Question regarding DoP. . .

This forum mangles that URL. You have to copy/paste.

ā€™K. 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 @wklieā€™s and @Burkhardt_Petermannā€™s comments: DoP over HDMI is not a thing. Unfortunately, drivers for PCs and Macs donā€™t 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 donā€™t have an SACD player, so am not sure how this would work, but wouldnā€™t 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 Iā€™ve never thought of or had to consider before.

This is something Iā€™ve 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), Iā€™ll need into account whether Iā€™ll 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 ā€™cos 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.

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I think most SACDs have both a stereo and a multi-channel region.

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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.

Thereā€™s 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 (Iā€™m not sharing them), Iā€™m coloring within the lines.

Being able to play SACD content in Roon is nice for other reasons too, since you can apply Roonā€™s DSP to the content, including convolution filters for digital room correction (not possible with a physical SACD player without going through an ADC).

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I did find a couple of (inexpensive) models that seem to be able to play SACD (they use the SACD logo), but thereā€™s no indication the model youā€™ve indicated can. So, what would I be looking for when looking for a(n inexpensive) player that can play SACD?

Yes, youā€™re 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 canā€™t be downmixed to to stereo).

Once my financial position is a bit more settled, Iā€™ll need to look into them. (I did find a few on ebay that overtly indicate theyā€™re 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 donā€™t physically download a copy for your own use. But Iā€™m not an IP lawyer and itā€™s been close to 20 years since I looked at the question, so take any of my comments with a suitably sized grain of salt. :wink: )

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. :slight_smile:

If I did it, it can :slight_smile: I also have the manual:

Playable discs
Blu-ray
Disc1
BD-ROM
BD-R
2/BD-RE2
DVD
3 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

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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 hadnā€™t 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 Iā€™m more than a wee bit out of my depth. :flushed: )

So, unless itā€™s 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?

(Iā€™m well out of my depth here, so I apologise if my questions might seem obvious.)

Thatā€™s 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.

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Be aware though that not all players that support SACD can rip.

Just to clarify: Youā€™d do it by trawling through manuals? (Which is fair. Until the past couple days, Iā€™d not really thought of it.)