SACD cables for my Oppo? (1 Viewer)

[Kevin Robinson]

I've got an Oppo 970HD that I've been happy with as a DVD player. I have the digital audio connected with a coaxial cable to an Arcam AVR100. I have a Mirage satellite speaker system with subwoofer. I've been content with the CD sound I've gotten from this system, but curious about the SACD/DVD-Audio ability of the Oppo. I have several hybrid SACD discs from Dylan, the Stones, and Sam Cooke. I've also purchased DVD-Audio "dual discs" from the Talking Heads and the Doors. I originally purchased these to benefit from the remastering of the CD layer, but now that I have a player that will play the hi-res layers of both, I'd like to try that out. Unfortunately, I find that I must connect the Oppo to my Arcam through the 5.1 analog connections for the high resolution sound. I also see that companies like Monster Cable have bundled "SACD" packages especially designed for this but costing well over $100. Knowing this, I now have two questions:
1) Given my home system, am I likely to really benefit at all from the high resolution sound of either format? I know this is highly subjective, but if i won't hear a bit of improvement with a "mid-level" system like mine, then I might not bother. Just more cable clutter.

2) Given that I'll probably want to judge for myself anyway- can anyone recommend some good cables to use here? I'd like the ability to order shorter cables. My Oppo is literally only 10 inches above my Arcam- I don't need 2m of cable! Ability to order online would be a nice plus. I guess I'm looking for a good price/performance ratio. I don't feel like spending $100 to satisfy my curiosity with the 15-20 discs that have this ability in my collection, but if I want to give it a fair shake and don't want the weak link to be the interconnects. Spending $120 for a 2m Monster Cable package at Best Buy seems like the worst way to conduct this experiment.

Any suggestions?
Thanks!

 

[Phil A]

Make sure to get them long enough so you can pull stuff out if you need to. Blue Jeans Cable or Cables for Less have good prices online.

 

[Ed Moxley]

Cables are a sore spot, for a lot of people.
Just go to Radio Shack, and get some of their brand cables. They're cheap and work very well.

I think you'll like the high resolution music. You didn't mention it, but the ultimate sacd to listen to (recommended by so many, including me), is Dark Side Of The Moon, by Pink Floyd! That quality, is what all sacds are striving for, but few have reached..............

 

[Kevin Robinson]

Forgot about Floyd. Actually this was the first hybrid disc I bought. And while I was impressed with the remastered CD sound, I've always been curious about the hi-def and (especially with this one) the 5.1 surround mix.

 

[Jacob C]

With my oppo 970hd and my panny XR57 it sounds best through HDMI. I would try that if you have the option. Since it come with the cable and all.

 

[Kevin Robinson]

Unfortunately, no HDMI with my Arcam. Just analogue inputs for hi-def sound.
The AVR100 is a nice sounding receiver, but it's around 5 years old.

 

[LanceJ]

Personally I wouldn't spend more than $50 for a three foot stereo cable; $20 is my minimum simply to get decent shielding (keeps out annoying EMI) and sturdy physical construction (for longevity sake).

As far as the high resolution vs. CD sound issue: despite the hassle of the analog connection method, though subtle the improvments are worth it for me. Though depending on *your* priorities, the difference can range from "WOW!" down to "meh".

As far as the surround tracks are concerned, a dvd-audio's Dolby track can sound decent and DTS can sound very close to the hi-res tracks on my $1600 system with 3 different brands of speakers

, but the hi-res tracks - on both dvd-a and sacd - have a smoother and cleaner but still detailed sound that Dolby/DTS just cannot manage. That extra bit of smoothness and "air" (it's a difficult sensation to describe) definitely adds to the realism factor.

And if you've never heard surround music at all, oh man are you in for a ride! Though most people either love it......or hate it. Surround music sounds totally different than stereo and a well-done immersive mix made from the original multitracks can literally put you in the middle of the music itself, making you feel almost a part of it. Those Talking Heads discs (these are immersive mixes) are supposed to have some of the best mixes around; the Doors discs are also receiving good-to-great reviews. Btw, the Doors are regular dvd-a discs, not Dualdiscs......which is why I haven't bought any of the TH discs. :frowning:

But just make sure your system is configured properly: surround music is not meant to be reproduced using a 6.1 or 7.1 speaker array; dipolar/bipolar rears are not recommended as these seriously disturb the front-to-rear and rear wall imaging of a surround music track; and if possible the rear channels should be physically level with the front channels (I also like this with movie soundtracks myself); and if using the Dolby/DTS tracks make sure any DSP overlay effects are deactivated on your receiver.

If you really want to get into this, download the .pdf file called "Recommendations for Surround Sound Production" from here. On page 2-5 there's a large graphic of how a home surround music system should be configured. This paper was written by pretty much all the surround music big wigs and contains loads of great info.

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Depressing FYI: it turns out many hi-res releases were mastered better than their CD counterparts and it is THAT is what accounts for most of their sonic improvements you hear with those particular remastered titles, not the hi-res aspect. This is the dirty little secret that finally oozed out during the early years of both hi-res formats. CDs can also sound much better when high quality reacording gear, "gentle" EQ choices and common-sense levels of compression* are used.



* text/photo site of how overcompression is ruining music; an excellent 2 min video with graphics and very audible sound of the effects of overcompression. Overcompression isn't just a sound quality issue for audio geeks, it can literally suck out the emotion/life/flow of the music itself.