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Interesting. Now these four are all stereo. Has HK Universal Music also released an multichannel SACDs?
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Post by soundboy July 10, 2008 (22 of 29)
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The Seventh Taylor said:
Interesting. Now these four are all stereo. Has HK Universal Music also released an multichannel SACDs?
Except for several live concert recordings and 2 single-inventory studio albums, all of HK Universal's SACDs were 2 channel stereo. I am just guessing, but there're a couple of reasons for only 2 channel stereo SACD releases....
1. The lack of living space needed for multi-channel systems in the typical HK home.
2. About 10 years ago, much of HK PolyGram's operation was destroyed in a spectacular fire (footage of which is often seen in one of those "Amazing Videos" TV shows). Rumors have it that HK PolyGram's mastertape vault was also destroyed. Some people questioned the source from which HK Universal used for its SACDs. However, much of the results have been very good.
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soundboy said:
Titles from local artists of HK Universal's own catalog....
http://www.yesasia.com/us/%E7%B2%B5%E8%AA%9E%E9%9F%B3%E6%A8%82/0-0-0-bpt.45_ni.105-en/list.html
You can see the titles as the newest products. I read about these 4 titles on a Hong Kong website last night and I was skeptical. I check several HK e-tailers whether they have them....nope. However, given that yesasia.com is now carrying them, I am thinking these are real releases.
HK has always been relatively welcoming of SACD, in light of 2 HK Sony SACD releases plus other titles from smaller independent labels. However, I am somewhat surprise at the relatively low prices for these SACDs. In HK, each of these titles are selling at about US$6.00/each. HK Universal has previously had a massive back catalog release on mini-LP CDs that were also similarly priced. Given that HK Universal always comes up with a new "gimmick" to market its back catalog every year, perhaps inexpensive SACD is the "gimmick" this year.
Edit - now that I think about it, those mini-LP CDs were rumored to be DSD-remastered (but doesn't carry a DSD logo like the Rolling Stones remastered CDs), maybe HK Universal is recycling its remastered works....
Edit #2 - Confirmed new SACDs come in paper sleeves
those latest Hong Kong releases look scintillating....
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Post by soundboy August 12, 2008 (24 of 29)
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mystic fred said:
those latest Hong Kong releases look scintillating....
I must make an edit to "Edit #2" in my previous post....those 4 titles actually comes in Super Jewel Cases. In fact, they come in the early, narrow hinge version of the Super Jewel Case.
You can see those 4 SACD titles as the last 4 in the below link....
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ematcion/sets/72157600427174428/
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ginestre said:
COME ON SONY - RELAUNCH SACD. NOW IS THE TIME. CD SALES ARE SLIPPING EVERYWHERE. THIS IS YOUR CHANCE TO RETAIN BUSINESS, OUR CHANCE TO HAVE QUALITY MUSIC. NOW THAT DVD-A IS PRETTY MUCH DEAD, GET THE SACD TRAIN MOVING AGAIN!
I agree,
SONY should release 100-200 new SACD titles from Rolling Stone Magazine's Top 500 albums of All time http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/5938174/the_rs_500_greatest_albums_of_all_time
IMHO it would definitely help relaunch the format!!
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soundboy said:
Except for several live concert recordings and 2 single-inventory studio albums, all of HK Universal'ss SACDs were 2 channel stereo. I am just guessing, butthere'ree a couple of reasons for only 2 channel stereo SACD releases....
1. The lack of living space needed for multi-channel systems in the typical HK home.
2. About 10 years ago, much of HKPolyGram'ss operation was destroyed in a spectacular fire (footage of which is often seen in one of those "Amazing Videos" TV shows). Rumors have it that HKPolyGram'ssmastertapee vault was also destroyed. Some people questioned the source from which HK Universal used for itsSACDss. However, much of the results have been very good.
It is a (wide) misconception that in a small living space it is easier and better to have stereo. In a small space surround sound reproduction with 5 smaller loudspeakers gives a much better reproduction sound result than 2 (bigger) loudspeakers in stereo. It is a shame that with repeating this, a myth is spread and that people that might otherwise keep an open mind have put these prejudice in their subconscious.
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Post by Goodwood October 20, 2008 (27 of 29)
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OK, so much for software and amp/speakers setups.
Lets say I'm a person with moderate means, I like the promise of sound quality and/or multichannel sound, and I go looking for a player.
Let's be honest. Todays landscape is not looking good. Several mass manufacturers are adding Blu Ray while removing SACD and DVD-Audio from universal players. Yes the older universal players are currently still available but for how long? I don't think spending thousands of £/$/€ etc for a special player should be a prerequisite for adopting SACD - for anyone.
By now I would have expected a number of mid priced universal players to be available (like others I want BD too). Such players are conspicuous by their absence so I'm now considering buying a BD player and upgrading my current non-BD universal player to a slightly better one knowing that the current universal players should have long been obsolete by now. The way such products devalue I'm better waiting .... and so the vicious circle goes.
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Better wait for the Oppo then, which will offer BD and SACD playback (as the first player since PS3). They're still working on getting DVD-Audio to work, reportedly.
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Post by DSD October 20, 2008 (29 of 29)
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Goodwood said:
Todays landscape is not looking good. Several mass manufacturers are adding Blu Ray while removing SACD and DVD-Audio from universal players. Yes the older universal players are currently still available but for how long?
I think you have it backwards. Mass manufacturers are not adding SACD and DVD-Audio to their BluRay players. Their Blu-Ray Players don't even claim to be Universal players, though most do play DVDs and CDs.
Universal players continue to offer SACD, DVD-Audio, DVD-Video, CD, MP3, etc. and some even offer HDCD. As far as I know no manufacturer that makes Universal players have quit making them, indeed there are new models recently announced such as the new Yamaha DVD-S1800 and DVD-S2000.
Plus there are two upcoming Universal players that will be offering Blu-Ray as well, an Oppo and Denon model. There may be other Universal players to offer Blu-Ray as well soon.
Remember a Blu-Ray is NOT a Universal player but a Universal player can offer Blu-Ray.
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