Several SACD titles on Amazon for $14.99 or less (Elton John, Aerosmith, Pink Floyd)

[dobyblue]

Looking at some SACD threads and wondering whether or not you might like to try that PS3 out with your new HDMI-receiver?

Amazon has some great titles for $14.99 or less with free shipping.

Aerosmith - Toys in the Attic
Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon
Billy Joel - The Stranger
Stevie Ray Vaughan - Texas Flood
Eric Clapton - Slowhand
Elton John - Madman Across the Water (Levon, Tiny Dancer)
Boston - Boston
Janis Joplin - Cheap Thrills
Bob Dylan - Blood on the Tracks

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=sr_nr_n_...ASACD%2Cn%3A40

Some pretty sweet titles and some great SACD prices.

[bhampton]

How is the Aerosmith one?

Is it multi-channel.

(Sorry,.. how lazy of me... I could just go look it up but I guess I'm in a lazy mood.)

-Brian

[jswilli1]

I picked up Pink Floyd - Dark Side of The Moon from Fry's last Saturday for $14.99. It was my first SACD and WOW it sounds awesome, Definetely a MUST buy.

[SDon1969]

Holy moly! Thank God for Amazon's "Instant Order Updates"! I read this thread and immidiately decided to see how The Dark Side of the Moon SACD sounded on my 80 GB PS3/Onkyo 605, both purchased in '08. When I selected it from the link, I noticed the ticker message "Instant Order Update for *me*. You purchased this item on December 27, 2003". WTF?! I barely remember doing it, I didn't even have a SACD player! I found it in my CD rack, still wrapped in plastic. What a dope...

Can't wait to check it out later!

[frenchglen]

Don't want to sound discouraging towards SACD, but:

- the PS3 will convert the DSD signal to PCM ("DVD-Audio" sound) before outputting it on HDMI.
- probably all of these titles were actually mixed in PCM (because DSD can not be mixed/edited in its 1-bit form)

In other words, with these titles you're not really getting what the SACD format offers.

What they don't want you know is that this 'amazing SACD sound' (which is amazing) is not there unless it's "pure" DSD. If it's converted to PCM at any time in the recording, mixing or playback process, all you're getting is basically the lowest common denoninator between the two formats - hardly ideal- in fact, call it "watered-down PCM" (or "life-sucked DSD" if you like ).

I believe in DSD, but only pure DSD that hasn't been tainted in any step of the process from the ADC of the recording engineer to the DAC of my receiver or pre/pro. SACD has only really been good for classical and jazz genres, where it's a live recording with minimal editing, and stays in DSD the whole time. I either want pure DSD, or pure PCM, thank you.

This probably is one of the big problems with SACD, and it's ruddy annoying and a shame, because it's only getting fixed now. It's only the very recent advent of DXD recording that allows "sacd sound" to be mixed and edited in the studio without having to convert to PCM sound first.

Don't get me wrong, these titles will sound amazing, there's no doubt about that, but if there's an equivalent DVD-Audio release, from the same mix, it will be undeniably superior and more worth your money.

[SDon1969]

Yes, this Pink Floyd disc is amazing, wow, I couldn't help but sit and listen to the whole thing. I wish to see in the future a Floyd blu ray with uncompressed audio, could that be possible someday?

[dobyblue]

I'll take DSD converted to PCM over CD any day of the week, even on stereo recordings.

The Downward Spiral sounds much better on Super Audio CD than its DVD-Audio counterpart (24/48 5.1 found on the DVD-A layer of the DualDisc release), and I'm pretty sure it's PCM all the way on that one.

My experiences with Super Audio CD, using a DV-45a player to convert to analog, probably going to PCM first, have been nothing short of stellar.

The PS3's DSD to 16/176.4 conversion (2,822.4) is extremely well done, which is no surprise given the people that designed the firmware upgrade that increased the PCM>DSD conversion were DSD engineers, and I don't think anyone should steer clear of SACD because of it, as there are far more SACD popular releases than DVD-Audio. Plus, you can't play DVD-Audio on PS3.

The options for true DSD playback in North America are few and far between, always have been. Most receivers and pre/pro's can't even accept DSD natively until the most recent batch of HDMI 1.3 receivers and even then only the high end ones have them. (and EVEN THEN only a few of them support direct DSD to analog conversion and even fewer still have DAC's with a dynamic range of over 120dB)

Originally Posted by bhampton

How is the Aerosmith one?

Is it multi-channel.

(Sorry,.. how lazy of me... I could just go look it up but I guess I'm in a lazy mood.)

-Brian

Yes it's multi-channel - it's the only Aerosmith SACD that is multi-channel.

The 5.1 mix of Sweet Emotion alone is worth picking this one up for...it's tremendously powerful.

[frenchglen]

Originally Posted by dobyblue

I'll take DSD converted to PCM over CD any day of the week, even on stereo recordings.

Oh of course, so would I. Although, a really well-mastered CD/MFSL, I might have second thoughts.
I'm just saying the situation could be better than it currently is, which is annoying. and important to know.

[Ectoplasm]

Originally Posted by frenchglen

Don't want to sound discouraging towards SACD, but:

- the PS3 will convert the DSD signal to PCM ("DVD-Audio" sound) before outputting it on HDMI.
- probably all of these titles were actually mixed in PCM (because DSD can not be mixed/edited in its 1-bit form)

In other words, with these titles you're not really getting what the SACD format offers.

Bollocks.

I own an Oppo 980H, which sends DSD to my Marantz SR-8002, and I can switch between it and LPCM. The difference is barely detectable. The small differences I noticed (and I have to flip between the two for a long time to pick this out):

1. The channel levels are slightly different.
2. The LPCM seems to push a bit more in the midrange.

Guys, don't worry one darned bit that your PS3 only does LPCM, because there is so little difference between the two, not many people can detect the difference once channels are leveled, and in a blind test, I bet no particular percentages would have people choosing one over the other.

My system includes Paradigm Monitor 7s, an LCR-350 center, and Mini-monitors at the rear.

[buckshot]

damnit. i just bought slow hand, gaucho, and the best of journey, now i'm getting janis joplin and the best of the byrds. there goes my blu money til june.

[frank_t]

still anxiously awaiting genesis 1970 - 1974 on SACD. anyone know? i read it's september now.

argh!

[hoogoosedmoose41]

Originally Posted by buckshot

damnit. i just bought slow hand, gaucho, and the best of journey, now i'm getting janis joplin and the best of the byrds. there goes my blu money til june.

have you heard the best of Journey on SACD? that was one of my first SACD purchases... i thought the CD version sounded better, the SACD version was not an improvement IMHO

[Ectoplasm]

Some SACD's are just not worth buying over the CD. I feel that way about anything that's not 5.1 channel, but that's my opinion. Some people love 2-channel audio.

The SACD's I most enjoy include:

Bjork - Verpertine (you have to order this from the UK for about $27 shipped).
Peter Gabriel - UP
Ray Charles sings/Basie Swings
Natalie Cole - What a woman knows (I think that's the name).

[mdm1699]

Originally Posted by dobyblue

Looking at some SACD threads and wondering whether or not you might like to try that PS3 out with your new HDMI-receiver?

Amazon has some great titles for $14.99 or less with free shipping.

Aerosmith - Toys in the Attic
Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon
Billy Joel - The Stranger
Stevie Ray Vaughan - Texas Flood
Eric Clapton - Slowhand
Elton John - Madman Across the Water (Levon, Tiny Dancer)
Boston - Boston
Janis Joplin - Cheap Thrills
Bob Dylan - Blood on the Tracks

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=sr_nr_n_...ASACD%2Cn%3A40

Some pretty sweet titles and some great SACD prices.

You folks are NOT good for my wallet.

[X-Ninja]

How can you tell whats multi-channel and whats not?

I'll immediately buy this. Right now... but only if its multi-channel.
http://www.amazon.com/Transatlantici...424171&sr=1-55

Anyone know?

Whats the point of having a stereo SACD?

[buckshot]

Originally Posted by hoogoosedmoose41

have you heard the best of Journey on SACD? that was one of my first SACD purchases... i thought the CD version sounded better, the SACD version was not an improvement IMHO

bought it used, don't have the cd, so if its the same as the cd i'm not really losing out.

Originally Posted by X-Ninja

How can you tell whats multi-channel and whats not?

I'll immediately buy this. Right now... but only if its multi-channel.
http://www.amazon.com/Transatlantici...424171&sr=1-55

Anyone know?

Whats the point of having a stereo SACD?

wow i'd buy that, if i had a gun to my head. yuck. where's my tom waits sacds, death cab for cutie?

as for stereo, i have some bob dylan sacds and the stereo tracks are amazing. naturally i ove the multichannel tracks but on the stereo only releases you can still hear so many things that were lost in previous mixes, even the LPs i have.

[X-Ninja]

Originally Posted by buckshot

wow i'd buy that, if i had a gun to my head. yuck. where's my tom waits sacds, death cab for cutie?

Hey hey... Watch it. If you were beside me, i'd hit you.

[fdm]

Originally Posted by X-Ninja

How can you tell whats multi-channel and whats not?

I'll immediately buy this. Right now... but only if its multi-channel.
http://www.amazon.com/Transatlantici...424171&sr=1-55

Anyone know?

Whats the point of having a stereo SACD?

The amazon reviewer indicates it's 2.1 (so, stereo basically).

The point of having a stereo SACD is that you will usually end up with better sound (kind of like the difference between DD 5.1 and Dolby TrueHD).
If your system's not up to it, you may not hear much difference.

[buckshot]

Originally Posted by X-Ninja

Hey hey... Watch it. If you were beside me, i'd hit you.

emos don't hit people, they cut themselves and cry to get even with the cruel world.

i laugh at emos/indie rockers. well if you're a dude and you put any makeup on or grow your hair out to cover your eyes, or die your hair black, i extend a slap to you. from all of the punk rock scene i call you a beeeyach. death cab for cutie. where's my clash on SACD?

[fdm]

The Dire Straits is quite nice, as is DSOTM. Tommy too (probably just about my favorite album)..

Too bad Caravansarai is so preposterously priced... (last time I looked at SACDs it was down in the $40s...); another of my (most, in this case) favorite albums...