SACD... can you hear the difference?

"Can't quite put my finger on it..I use a Sony 5400 for sacd or a Mytek dac for DSD files and an Audio Note dac for redbook. To me SACD is highly over rated"

Why not try SACD and CD on one player like your Sony? That way you hear the differences you need to hear instead of the differences between players.

"09-06-14: Dweller
Don't forget the old standby argument:
"If you can't hear the difference, your system isn't good enough"."

That maybe true, but you also need to consider the fact that your system may be good enough, but the fault may lie with you. Not having good listening skills, bias, not using the equipment properly..., that type of thing.

Some redbook CDs sound much better than most any SACDs I've tried--admittedly that is very few (under 10). I have a Modwright 5400 with all the upgrades and it plays both formats beautifully. However, as with vinyl, there are some cds that sound better than the records and usually vice versa. There are some cds that were remastered that sound much better, and some are very thin sounding with zero dynamics. Music is exactly the same, but the sound can be another animal better or worse. I tried a Bob Dylan SACD and the sound was really not too good. IMO SACDs need to be listened to prior to buying as there is a BIG difference in sound quality from one album to the next. Due to the fact there as many excellent sounding CDs of music I really like, I only have 2 SACDs that I actually own--1 of which I don't really love the music but it sounds phenominal/the other sounds good for what it is, music from the 60's with a couple good cuts that I bought used and cheap. It sounds good compared to what I remember growing up and having a cheap record player and speakers--it ought to compared to the system I finally own. Music that has both great sound and is great music are a low percentage in any format.

Lastly, there is the possibility that your wife is so against your interest in listening to music on YOUR stereo that she SAYS she can't hear any difference so you don't feel compelled to buy any more expensive stuff. Why do I know this? Hummmm. Could it be personal experience? My wife can hear the difference on our less good sounding home theater system vs. the regular TV--but often says, "I can't hear any difference in the sound between OUR home theater and YOUR stereo downstairs." There is a night and day difference a tone deaf person would hear.

I have150 SACDs and in each case they MAY be better sounding than the equivalent CD On the other hand, I have CDs that sound as good to me as any of them. Talking strictly sound quality here. My player is an Oppo 105 with full Modwright modifications, playing into an Aesthetix Calypso linestage. It's anyone's guess whether my listening skills, etc. are equal to the task, but i've been honing them for a long time.

totaly agree. if you cant discern a difference between a mofi sacd and a standard, your system is not revealing enouhg. It should be easy to hear the dramatic improvement of sacd.

IMO a better comparison is to match up a quality XRCD against the SACD
XRCD is the uncompressed hi-Rez "normal CD pressing" without the max 16/44 format first introduced for airplay.

E.g. Dire Straits - Brothers in Arms discs are issues in both SACD and XRCD pressings.( there are many others including inter alia, The Eagles)

My observations

(1) Any comparison is system dependent sensitive for sure as highlighted by the prior posts . The better the system ...... Yada Yada ....

(2) I've heard both including A-B .

(A) In my system, the XRCD wins out and the difference is not subtle because of (1) above and also because of the preferred results embedded in the actual recording.

(B) I've heard them in more modestly priced audio systems and the the results vary even to the point that the SACD prevails.

(3) in all cases, audio reproduction through a multi channel receiver always lagged far behind the audio performance of hi-end and quality built separates. There is no escaping the time-honoured tenet in this hobby that you only get what you pay for.