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Some Newbie questions:
I am new to hi-rez. I love my new Yamaha DVD 2300 player and RX-V-2400 Multichannel Receiver. My multimedia room is ~ 20'X 20' with a 5 speaker set up plus subwoofer. Front and Centers are large Snells, the rear surrounds are full frequency range Sonabs (with new drivers) and the sub is a large Velodyne (19"?). Sorry I don't have the precise specs with me...
I'm becoming more aware of the range of disks on the market but am a bit confused. When there are both Hybrid or SACD only versions, which is better for the SACD layer? Is this a silly question, are the SACD layers identical on the 2 types of disc? I don't want to compromise on sound quality if I can help it.
What about the same release on DVD-A vs SACD like Steely Dan's Gaucho? I'm aware of the engineering differences between the sampling/compression/decompression schemes but can you hear the differences in an A/B comparison? I may be silly but all other considerations being equal I would prefer SACD case sizes compared to the larger DVD-A.
Finally, I notice that Sony released quite a few of it's early ventures in 2 channel only. Is there any hope that classics like Sonny Rollins' Way Out West will be remastered in Multichannel or should I just be happy to collect the enhanced stereo versions?
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Post by Dan Popp January 27, 2004 (12 of 15)
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I'm becoming more aware of the range of disks on the market but am a bit confused. When there are both Hybrid or SACD only versions, which is better for the SACD layer? Is this a silly question, are the SACD layers identical on the 2 types of disc? I don't want to compromise on sound quality if I can help it.
Merlin,
I applaud your dedication to the best possible sound you can get. I have never read anything about a difference in the SACD sound between a single-layer and a hybrid disc. Unless there is a problem with your laser alignment, they should be identical. If there were a problem, it should be a catasrophic problem - like a defective disc. I wonder if the dual-layers will be less stable over time...that might be more of a realistic concern.
I prefer hybrids because I can listen to them in the car or elsewhere.
I'm trying to imagine the kind of golden-ear lab test that would be required to test your hypothesis! It would be difficult, to say the least. Just relax and enjoy the music. A bigger problem for you might be the square room (20' x 20'). Somehow remodeling that would probably give you a much greater sonic improvement than the gnat's eyelash you are concerned about! 8-)
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Dan Popp said:
Merlin,
I applaud your dedication to the best possible sound you can get. I have never read anything about a difference in the SACD sound between a single-layer and a hybrid disc....
...A bigger problem for you might be the square room (20' x 20'). Somehow remodeling that would probably give you a much greater sonic improvement than the gnat's eyelash you are concerned about! 8-)
Thanks Dan
I use devices called Room Lenses (by Argent) to tune the room's acoustics. They are very effective even if they look like a "snake-oil" idea.
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Post by Darrel February 26, 2004 (14 of 15)
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Dan Popp said:
Merlin,
I applaud your dedication to the best possible sound you can get. I have never read anything about a difference in the SACD sound between a single-layer and a hybrid disc. Unless there is a problem with your laser alignment, they should be identical. If there were a problem, it should be a catasrophic problem - like a defective disc. I wonder if the dual-layers will be less stable over time...that might be more of a realistic concern.
I prefer hybrids because I can listen to them in the car or elsewhere.
I'm trying to imagine the kind of golden-ear lab test that would be required to test your hypothesis! It would be difficult, to say the least. Just relax and enjoy the music. A bigger problem for you might be the square room (20' x 20'). Somehow remodeling that would probably give you a much greater sonic improvement than the gnat's eyelash you are concerned about! 8-)
I have read an article in a UK-based HiFi magazine concerning stereo and multi-channel SACD. The reviewer did a comparison between multi and two-channel SACD but he was leaning slightly favourably towards two-channel. My personal opinion is that there's no difference, unless there's been a problem in the recording of either of the layers.
It would be nice to blind-test some of these reviewers where it concerns high end hardware and some of the software. I think the more reviews you read, the more confusing it can become.
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Darrel said:
I have read an article in a UK-based HiFi magazine concerning stereo and multi-channel SACD. The reviewer did a comparison between multi and two-channel SACD but he was leaning slightly favourably towards two-channel. My personal opinion is that there's no difference, unless there's been a problem in the recording of either of the layers.
It would be nice to blind-test some of these reviewers where it concerns high end hardware and some of the software. I think the more reviews you read, the more confusing it can become.
What is adding to the confusion is the apparent shift away from the early editions of single layer, stereo only SACD only in favor of the Redbook-SACD hybrids. Why pay ~$20US or more for a SACD stereo disk when a hybrid disk can be had for ~$14 or less? I was wondering if there was extra value (higher sample rate, better materials, whatever) to explain the price differences. I used to try to buy the premium vinyl disks when I could back in olden times.
By the way, Columbia House has the whole Bob Dylan reissue/remaster SACD hybrid library on sale. Buy one at "regular" price, get 2 free and unlimited more for $2.99 each plus shipping. Never thought I'd buy another copy of Nashville Skyline, but what the hey...Blood on the Tracks is a desert island choice for me.
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