Meridian Unplugged - Powered by MrTechGuy.co.uk Forums Discussion Meridian - Systems SACD player

2 ch stereo only.
The G91 plays CDs rather well - particularly the CD layer of SACDs. eg. Barb Junger - Elvis songs (Linn). I'm finding the CD layer quality and listener-satisfaction way ahead of any DVD-Audio I've played (rather lifeless (often multi-mono) sound).

Anyone using a SACD player hooked into Meridian gear?

The SACD player has to match the G91 in quality.
so what's the minimum quality required ?
For example, some of the cheapest universal players reprocess SACD as PCM and will probably not do. Pioneer, Denon or Marantz ?
Have SONY really stopped releasing new SACDs ?

Conan,
You've really got two choices:

1) Use a regular SACD player and connect it's analog outputs to your G68 / 861 with IA45.

or

2) Get/Mod a player from DVD upgrades. See:

http://www.dvdupgrades.ch/150019/Modification/SPDIF/Output/Six_channel_S_P_DIF_output_board.html

Option 2 will likely result in better sound by avoiding DA-AD. Those who've tried both options seem to agree.

Personally I've not found SACD players that convert DSD to PCM before conversion (& there are plenty of expensive ones that do) to necessarily sound inferior - and this is directly into analog amps.

This, of course, begs the question 'why not start with PCM?'...Which is a very good question.

Bottom line is that if you experience something special with direct DSD conversion then go with a player that does not convert to PCM - & certainly don't connect to a Meridian processor. Otherwise go with options 1 or 2 (better) above and enjoy - IMO - the more substantial/real benefits of MRC etc.

Paul.

The very good reason for DSD is copyright protection. Does anybody knows someone who has ripped into MP4 some DSD datastreams?

I personally like SACD, it sounds analogue, and I would have the quator of dCS gear if I could afford it.

i just can tell you that my sony dvp-9000es (1500$ DVD/SACD player) sounds on SACD better than G-08 on RBCD.

hopy this helps.

G08 playing RBCD against Denon A11 (I think it's 5900 in the states) playing SACD [titles from the same stereo masters like Stevie Ray Vaughan - Texas Flood, Bucky Pizzarelli - Swing Live or Diana Krall - Love Scenes, comparing stereo PCM from RBCD to stereo DSD from SACD] -compared those many times and it's a very hard call. My option would go (on a quite thin margin) to the G08+RBCD. Same amplification, same speakers, inputs with gain adjusted to compensate for level, A/B switching. Would also note that G08 is interconected on XLR with the preamp while the A11 goes in unbalanced.

Just a personal take on this matter. But maybe my ears are getting old.

fbourgoin asks:
You can't directly rip the datastream. You'd have to sample an analog input, or get a player modified by DVD Upgrades and use that output at 24/88.2K to rip the data.

I think the hype dramatically exceeds the sound quality for SA-CD.

When you couple that with the complete inability to perform native signal processing (everything involves multi-bit intermediates) its appeal due to the "purity" of DSD becomes more and more limited.

Anyway, that's just my opinion on the topic. I own a player that was modified by DVD Upgrades because I like surround music, and this was the best sounding path to me for SA-CD.

Cheers,

SACD is a flawed format. Search the web, lots of commentary on it.

92KHz/24bit PCM is all (and probably more than) we need.

Mark

I think you could apply that to every hi-def format.

Other than hifi enthusiasts (of which we make a very small percentage)most folks are happy with 44Khz/16bit. Have to say I'm pretty happy with it too. I do not claim to have golden ears.

JK,
I agree I might even go through the same dvdupgrade that you did for SACD but, my comment was more for 2Ch Hirez music, I've got more and more SACDs now (all hybrids obviously because I don't own a player yet), I guess it depends on the music you listen to, if you are a Classical Music or Jazz fan than I guess SACD can get you spending a bit on discs, the same isn't true for DVDAs.
dCS gear was for me the best experience of 2Ch music playback, I haven't listen to Meitner rigs, but clearly better than M,Wadia, or Cello which my other Digital references.

Thanks everyone.
We all enjoy listening to new music - preferably as a high quality recording as the new (digital) technology promises. Unfortunately this is not happening widely. All my SACD purchases (as CD replay only) sound great. DVD_Audio quality - crap to OK. Vinyl gives something digital can't manage so far (via a Thorens 2030). So I'm thinking the only way I'm going to enjoy high-quality new recordings is going to be via SACD.
The Marantz 8400 SACD looks interesting - add in a valve preamp, and the G91 into the valve preamp in transport mode might just be the answer ?!

I've tried running the G91 into some transistor preamps but the sound quality was much the same.

thanks again people!