How does Yamaha CD S2000 reproduce super audio?

I find just the opposite with my CD-S1000.  I own two other SACD/universal players(CA 751BD, Integra DPS-10.5) and the Yamaha is the best sounding of the bunch.  I pop in Elton John's GYBR SACD and it is just plain magical through the Yamaha player.  Very detailed with great punch and rhythm.  Very layered sound revealing all the nuances of the arrangements.

As far as SACD's not sounding much better than CD's on the Yamaha, I may just agree which is a testament how good a CD player these Yamahas really are, IMO.

Bill

Interesting Bill. I have compared the Yamaha with a few other non-SACD players (Krell cad 300cd, Rotel rdv 1060, Arcam cd74), Yamaha sounds decent, but exaggerating, its sound is a bit more like coming from a bullhorn compared to Krell or a more moderate Rotel; perhaps, Yamaha sounds a bit more cleaner than Arcam but Arcam has a deeper base. The SACD-s that I have tried, Krell and Rotel (in the normal mode)
have more depth and soundstage than Yamaha (in the super audio mode).

Taking into account that  Yamaha is the biggest and heaviest player I have seen (almost the doble in size and weight than an average), the outcome is not perhaps what one would expect. Though of course I think, in general terms, its not a bad player. 

Niodari,
I haven't heard the cd-s2000, but having recently taken possession of the newer cd-s2100. My understanding is that the 2100 is closer in relation to the top of the line cd-s3000 than the earlier 2000. 

I can tell you that I can hear a distinct difference between sacd and cd layers in some (not all) of the discs I own. More air and spacious sounding. Some discs (like Roxy Music Avalon) the difference is subtle and I believe a testament to how well this player handles redbook playback. By "bull horn", I'm assuming you mean a more forward presenation? 

From the reviews I've read the cd-s2000 appears to be well liked, but it didn't garner "must buy" status. I wonder if the luke warm response sent Yamaha back to the drawing board to build the cd-s2100 more in the vein of the cd-s3000? Have you given the cd-s2100 a listen?

Yakbob, I have never compared s2100 or s3000 with s2000, and never auditioned them. They have essentially different DACs, s21000 and s2300 have built in ESS Sabre 8 channel DAC, where s2000 likely uses PCM (I guess 2-channel) DAC. This may give some difference in super audio performance, though I am curious whether this also extends on ordinary CDs.  An inexpensive OPPO BDP 105 has a similar ESS DAC, as well as more expensive (almost 4k more) McIntosh MCD550. I am also also curious on their sound  performance, compared to the above ones, and even more expensive super audio players (like Krell Cipher or Audio Research cd9, for instance). 

So far, I am not convinced with SACD players, in general. I have noticed much more sound improvement using Reimyo DACs (I use DAP 777 and there is a newer model DAP 999). In general, JVC 20bit K2 signal processing is perhaps a quite efficient converting technology, at least based on my experience so far the most efficient one. Another advantage is that K2 CDs need no special CD players and can be directly copied.  

With Yamaha s2000 having a bullhorn (megaphone) sound I meant an "echo-like" (indirect) reflective sound. Although, there is really a lightly notable such effect.  On the positive side, Yamaha s2000 reads almost all cd-s easily, ones that other players cannot read, and is faster in reading and moving in between the tracks. 

Willand I too have the S1000 Yamaha out of the box it sounds good.

These Yamaha players are not bad. The issue in my post was, from one side, the technical part of how the 2 channel PCM DAC of Yamaha CD S2000 manages super audio (I don't know which DAC has CD S1000), and, from the other side, the practical performance part. I have tried several super audio cd-s, and not necessarily SACD mode gives better sound than the normal mode, on the same CD S2000. Just as an example, Handel's arias by Lorraine Hunt Lieberton (SACD AV0030) sounds about the same in both modes (definitely, not better in super audio). Handel's Apollo & Dafne SACD definitely sounds worse in super audio mode, whereas Jazz at the Pownshop Vol 1 sounds notably better in super audio mode: more open, real dynamic pleasing sound. At the  same time, I have heard the same CD recorded by JVC K2 system, and, I think the K2 version (that needs no special cd player) sounds even better. 

Since I got only Yamaha cd player that accepts super audio, I cannot judge whether the above is a common situation with super audio players and cd-s, in general. Then as for normal cd-s, you depend too much on the quality of the recording of a SACD. And, besides, you need a special type of cd player. 

I wonder how behave more expensive super audio players. 

The Yamaha CD-S1000 uses the PCM1796 DAC chip.

You know, all CD's and SACD's are not created equal.

Go over to this website and see if some of your CD's and SACD's are listed and look at the DR values of each.

Here is a great example of a CD recording being far superior in dynamic range than the SACD version of the same album.

http://dr.loudness-war.info/album/list?artist=dire+straits&album=

http://dr.loudness-war.info/album/view/103605

VS

http://dr.loudness-war.info/album/view/116588

And yet another SACD recording that has an excellent DR value. 

http://dr.loudness-war.info/album/view/70186

Bill

willland
The Yamaha CD-S1000 uses the PCM1796 DAC chip.

You know, all CD’s and SACD’s are not created equal.

Go over to this website and see if some of your CD’s and SACD’s are listed and look at the DR values of each.

Here is a great example of a CD recording being far superior in dynamic range than the SACD version of the same album.

http://dr.loudness-war.info/album/list?artist=dire+straits&album=

http://dr.loudness-war.info/album/view/103605

VS

http://dr.loudness-war.info/album/view/116588

And yet another SACD recording that has an excellent DR value.

http://dr.loudness-war.info/album/view/70186

Bill

While I use this site as a bible to get the best CD release for the best DR. Then buy it s/h on ebay because it usually the oldest, using that Catalog number.

You’ll usually find that re-masters or latest versions have been compressed, and have inferior DR, they’re just louder.
The oldest ones might be lower in level, but they have the greatest DR. 1985 up to 20 DR
http://dr.loudness-war.info/album/list?artist=dire+straits&album=Brothers+In+Arms

Cheers George

IMO, it could be that when playing the SACD version, there is more actual musical information there, versus the CD layer, which must then be accurately reproduced and revealed by the amplification chain. The effect of any distortion or lack of dynamics in the amplification could be more apparent than with the CD layer?