To buy a CD player or wait for SACD or DVD Audio to take hold? (1 Viewer)

[KeithH]

Mike,
I like having the original CDs since I am a collector. Besides, it's fun to compare them to the remastered versions. I picked up the original CD of Dave Brubeck Time Out cheap on eBay a couple of months ago and compared it to the remastered CD and SACD. The original CD is pretty awful, but I am glad I have it. It's a piece of history.
Doug said:

My first SACD disk was the Al Dimeola/John McClaughlin/Paco De Lucia live recording. My impression was that finally, and for the first time, I'd heard recorded music the way I've always strived to hear it, but never had. I've never heard a more natural sound on any home-audio medium. I could hear the quality of the wood and strings for the first time, as if the guitars were right in my room. This is not simply improved CD sound.

I've been wanting this SACD for awhile, but I just haven't gotten around to picking it up. I have the remastered CD, which is very good, but now you have me really intrigued by the SACD. Hmmm....

 

[Dave Moritz]

Hey John
I am planing on upgrading my Denon DCD-1290 cd player. And I have been looking at DVD-A and SACD. The major problem with both formats IMHO is lack of marketing. There is also the issue of not enough top notch albums for ether format. Although SACD is coming out with more releases soon. For example a number of Rolling Stones albums will be out on SACD soon. Both DVD-A and SACD are very good sounding formats IMHO. But I seem to lean towards SACD at this time . This is what I am planing on doing. I am going to upgrade my standard CD player up to a higher quality model that does CD/SACD. Then since I want to upgrade my budget Pioneer DV-525 dvd player anyway. I will upgrade my dvd player to a higher quality player. Now depending on wether the dvd-a format gets its act together with better titles? I might just get a dvd/dvd-a model? If you are leaning towards a CD/SACD player as well. You might want to concider on of the Soney ES or Marantz SACD players.

 

[Doug Pyle]

Keith:
The Al Dimeola/John McClaughlin/Paco De Lucia live recording sounds great - 3 acoustic guitars on SACD, great presence & detail in sound, very live-sounding, very pleasing. If you pick it up, let me know what you think! (Thanks for your past advice by the way, re: C555ES. It's my favorite new toy. Even DVD has taken a 2nd seat to my disk collecting lately!)
Larry B wrote:

IMO, most SACD players are inferior to dedicated CD players for Redbook playback. ... However, the idea of getting an SACD player and using an external DAC for Redbook certainly has some merit.

This may be true about "most SACD players" & redbook - I'm no expert. I didn't mean to imply all SACD players would be as good as the Sony C555ES, which is probably an exception with its great redbook decoding. (I did mean a "quality SACD player." ) However, I agree an external DAC would be a worthwhile option for redbook, if one buys a more typical SACD player to gain the SACD playback capability. (I may yet go external with the 555 ES - maybe.) A good DAC in a top-notch receiver or processor may do the job as well.

 

[KeithH]

Doug, thanks for the recommendation for the Friday Night in San Francisco SACD. As I said, the CD sounds great, so I am eager to pick up the SACD. It's one of many SACDs on my wantlist.
I'm glad to hear you are enjoying the 'C555ES. It's a great machine, especially for $550-600 these days.

 

[Doug Pyle]

Keith-
I should have mentioned I don't have the CD remastered, so I can't compare it with the SACD. I can only say the SACD sounds great. I'll have to await your comparison, if you get a copy.

 

[KeithH]

Doug, I have read comments here and on Audio Asylum stating that the Friday Night in San Francisco SACD is much better than the remastered CD. If so, then I am in for a real treat.