This forum mangles that URL. You have to copy/paste.
āK. Thanks for the clarification.
Poking around a bit, it looks like I might be able to pick up something used for ~CAD$100, which is definitely worth looking at, as I already have a collection of SACDs.
Although I have to ask: If I have an SACD player hooked up to my AVR, what would be the benefit of ripping the SACD layer?
You get the general benefits of ripping: you back up physical media, which is perishable, and you can stream at any time with Roon, no moving parts.
I concur with @wklieās and @Burkhardt_Petermannās comments: DoP over HDMI is not a thing. Unfortunately, drivers for PCs and Macs donāt support native DSD over HDMI, which is what AV receivers and pre-pros expect. Note that DSD over HDMI is limited to DSD64.
If you want to play stereo (but not multichannel!) DSD files via a HDMI input to your AV receiver, the only solution I know that might work would be a Bryston BDP-3. As you have seen, assuming that all formats work equally well over all inputs/outputs is a fallacy. BTW, if memory serves, the Bryston BDP-3 is more expensive than any current Denton AV receiver, so this will not be a very cost effective solution.
FWIW, I ended up with an exaSound DAC before the Okto Research DACs became available.
Good luck!
I donāt have an SACD player, so am not sure how this would work, but wouldnāt disc-encryption protection on the disc prevent the SACD from being ripped to DSD?
Sorry if the question seems a bit daft, but this is stuff Iāve never thought of or had to consider before.
This is something Iāve just found myself thinking about, because I have a 2.0 system, yet most SACDs seems to be 5-channel.
So, whatever solution I choose (SACD player or DSD files), Iāll need into account whether Iāll stay at two-channel or will possibly expand to a 5.1 system. (I live in an apartment, so setting up a 5-channel system is awkward ācos of space limitations.)
As @David_Snyder said earlier, there are certain Blu-Ray player models that can play SACD (which means they can decode them) and can also be used to rip the DSD layer. I have one of those (Sony BDP-BX510) and I used it to rip my one and only SACD (which I got out of curiosity), so I can attest that it works. Copy the link in the message and paste it into your browser.
I think most SACDs have both a stereo and a multi-channel region.
Well, that was the idea with the format, but ironically, many older Sony Blu-ray players can be used to rip the SACD layer to DSF files. The process is simple, once you have it set up.
Thereās some question of legality, depending on your country, but my view is that as long as I have the physical disc in my position and the DSF files are exclusively for my personal use (Iām not sharing them), Iām coloring within the lines.
Being able to play SACD content in Roon is nice for other reasons too, since you can apply Roonās DSP to the content, including convolution filters for digital room correction (not possible with a physical SACD player without going through an ADC).
I did find a couple of (inexpensive) models that seem to be able to play SACD (they use the SACD logo), but thereās no indication the model youāve indicated can. So, what would I be looking for when looking for a(n inexpensive) player that can play SACD?
Yes, youāre right Ill-thought-through phrasing on my part. Much of this is still new to me: my understanding is that SACDs encode both a stereo and a multi-channel signal that are incompatible with each other (i.e., two versions are needed because the multi-channel version canāt be downmixed to to stereo).
Once my financial position is a bit more settled, Iāll need to look into them. (I did find a few on ebay that overtly indicate theyāre capable of playing SACDs.)
I suspect it would depend on fair-use legislation within your jurisdiction, but in Canada, at least, it would, I believe, fall under fair use. (If memory serves, you could even play a copy of it, so long as you donāt physically download a copy for your own use. But Iām not an IP lawyer and itās been close to 20 years since I looked at the question, so take any of my comments with a suitably sized grain of salt. )
Yeah. Any of the models in that search that I packed into that tinyurl link can play SACDs, but most do not have analog outputs. I guess they have to be connected to a compatible AVR/AVP, with all of the issues described earlier in this thread.
Their main utility at this point is not real-time playback but extracting the SACD layer so that you can play the files via other means. I suppose you could use one to watch the occasional blu-ray movie if you wanted as well.
If I did it, it can I also have the manual:
Playable discs
Blu-ray
Disc1
BD-ROM
BD-R2/BD-RE2
DVD3 DVD-ROM
DVD-R/DVD-RW
DVD+R/DVD+RW
CD*3 CD-DA (Music CD)
CD-ROM
CD-R/CD-RW
Super Audio CD
It increasingly seems that it might make more sense to set up a NAS of some sort rather than invest in an SACD player.
A question regarding analogue outputs, however. I hadnāt thought of this till last night, but a conventional analogue output is two channel; I assume I would need to use either the optical or coax outputs it I had a multi-channel system in place?
(This is all new to me, so Iām more than a wee bit out of my depth. )
So, unless itās overtly indicated (as with, say, https://www.ebay.com/itm/185131391260?_trkparms=amclksrc%3DITM%26aid%3D111001%26algo%3DREC.SEED%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20160811114145%26meid%3D2712f657516f4405b928ed831b748731%26pid%3D100667%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D5%26sd%3D185131391260%26itm%3D185131391260%26pmt%3D0%26noa%3D1%26pg%3D2334524%26brand%3DSony&_trksid=p2334524.c100667.m2042 [pardon the brutal URL]), how do I determine which players can play SACDs? Does it involve searching for/through the manuals of individual players?
(Iām well out of my depth here, so I apologise if my questions might seem obvious.)
Thatās how I would do it.
Also, you can look at the pics. If it has the SACD logo like it does on the one you posted, then it is a good assumption that it plays SACD. Although, to be sure, you should always review the specs on any equipment before purchasing.
Be aware though that not all players that support SACD can rip.
Just to clarify: Youād do it by trawling through manuals? (Which is fair. Until the past couple days, Iād not really thought of it.)