SACD/CD I'm listening to ....

[Aanuj]

I thought since everybody is listening to Vinyl and Cassettes there ain't much reason why this medium should not be listened to which is simply the best in my personal opinion ..... the mighty SACD either in SHM-SACD , Stereo or Multichannel format. So here I'm listening to my favourite format and today it is Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow SHM-SACD , the sound quality is sublime with a warmth and dynamics I never heard before though I've listened to it in every possible format. What a revelation.This Sunday is a Sunday truly well spent. It is a hope against hope to revive this format as it is in Japan.

 

[indy70]

Hey where do you get a good SACD ? Amazon ? or is there any place we can hunt for online ? I am wanting to try out Stereo, Multichannel format SACD in my Pioneer bluray.

 

[Aanuj]

Hey where do you get a good SACD ? Amazon ? or is there any place we can hunt for online ? I am wanting to try out Stereo, Multichannel format SACD in my Pioneer bluray.

Do try out. I would say its a great experience and like none other. Hearing the same songs with more detail dynamics musicality and warmth is a treat it eargasm. Even the Multichannel is awesome for many a recordings. I generally get my SACDs and SHM CDs from HMV Japan and CD Japan and some I got on my visits abroad. Rhythm house had a very small selection which I bough all barring a few. Amazon is good as long as the prices and delivery charges are sane. The better or more revealing your system the more goose bumps the SACD experience.

 

[Aanuj]

Just received the amazing Jewels by Queen SHM-CD from CD Japan. Awesome sound quality and mastering. Bohemian Rhapsody is a revelation. This CD shows what Freddie's voice is all about soaring clean clear it's almost like sitting in his throat ! Under Pressure will shake your room like no other format. We are the Champions the soundstage is so wide it's ike being there in the arena ! Budweisers.....This is my idea of a perfect musical Sunday. :yahoo:

 

[Aanuj]

Radio GA GA ..... never sounded like this ever , Another one bites the dust and it's baseline will get up dance literally,very well mastered , all that compression associated with Queen recordings finally gone.....awesome.

 

[harry123456]

Congratulations on your new acquisition.Glad to know that you are enjoying Freddie more than ever before.Never heard a SHM CD before..is there really a perceptible difference in the sound quality as against a well mastered CD of the same album?

Keep spinning and enjoying the music. Cheers.

 

[Aanuj]

The music here is way better over any format I have heard. Whenever they make a SHM CD they put in a lot of effort from mastering to recording to the material used in manufacturing this CD . This SHM CD is as dynamic sounding as possible and hence Freddie's voice is as captivating as we always thought it was but always missed it since Freddie's voice either sounded too compressed or shrill without body in digital and too rounded or softened in Vinyl, but this is the real deal to a large extent. Though I don't adhere to the school of thought that SHM CD gets better after around 200 hrs of playback but what's the harm in trying or verifying the fact!!!

 

[sud98]

This thread is pushing my lazy backside to sit and listen to the only two SACD I have DSOTM (Pink Floyd) and Brothers in Arms (Dire Straits).

 

[Aanuj]

This thread is pushing my lazy backside to sit and listen to the only two SACD I have DSOTM (Pink Floyd) and Brothers in Arms (Dire Straits).

Money and Time for that awesome timing pace and reality . DSOTM is supposed to be excellent in Multi channel. Money for nothing for that slowly wide large opening riff that finally enflgulfs you , so far away for that easy going nature and the easy going guitars that sounds like mark is in the room and the title track for that deep deep soundstage and best with lights totally off. That's all Stereo observations for me I have both of the SACD albums too.

 

[sud98]

Duplicate Post

 

[sud98]

Can you update your rig in your signature? Will give an idea to all with what equipment you are listening.

 

[sunder]

Money and Time for that awesome timing pace and reality . DSOTM is supposed to be excellent in Multi channel. Money for nothing for that slowly wide large opening riff that finally enflgulfs you , so far away for that easy going nature and the easy going guitars that sounds like mark is in the room and the title track for that deep deep soundstage and best with lights totally off. That's all Stereo observations for me I have both of the SACD albums too.

Aanuj, if I play the disc of Multi Channel SACD in a stereo player and amplifier, What will I miss to hear? If I dont have Multi Channel amp, is it waste to buy Multi Channel recorded SACD?

 

[Aanuj]

Can you update your rig in your signature? Will give an idea to all with what equipment you are listening.

I have a Usher R1.5 as power Amplifier , Denon PMA1500AE as pre amplifier, Denon DCD1500AE / DVD2900 (Sony CXD2753) as SACD players,Mission MX5 as speakers with Chord Crimson Plus, VEE3 and Clearways as Interconnects and Speaker cables. I'm planning to add either a Conrad Johnson pv12AL or Vincent mk2 as pre or whatever budget permits in due course of time.

 

[Aanuj]

Aanuj, if I play the disc of Multi Channel SACD in a stereo player and amplifier, What will I miss to hear? If I dont have Multi Channel amp, is it waste to buy Multi Channel recorded SACD?

I'm at moment playing all my SACDs in stereo only. SACD in stereo has a very analog sound minus the harshness of a CD and retains the Dynamics that is lost or softened in Vinyl. In stereo you will miss the nuances or surround informations which adds to the 3 dimensionality to the music. But if you have a properly matched system ( need not be multi lakh) and the synergy is good between the components with speakers placed correctly you will have a win win situation with SACD in stereo. SACD stereo gives you layers of information spatial, space, headroom and depth. Generally all good SACD are low volume so it's only when you crank the volume up with a good Class A amp it's then you will get goose bumps! Even low volumes late night listening is as fatigue free as analog but as with analog you won't miss the dynamic range here.

 

[prem]

Aanuj, am very curious. I have had top of the line Esoteric cd/SACD player. Have had over 30 sacds. Have had about 10 shm CDs. I also have vinyl titles of albums I have had in SACD. In majority of the cases the vinyl was more dynamic, more natural and way more musical. In fact many shm CDs are horribly compressed. No dynamic range whatsoever. The only SACD titles I liked over the vinyl counterpart was thriller and kind of blue. Obviously you are hearing differently. That's what makes this hobby so subjective I guess

 

[sunder]

I'm at moment playing all my SACDs in stereo only. SACD in stereo has a very analog sound minus the harshness of a CD and retains the Dynamics that is lost or softened in Vinyl. In stereo you will miss the nuances or surround informations which adds to the 3 dimensionality to the music. But if you have a properly matched system ( need not be multi lakh) and the synergy is good between the components with speakers placed correctly you will have a win win situation with SACD in stereo. SACD stereo gives you layers of information spatial, space, headroom and depth. Generally all good SACD are low volume so it's only when you crank the volume up with a good Class A amp it's then you will get goose bumps! Even low volumes late night listening is as fatigue free as analog but as with analog you won't miss the dynamic range here.

Aanuj, i am also having many SACDs. But what I asked you: How about the multi channel recorded SACD when play in the stereo player and amp? Do you have Vinyl records and player? Did you Listen the same title in both SACD and Vinyl record? Some Japanese Vinyl pressings are much filtered the HF noise, so that you could heard as little dull. You may compare between UK pressed vinyl and the digital SHD recordings. Thanks.

 

[prem]

Album list - Dynamic Range Database

For anyone wanting to know which format of a title has max dynamic range, check the above link. Most regular titles that an average guy buys is listed on the site, including a few A R Rahman titles

 

[Aanuj]

After reading your post what I got is you probably like your sound warm and not too revealing in nature. As far as recorded sound is concerned i firmly believe nothing is natural and everything is colored to some extent. A live band will always sound different or better when heard Live and will have some coloration when reproduced through a music system no matter how expensive it is. What you find natural I may find dull or too warm or colored. Now first thing about this whole Vinyl brouhaha , aint it the same Vinyl we all thought it was too fat sounding , had no clarity and lacked dynamics and that background noise when CDs came out and we ran for CDs now all of a sudden people just cant stop raving about it and i firmly believe this trend will pass too. To me its like collecting VHS/Betamax tapes in the age of BluRays! To me Vinyl still sounds the same noisy and colored. I have not given in to the hype neither I will. I cant stand that click clack sound and grain in the background while playing records and I dont believe Im the only one. As far as Vinyl Player goes heard quite a few from VPI,Thorens,Clearaudio, modded Garrard etc etc they all sounded colored ie warm , mellow and had that grain and noise, click and clack. Now why Vinyl , the only reasson i see is because of the old Hindi movie or Tamil OST which sounds horrible in other formats can only be colored or warmed up using a Vinyl. About comparisons , done too many times , I never liked Who or Rainbow or Queen through Vinyl , they lacked Dynamics , sound stage height and depth too and that inky black background which gives space to various instruments and voices. I have seen people rave Vinyls and I have seen utter disappointment and subsequent distress sales. So it boils down to personal preference basically , to each his own,

Prem I find Esoterics too analytical lean and bright for my tastes , in that range its better to get a Mc Intosh , Classe or Wadia pretty warm and good for digital and thus great sounding SACDs, have you heard Eric Claptons Slowhand in SACD its as warm a recording can get in Digital still having its dynamics and attack intact unlike the vinyl provided you dont have a very bright source. Just got the Aja CD from (US press Rmst) while typing this and its way better than the Vinyl issue. The grain is gone!

Some good reads about the myths surrounding the Hype of Vinyls

http://hometheaterreview.com/exactly-why-vinyl-isnt-the-future-of-audiophilia/

http://www.meoko.net/news/what-s-up-with-the-vinyl-hype
https://www.theguardian.com/music/m...inyls-making-a-comeback-dont-believe-the-hype

 

[prem]

Aanuj, how did u get the impression I like a warm sound? No, I don't. I like a highly transparent resolved sound. I have heard enough original masters, both new as well as old films. I have heard copies of masters of English albums that are sent to India from the parent company. So my reference is the sound of these masters

Esoteric can sound thin on a wrong system. In the correct set up IMO it completely murders Mcintosh and the new Wadia. The old Wadia players were decent. DCS is the only player I prefer to Esoteric. I have had producers coming home and saying AR Rahman sounds better on the Esoteric than it did at the mastering room. Try and hear an Esoteric in a correct set up. Problem with Esoteric is it will expose most amps and speakers.

Esoteric plays back exactly what's on the disc. Very minimal editorialising. Very few players do that IME.

BTW you will hear no clicks or pops on any of my vinyls. You probably will not know a record is playing

Also, try and hear an original made in Japan cd of 1985 for Brothers in Arms. It completely murders the SACD of BIA. Ditto with cd of DSOTM. Get the CP 35 3017 cd made in Japan in 84. It sounds better than even the coveted blue triangle vinyl first press. Same with WYWH. It's the 35 DP 4 cd all the way. This goes for a bomb on eBay. Close to USD 500.

At the end of the day it all boils down to the mastering. Medium is less important.

Happy listening

 

[prem]

Hi Aanuj, check out this thread

SH Spotlight - What sounds just like the master tape: CD, Vinyl, SACD or an Open Reel tape copy? | Steve Hoffman Music Forums

Steve Hoffman is one of the most respected mastering engineers in the world.