SACD Warning--"Do not use liquid cleaning..." ?

Interesting. I never heard of this before. I've got about a dozen SACDs and none contain this warning (Polydor, Heads-Up, Columbia, Chronicle, etc labels). I use CD2000 CD Clean-it Kit and it works fine all CDs and DVDs at least so far. Will check from now on. Thanks.

Two of my SACDs that have this warning are on the Telarc label (Al Di Meola's _Flesh on Flesh_ and Ensemble Galilie's _From the Isles to the Courts_). The disc surface definately looks different on these.

I thought I remembered the instruction sheet for Auric Illuminator saying not to use it on Sonopress SACDs. Unfortunately, I can't find it the sheet.

My _Dark Side of the Moon_ SACD does not come with the warning but has a similar looking surface, which made me wonder if it has the same fragility issues.

Hooper: I used to get scratches with MS as well. But I realized it was the polish pads, not the product itself, that was causing the scratches. So now I just spread it around with the moistened end of my index finger. No more scratches.

Okay, I found this on the Auric Illuminator website, which seems to answer my orignial question:

Auric Illuminator is not compatible with early made hybrid SACDs made by Sonopress. You can identify SONOPRESS SACDs by a marking around the inner spindle circumference.

As of May 2003 Sonopress states "now we are using other materials and it is no longer necessary to have a special frontcoating. These discs have no sticker (warning against topical treatments) and you can clean the laserentry side carefully with special liquids like a normal CD." Therefore it is safe to apply Auric Illuminator to new Sonopress SACDs.

----------

I'm not sure what the "special frontcoating" was, but apparently that was the problem.

Zombie thread comes ALIVE...
Sadly I bought a used SACD ($3 so not a big deal) but I destroyed it, not knowing it would start to craze from a kitchen sink wash, polish. Sadly not only did it start to craze immediately, as I kept at it, the formed gunk would clear off in spots revealing a perfect layer underneath, only to have that layer start to get messed up. At first I thought it was some sort of protective stuff, perhaps added by previous owner. Nope.. as layer after layer of perfect newly exposed surface went bad.. Finally I read up on SACD and polishing them. Found this thread.
So mainly want to warn used SACD buyers. Some of them cannot be polished, cannot be washed with detergent.
Never had this experience before. but never bought used SACD either...

elizabeth

Thanks for sharing. I suspect that certain branded cleaner/polish are more abrasive than others. On the flip-side, possibly a detergent based product is to blame.  Happy Listening!