SACD Opinions: Gimmick? Like it? Don't? Why?

Never go in over your head with out a life jacket.

I am on my second universal player, Denon 2900 following a Pioneer DV45A.

With the Pioneer, both SACD and DVD-A were superior to CD, with the caution that all media are strongly impacted by the audio quality of the particular disc. However, I found that SACD was a disapointment after all the hype from Sony. DVD-A seemed better.

With the Denon, SACD matches DVD-A within the variable sonics from disc to disc. It isn't any better.

From this I conclude that SACD technology does not lend itself to good implementation in a low cost player (compared to DVD-A) and this does not bode well for the survival of the format in competition with DVD-A.

It depends, more than anything else, on the quality of the remastering job. Some of them have been great, and if you want to hear the best versions of some classic recordings, you've got to have an SACD player.

I thought it was good, but not spectacular when I first heard it. Not enough of a difference to see what the hubbub was all about. Your "Life Jacket" in this is to either start with the stock player and have it modded and hot rodded or, just buy one that way. The Redbook soundstage sounds self-contained where the SACD modded sounds like your walls don't exist. Mind you though, there are some spectacular Redbook recordings that somehow manage to get the same result, Maplesahde being an example.

When SACD is done right it is incredible. No question. The ease and the delivery is completely natural when done properly. But it be just good or plain bad. Very recording dependent. I stepped into the waters very slowly expense wise with a Phillips 963SA player. Really a value for the money. Rest of my second system includes Hovland HP-100, ARC 100.2, all AP solo crytal interconnects and speaker cable, FIM Gold Power cords, 2" Brass Cones below the player and 6 heavy brass discs on top, Mc Tube tuners etc. Dylan, Stones, Dave Brubeck, Marvin Gaye, several female jazz singers, WIllie Nelson Stardust have all been first class. I don't think I will ever do multichannel ever again due to diluting the quality of everything just to get those extra channels and the conspicuous trashing of a room with all the extra speakers, subs etc laying all around. To each their own, but for me I rather retire early and spend more evenings watching the sun set.