20-2003, 07:26 AM
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#6 of 36
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Cliff,
It's still a question of whether the benefits of the A/D conversion going to outweigh the tradeoffs.
I have my doubts over whether anyone could reliably detect the difference between the straight analog signal and the A/D conversion even on the outdated Lexicons if the levels were matched. I've tried it and been very hard pressed to do so, even when it was a sighted comparison on older gear.
Regards,
Surround Music Enthusiast / Curmudgeon in Training
Opinions are my own, not representative of the publication I write for.
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10-20-2003, 12:40 PM
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#7 of 36
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If you want to listen to multi-channel SACD, then only a TAP9000 in combination with any of those listed processors will work as you won't have the analog 5.1 inputs necessary.
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10-20-2003, 03:55 PM
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#8 of 36
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The question is not whether an extra A/D D/A stage will hurt the sound. The question is whether going from SACD analog out, and then A/D into PCM will hurt the sound, and the answer is yes. SACDs do not use PCM, they use something called Direct Stream Digital (DSD). It is this different type of digital encoding that results in "analog-like" playback, or in other words, it sounds real. Putting a PCM stage in there will remove any benefit of using SACD in the first place. Pioneer has a cheap player out now that changes the DSD into PCM before going to analog; it does the same thing. There are tons of reviews between players that convert the stream correctly, and the cheap Pioneer that doesnt. Most notice a huge difference. DVD Audio uses PCM, SACD uses DSD. Now of course, if the particular title you buy on SACD was not mastered in the DSD process directly from analog tape, then you are probably not losing much anyways, as PCM has already been introduced into the chain before you got it, and has taken its toll on the sound already. Some of the stuff that comes directly from old analog tape however, sounds amazing on SACD.
Walt O
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10-20-2003, 04:12 PM
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#9 of 36
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Join Date: Jul 1999
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The current fav the Denon 5900 also converts DSD to PCM when the BM is engaged.Denon claims it's "inaudible",and they cite similar advantages as John K. has done.I haven't heard this player so I can't comment,maybe some of the 5900 owners can.
Also keep in mind that many current SACDs come from old analog or even PCM masters,so they weren't a pure DSD from a get go.
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10-20-2003, 04:18 PM
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#10 of 36
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Quote:
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There are tons of reviews between players that convert the stream correctly, and the cheap Pioneer that doesnt. Most notice a huge difference.
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Links please.
BGL |
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