This thread is strange.
First, the comment about SACDs not sounding as good on SACD
players is nonsense. There are good and bad players but CD
players simply cannot play SACDs at all. They can play only
the CD-compatible layer of hybrids (which is really just a
CD).
Second, DSD-capable DACs have been implemented in SACD
players for more than a decade so anyone who has an SACD
that forces PCM-conversion bought the wrong player!
However, that conversion will still provide high resolution
signals well more advanced than on CD.
Third, the Brandenburgs on the HM SACD are superb in MCH
SACD and pretty good in stereo (the latter only briefly
auditioned), so if you are having problems you need to see
if you player is really accessing the stereo SACD track or
if you are hearing (1) only the FR/FL channels of the
multichannel track or (2) an ad-hoc mix-down of the
multichannel track.
First, the comment about SACDs not sounding as good on SACD
players is nonsense. There are good and bad players but CD
players simply cannot play SACDs at all. They can play only
the CD-compatible layer of hybrids (which is really just a
CD).
Second, DSD-capable DACs have been implemented in SACD
players for more than a decade so anyone who has an SACD
that forces PCM-conversion bought the wrong player!
However, that conversion will still provide high resolution
signals well more advanced than on CD.
Third, the Brandenburgs on the HM SACD are superb in MCH
SACD and pretty good in stereo (the latter only briefly
auditioned), so if you are having problems you need to see
if you player is really accessing the stereo SACD track or
if you are hearing (1) only the FR/FL channels of the
multichannel track or (2) an ad-hoc mix-down of the
multichannel track.