Playing SACD on a Non-SACD Player

1-bit DSD can be down-converted into standard 24, 20 or even 16-bit PCM audio for CD distribution while still retaining the maximum possible audio quality. The system's 2.8224 MHz sampling rate is specifically designed for high precision down-conversion to all current PCM sampling rates using simple integer multiplies and divides.

1-bit DSD can be down-converted into standard 24, 20 or even 16-bit PCM audio for CD distribution while still retaining the maximum possible audio quality. The system's 2.8224 MHz sampling rate is specifically designed for high precision down-conversion to all current PCM sampling rates using simple integer multiplies and divides.

Rwwear, despite this statement, repeated from your earlier post, redbook-only players will not play SACD discs. If you can point us in the direction of a CD-only player that can play SACD discs, please do so. I think we would all like to know about it.

The answer to Lkissinger's original question:

Is there any benefit at all to playing a SACD on a normal red book player?

...is that there is no benefit, since normal redbook players can not read SACD discs.

Duh! I never said they could. What I am trying to get through to you is that DSD mastered discs are more easily mixed down to 16 bit thus gaining better sound quality than discs originally mastered using PCM. If one can believe a power cord can make a difference in sound quality(not you in particular)then they might think that better mastering should also.

Duh! I never said they could.

Rwwear, you did earlier write:

One still gets the benefits from DSD when playing an SACD disc back in a redbook machine.

...which seems to suggest one can play SACD discs in redbook machines. So, please pardon my confusion.

I understand your point now, though, and I was about to post a clarification in my earlier reply.

Thanks for stating your view more clearly.

Tvad,

Exactly, Rwwear's post was misleading in that it implied that
one could play an SACD disc in a redbook player.

A better phrasing would be that the redbook layer of a hybrid
SACD/redbook disc benefits from the fact that the recording
was originally mastered in DSD and downconverted to redbook.

Dr. Gregory Greenman
Physicist