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Can 16bit 44.1khz CDs, sound better or as good as SACD Or Chesky CDs

275 Views 4 Replies 4 Participants Last post by PF, Sep 4, 2000

ROMEO 1

Discussion Starter · Aug 31, 2000

I got a brochure from a company call Mapleshade that provides interconnects, spikes and CDs. The operator claimed that their CDs sound just as good or even better than some SACDs according to two known audiophiles. Is this true, can redbook CDs sound just as good or better.

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SPANK MY BUTT AND CALL ME CHARLY, IT'S THAT HOME THEATER THING AGAIN

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sspears

· #2 · Sep 1, 2000

Sure, anything is possible.

Just because the disc you buy is SACD or DVD-A does not mean that the material came from a high-quality master. It is just as easy for a company to take that same 16-bit master and put it on SACD or DVD-A.

I am not saying anyone is doing this, but it can happen.

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PF

· #3 · Sep 1, 2000

I did a very interesting demo at Red Rose Music not long ago comparing a live feed, a DSD recording of that feed, and a very well recorded CD played on a lowly Sony DVD player (S7700).

The most profound comclusion was how close the DSD was to the actual live feed. It's really a remarkable new technology and an incredible achievement.

Switching to a plain old CD, was not a huge let down, though. It was interesting how satisfying a really well recorded CD could be, even on a very average CD player (the S7700) and modest speakers ($3K). On simple, uncomplex music, such as a female vocalist, the sound was really enjoyable. It wasn't SACD, to be sure, but it was good enough to listen to all day long.

I guess my point is that CD still has some life in it when it's well recorded. That's a very big IF, however. As in DVD video mastering, execution is everything.

But an SACD player is definitely in my immediate future (indeed I would have bought one of the Sony's already if not for the woefully slow first track start up time -- 30 seconds -- but that problem seems to have been solved now).

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Tony Lai

· #4 · Sep 4, 2000

A dCS Purcell might come very close to these new super formats.

T.

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PF

· #5 · Sep 4, 2000

Tony,

In Stereophile's latest review of an SACD player -- the Marantz SA-1 -- the reviewer, who had both the dCS 972 and dCS Elgar, and the brand new Accuphase 75V one box upconverting CD player with which to compare, preferred every recording in SACD mode "by a wide margin (his words)."

If you want the best, it's the only way to go. Nothing -- not vinyl, not 24/192 -- nothing beats it. I sold my Levinson 360S which I had often used in 24/96 mode after I heard how dramatically better SACD was. It's the real deal, and the answer to our audiophile prayers. http://www.avsforum.com/ubb/smile.gif

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