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

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.

Opps, forgot to mention my speakers are Talon Peregrine X mark IIs on the Nest Stands.

SACD is the real deal. As soon as you listen to a good recording on SACD you will instantly notice that your ears will realax. The tension in the neck is gone replaced by a liquidity that rivals vinyl. Voices are sharper and have more body. Transients explode like the real event. The depth and witdth of the soundstage is expanded. But the one thing that really catches you is that the air around the instruments is unlike any recording on redbook CD. To put it plainly SACD does everything the a regular CD does an order of magnitude better, plus it is much easier to use than vinyl!!

Johnny

In my system, the most noticeable quality of SACD is a sense of ease, a kind of relaxed sound. Next is smoothness...which could actually be a defect for some people, who prefer a more etched high-end. On better recordings, there is a sense of what I would call 'tonal colour'. Overall, the difference is noticeable but not huge. I'd love to hear one of the top end players, e.g. a Meitner or dCS.