Yet another SACD question

The DV-45A can be setup to default to the 2 channel SACD area only. ALL SACD have a stereo area. The stereo 2 channel RCA's and the front left/right multi-channel RCA's are parallel pairs, ie. exactly the same, coming from the same DAC. It's the mode setting of the player that determines the output as multichannel or stereo, provided the disc has multichannel on it. The amount and mix of the two formats varies, but the player can be forced to do either. And if the disc has not the information you want, it will default to what's available, ie. if you select 5.1 and the disc is not a multichannel it will still play the 2 channel. I don't have any information on the DVD-A setup yet, still waiting for some good discs to show up...

Thanks for the info,

prpixel

Only SACD discs that are "Hybrid" (2-layers) can be played on regular CD players.
My Pioneer dv45A player (SACD and DVD-A) has both Stereo and Multichannel analog outputs (as well as digital optical which I use when playing regular CDs). There is no digital output from SACD or DVD-A. To the best of my knowledge the Stereo output is a "Mixdown" of the multichannel. It is not the different area of the disc (because it is there simultaneously with the Multichannel signal) and it isn't the second layer (because it is there for SACD which are not "Hybrid"). So my player, and probably others, can give you just 2 signals, for stereo, even if the Disc is multichannel.

My apologies if I may be simplifying the issue, but here goes ... I have a 2 channel set-up (Musical Fidelty A3 integrated amplifier) with a SONY SCD555ES SACD changer. I just put in the SACD and just press play. The SONY defaults to the SACD layer ... said differently, you have to go out of your way to select any other layer (in the case of the hybrid SACD). I have both stereo & multi-channel SACD's and have never noticed any tracks not playing, or anything unusual for that matter. If I am missing something ... please feel free to correct me. Regards, Rich

You will have no problem listening to 5.1 with a two channel SACD player. I have done it several times with many different discs.

Not all the multichannel SACDs have identical tracks between the multichannel mix and the 2-channel mix. For example, The Artistry of Teresa Perez from FIM does not offer 2-channel mix for "The Bee" and "Rachmaninoff’s Variation On A Theme of Paganini". If you like these tracks, you can only play them on multichannel SACD players.

Just a small point on your use of the word "layer" in this context.

The multichannel mix and the stereo/mono mix occupy the same hirez layer - just on different areas. When the SACD loads you can select either area. On my player (probably on all players) you can specify the default section you wish the player to seek to initially, so if you are just into stereo (as I am) just set this up correctly and you won't even know you have m/c discs.

If the disc is a hybrid, then there is another layer - for the Redbook encoding.

Rcprince is correct, all multichannel SACD's have a 2 channel layer as part of the standard. I only own a 2 channel SACD player, but all of the multichannel players I've seen have a method for selecting the 2 channel layer as well.

If you only want to listen to 2 channel SACD I'd recommend you get a 2 channel player though so that you don't even have to deal with selecting that layer, (i.e. it would do it by default). Many of the high end SACD players are only 2 channel anyway (Accuphase, Shandling, Xindac, older Sony's).

My understanding at present is that all multichannel SACDs also have a two-channel SACD stereo mix layer that plays conventional stereo; I don't know how you get a multi-channel player to play that layer, but I'm sure it can be done.