I think you'd really have to have a tin ear or a system that's rather not accurate not to hear the benefits of SACD. I bought an el-cheapo Sony NS755V SACD/DVD player combo that was sitting as a floor model at Best Buy just for less than I've paid for a car tire. I picked up a copy of Orff's Carmina Burana and Mahler's 5th to go with it just for grins. I hooked it up and was just FLOORED in about 5 seconds.
Never, EVER have I heard dynamic contrasts and just plain MUSIC like this from any CD playback system. It just doesn't happen. The Carmina Burana was especially telling because I've performed this piece myself. Very, very good. I could actually stand to turn it up to realistic levels without having my ears bleed (if you play this music softly, you need a real-life, front row concert check!). I was ramming close to a 1000wpc into the speakers on peaks before the amp started to compress a bit and the lights started to dim. This just doesn't happen with CD because it hurts. The dynamics and detail are just MIA next to even this cheap POS SACD player.
I recently just got the 1812 on SACD too. Maybe the recording is just better, I don't know. But it beats the stink out of any LP or CD I've ever heard. To my ears, its the difference between Beethover performed by the high school orchestra and Beethoven by the local philharmonic. I would suggest that if the difference isn't immediately apparent, you have some serious system rethinking to go about, because something ain't right.
Regards,
Never, EVER have I heard dynamic contrasts and just plain MUSIC like this from any CD playback system. It just doesn't happen. The Carmina Burana was especially telling because I've performed this piece myself. Very, very good. I could actually stand to turn it up to realistic levels without having my ears bleed (if you play this music softly, you need a real-life, front row concert check!). I was ramming close to a 1000wpc into the speakers on peaks before the amp started to compress a bit and the lights started to dim. This just doesn't happen with CD because it hurts. The dynamics and detail are just MIA next to even this cheap POS SACD player.
I recently just got the 1812 on SACD too. Maybe the recording is just better, I don't know. But it beats the stink out of any LP or CD I've ever heard. To my ears, its the difference between Beethover performed by the high school orchestra and Beethoven by the local philharmonic. I would suggest that if the difference isn't immediately apparent, you have some serious system rethinking to go about, because something ain't right.
Regards,