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Playing multi channel SACD/DSD music


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Rather than reviving a 10 year old DTVForum thread, I thought it would be better to provide  more up to date information on how to play multi channel music from SACD.s  There are some excellent multi channel music in this thread

While Blu Ray Audio can be played on any BD player, SACDs (and DVD-A which has died) require specific players.

 

 

Playing multi-channel SACD

 

The easiest and cheapest way is to get a top model Sony player

https://store.sony.com.au/player-bluray/BDPS6700.html

https://store.sony.com.au/player-bluray-ultraHD/UBPX700.html#start=1

Or an older Sony BDP player, usually the top model.

 

If money is not an issue, get the Pioneer UHD players

https://www.pioneeraudio.com.au/collections/blu-ray-players/products/udp-lx800-universal-disc-player

https://www.pioneeraudio.com.au/collections/blu-ray-players/products/udp-lx500-universal-disc-player

 

Also, used Oppo 103, 105, 203, 205 players, plus list of players which can rip SACDs.

 

All of the above players output DSD via HDMI to the AVR or HT pre-processor.  Not all AVRs or prepros can manage DSD, so the player may need to convert DSD to PCM. Optionally, but getting rare, use BD player multi channel analogue outputs to an AVR with multi channel analogue inputs. The players can do other digital outputs, but only 2 channel and PCM.

 

 

Playing multi-channel DSD/DSF

 

SACDs can be ripped into DSD/DSF, see this thread for tools and players (post #16)

https://hifihaven.org/index.php?threads/rip-sacd-with-a-blu-ray-player.3652/

 

There are some multi channel DSDs for sale

https://www.nativedsd.com/catalogue/?filter_channel=5ch

 

Not many multi channel DACs for playback.

https://www.essenceelectrostatic.com/product/evolve-ii-4k-hdmi-v2-0-multi-channel-dac/

https://www.exasound.com/Products/e688-channelDAC.aspx

https://www.exasound.com/Products/s88StreamingDAC.aspx

I am sure that there some pro-audio multi channel DACs.

 

All Panasonic UHD players can play multi channel DSD/DSF music.

 

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Please let me know if you have additional information to update this post.

 

Edited by Snoopy8
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  • 6 months later...

Some people have commented that getting into multi channel SACDs is difficult.  SACD albums are in niche music genres, and often are out of print and therefore can cost hundreds of dollars.  Thought it would be useful to use Quadraphonic Quad (QQ) to identify the most popular (by number of votes) SACDs .  Usually, a SACD with a score of 9 or more has good multi channel SQ, although there are exceptions.

 

Looking at the Top 20 most popular SACDs on QQ below, the following are cheapest on Amazon and eBay, and sound good:

  • Dire Straits: Brothers in Arms
  • Elton John: Madman across the water

If you decide to explore further, consider

  • Donald Fagen: Nightfly
  • Fleetwood Mac: Rumours
  • Eagles: Hotel California
  • Deep Purple: Machine Head

image.png.839f67bdcd1e4eeb06f16088d9b8132a.png

 

Please note that you should check that  SACDs are multi channel, either in the product description or the album cover.  SHM and MFSL (MOFI) are 2 well known labels who produce excellent stereo SACDs, but they are not multi channel.

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