Issue Multichannel SACD with 2 Channel Player

What do you mean "2 channel only machines?" AFAIK, these are MCH machines. If you have them set up for 2 channel and these particular SACDs lack a stereo DSD track, they may not be able to do anything since there's no downsampling permitted.

Kal

The DVPS9000es is not multi - channel (KR4, I think you're confusing it with the xa9000es. Sony sure does love that 9000es moniker! The DVP999es is. Sometimes the player (9000) will not pick up on the 2 channel layer for whatever reason. I have the 9000 and it does do it once and a while. The 999 hasn't exibited the same problem. It loads up and plays whatever you set it for. My old xa777es wouldn't switch from the CD layer to the SACD layer and back a bunch. You had to open the drawer and reclose it when it got hung up. I hope they corrected the problem on the xa9000es.
I've had a little trouble getting my Wadia 861se to read the CD layer from a SACD. So I really don't know what the deal is. I suppose it could be a defect with the layers on the disc or who knows. It also seems the drives on less expensive machines are getting somewhat problematic since we had to go from CD transports to DVD and/or CD Rom drives. Now you really have to pay for a solid drive.

Right you are. I was unaware of this unit and mistook it for a more modern one.

Nonetheless, is it possible that the OP's problem discs lack a stereo DSD program track (even though he says they are all hybrid)? Do we know which ones these are?

Kal

They are Brian Adams Heartbreaker on MoFi SACD and Red Hot Ray Brown Trio on Groove Note. They are hybrid RBCD + SACD two channel stereo discs which play just fine in the car (RD) and at the hi-end dealer on XA9000ES in either mode and can be switched at will mid track on that machine.
I was going to send one of the machines off to VSE for level 5 but can't see it when either machine won't play about 20% of hybrid disks.

That's RYAN ADAMS "Heartbreaker", I believe.

You may be uncovering one of the "dirty little secrets" of SACD. Nobody really seems to talk about it. I've found that SACD players are VERY sensitive to quality of manufacture of the disc. I bought "Bring the Family" by John Hiatt and the disc had a couple of VERY minor surface marks, but it is enough to make the SACD playback simply STOP. I have some CDs that look 100 times worse that that, and they still play fine. SACDs are spinning something like 5 times as fast in the machine, and I think they are far less tolerant of errors. I have at least a dozen of these by now, out of approx. 150 SACDs. For me, the only downside of a great format.
FYI, I've heard more than one person say that MOFI hybrids wouldn't play in their machine. I personally don't have any of those.

Cheers.

You are right.. it is Ryan Adams.. I think I have uncovered another "dirty" little secret. Seems the DVPS9000 and others of its vintage are not designed to accomodate hybrids ie: CD and SACD tracks. and inherently have trouble with those. I have more pure SACD's than CD/SACD recordings and have zero probs with those.

My Sony DVP S9000ES has had no trouble with hybrid CD/SACD. After moving equipment around, I have sometimes found that it won't latch on SACD, i.e. selects SACD then reverts to CD, but unplugging it so it has a chance to reset cures the problem.

I have noticed that CD audio is definitely superior when I take digital out to the Proceed DAC rather than using the analog out from the Sony DAC. I suspect with the large price differential Madrigal could afford to use better DACs than Sony, although economy of scale can buy a lot.

db