The Super Audio CD (SACD) format may never have entered the mainstream market after Sony and Philips started pushing it back in 1999, but some audio fanatics out there still believe in the quality of these CDs. Good news for them: Sony today announced [JP] the SCD-XE800, their newest SACD player, which is specifically marketed as an entry-level device. → Read More
The optical music market is still alive, folks. Pioneer is releasing a new high-end player for your listening pleasure. Not only does it support SACDs, but also sports a USB port for DAP or iPod connectivity along with Bluetooth audio streaming support. The circuity within is sure to improve the crappy MP3 audio file too, although it probably will come nowhere close to the pristine sound of a SACD through this player. → Read More
Talk about a minimalist design. The new Pioneer PD-D9 is a beautiful-looking SACD player that can play all your favorite SACDs like Frampton and The Police with ease, along with MP3 and WMA CDs, regular CDs and AM/FM radio. Though Sony offers an inexpensive SACD player, Pioneer begs to differ. This PD-D9 will set you back over $1200. Worth it? Depends on how much its sleek design makes you swoon. A new SACD and CD player from Pioneer [Akihabara News] → Read More
Outside of a niche of audiophile snobs, Super Audio CD is relatively obscure. Even though few people know about the format and even fewer actively use it, Sony will roll out the XAV-W1, its first in-car SACD player… ever! It’s fully compatible with 5.1 sound systems and has a 7.1-inch WVGA screen, further future proofed with its compatibility with satellite radio, HD Radio and iPod controls. You’ll be able to view movies on the 7.1-inch screen, so don’t think it’s there just for show. → Read More
Though SACD isn’t the most popular format, it certainly has its fans. And that’s pretty much all you need to sell a product. The product and people who want to buy your product – it’s all quite simple. Kenwood’s X-Z7 and X-Z9 SACD players pack updated features and a lot of power. Both players feature WMA and MP3 compatibility, meaning you can just burn a CD full of files and play it back through the system. There’s also a USB port for hooking up a DAP in case you run out of SACDs to listen to. A pair of matching 50W speakers are also included with each player, making these quite the deal. No word yet on pricing or US availability. 2 new SACD readers by Kenwood [Akihabara News] → Read More
I’d say it’s a safe bet to say that most of us listen to music. We all enjoy our favorite artists and like to listen to music in the car, at work, or while just relaxing at home. But some of us are complete snobs and are picky about our music and audio. For those of you who share this trait, there’s the ostracized SACD and DVD-Audio formats. Exceptional quality and clarity, limited availability, and an inflated price are all a part of these two formats. Is it worth buying or investing in one of the two formats? It depends. → Read More
Much like the current battle between Blu-ray and HD DVD, there was once a struggle for supremacy in the field of high-fidelity audio formats: Super Audio CD vs. DVD-Audio. Actually, “struggle” is overplaying things a bit since neither really took off to any great extent. And, according to a post from CNET’s David Carnoy on Crave, it looks like Sony may have accidentally on purpose sealed the fate of SACD, which it created. It seems even though the PlayStation 3 has the ability to playback the discs, it falls short in the output department, with no multichannel analog audio connection to handle the multichannel tracks. Carnoy goes on to explain although Sony may someday enable an HDMI out to digitally handle SACD audio, you’d still need an HDMI-equipped A/V receiver to, well, receive it. → Read More
Marantz, makers of many things expensive, has announced the SA-7S1, a super Super Audio CD player. It sports a built-in anti-vibration technology to provide shake free playback of your SACDs and CDs. This is a totally useful feature, because I’m sure you’re all well aware how much CD players vibrate. It will be available in Japan this October. The price tag is set at $6200 because, as you can see, it’s made of solid gold–alright really it’s just colored gold, but for that price, it should be made of gold. Marantz SA-7S1 SACD Player: People Use SACDs? [Gizmodo] → Read More
