SACD playback thru Bryston BDA-1

How do you define "true SCAD digital output via PCM?" I am getting 25/176.4 PCM output and do not regard that as compressed.

Kal

Ncarv, Kr4:

Since Sony is one of the major enforcers of SACD copyright, I doubt if any Sony player outputs true SCAD digital output via PCM. It may be a "compressed" version which, even though is in a format other than 16/44.1, is still a compressed (not exact) copy.

Agreed.

Well, as others have pointed out, that is a critical point because, if the output is 16/44.1, it is pointless as that is CD resolution.

Kal

Sorry, Kal, I don't know that. I tried calling Sony when I got the player to get more info, but, as expected, the person I spoke to was clueless. Didn't even know what SACD was.

Ncarv, do you know what bit-rate it outputs?

Yes, Kal, it definitely plays SACD. It says so in the manual and I have played an SACD only, not hybrid, disc, Jorma Kaukonen's "Blue Country Heart," on it. It is a Sony BDP-S580.

10-18-11: Ncarv wrote:
My Sony Blu-Ray player outputs SACD through coax as PCM.

Can you confirm that it was not from the CD layer of the SACD and can you tell us what model player it is?

Kal

For those whose players convert to PCM, what format? 16bit/44.1KHz? In that case there is hardly any advantage to purchsing SACD discs if you are getting only CD resolution on the digital outputs.

Also, I think the SACD players are only allowed to output compressed audio via DSD, which is not an exact digital copy of the SCAD bit steam from the disc. Kind of like getting an MP3, only "higher" resolution. This is of course done to prevent folks from getting an exact digital copy of the SACD.

I spoke with someone at Audio Advisor re the NAD M5, and he confirmed that DSD will not be output due to copyright issues.

All in all, probably not worth the hassel for a few SACD titles out there. I am not into 5.1 surround sound, only stereo, so investing in all this conversion hardware to get something in the end which may or may not sound better than good quality CDs is likely not going to float the boat.

My Sony Blu-Ray player outputs SACD through coax as PCM.

I think if you can alter the output from DSD to PCM on your dvd player it will send the PCM data via coax to the coax input on the Bryston? I don't dabble with these things so I am probably wrong.

Also if your dvd player will output the dsd stream via HDMI (like the Sony 5400ES does and probably others do as well) you can get one of these:

http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=101&cp_id=10110&cs_id=1011002&p_id=5557&seq=1&format=2#description

and I believe this unit takes the dsd stream and converts it to PCM for transfer out via coax to any DAC - again I have no prior experience with these units so I cannot say for sure.

There was a similar thread @ AVS Forums and possible over at Audiocircle where this type of product was discussed and if you can't find out more info here try there...

Good luck!