We all know that there are high-rez downloads either of questionable provenance or that just don’t sound any better than their 16/44 counterparts. The same must be true of SACDs. Now that I’m awaiting my DirectStream Memory Player, I’d like to find some SACDs of the music I love that actually sound great, but there are few places to get reviews of SACDs. This would be a great place to start…
Are you familiar with http://www.sa-cd.net/reviews ? There was a larger cost to doing an SACD than a hi-rez download so I’d expect that there are relatively fewer SACDs that don’t better the 16/44.1 - tho some have a different experience: I can’t name off-hand any of my thousands of SACDs that isn’t better than the 16/44.1 (I don’t have both of all of them of course.)
I also from my collection don’t know of a single SACD or hires version that’s worse than its 16/44 counterpart I previously had or have in parallel, except if mastering differs (but that’s not what was asked here).
However there are several hires or SACD versions of recordings, that don’t make use of the add bit depth or sampling rate and therefore don’t really sound noticably better than 16/44.
IMO there’s no reliable review page. I think you have to go for the music you like, maybe search for a review in a mag and then make experiences with different labels. And I’d suggest to start with new recordings done in hires or DSD technology, not start with old analog classical recordings brought to SACD (it’s harder to find the good ones there and those, which are really comparable in recording quality to the best modern ones).
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Thanks, Ted! I was not familiar with that site, and it will bear some study.
What are some of YOUR favorites for music and great sound?
I’m afraid that I like most of my SACDs, FWIW according to foobar2000 here are my top played SACDs in order:
“Blues in Orbit” is simply amazing, but it’s out of print. Still I listen to most of these just because I like them, not because they are necessarily the best recorded discs out there.
Big Brother & The Holding Company - "Cheap Thrills"
Dave’s True Story - "Unauthorized"
Duke Ellington - "Blues In Orbit"
Erich Kunzel, Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, Frankie Laine - "Round-Up"
Fleetwood Mac - "Rumours"
Jaco Pastorius Big Band - "The Word Is Out!"
Jay Leonhart - "Salamander Pie"
Jennifer Warnes - "The Well"
Jerry Goldsmith, London Symphony Orchestra - "The Film Music of Jerry Goldsmith"
Linda Ronstadt & The Nelson Riddle Orchestra - "What’s New?"
Mike Oldfield - "Tubular Bells"
Saint-Saëns - "Saint-Saëns: Symphony No. 3, Debussy: La Mer, Ibert: Escales"
Olivia Newton-John - "Come On Over"
Patricia Barber - "Modern Cool"
Shostakovich/Schnittke - "Chamber Symphony, Op.110a / Concerto For Piano And Strings"
Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble - "Couldn’t Stand the Weather"
The Dave Brubeck Quartet - "Time Out"
Alice In Chains - "Greatest Hits"
Kirov Orchestra / Valery Gergiev - "Rimsky-Korsakov: Sheherazade"
Nils Lofgren - "The Sopranos - Peppers & Eggs - Music From The HBO Original Series"
Rimsky-Korsakov - “Exotic Dances from the Opera”
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Ted, Blues in Orbit is now available as an ORG SACD and to be honest I think it sounds a bit better than the MoFi.
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Ted Smith said I'm afraid that I like most of my SACDs . . .:)
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lonson said Ted, Blues in Orbit is now available as an ORG SACD and to be honest I think it sounds a bit better than the MoFi.Thanks.
If you are into Jazz the Analogue Productions series of SACDs of Blue Note, Prestige and Impulse! titles are very good sounding (and great music.) Also in jazz any of the ORG SACDs are excellent. (I especially like the two Ellingtons and the Rollins). In Classical Analogue Productions has released a number of the RCA Living Stereo titles on SACD and they are better when I’ve compared to the earlier Sony release of SACDs in this series.
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The newer (~ a year ago) Classical Analogue Productions releases of RCA Living Stereo titles are very nice. i particularly like Scheherazade. transparent, delicate sound.
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After listening must recommend Rickie Lee Jones’ “Traffic from Paradise” SACD on Analogue Productions. Superb sound quality. (Pretty darned good music too!)
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Yes indeed! I especially like “Rebel, rebel” from this one…
MoFi limited edition hybrid SACD.
I didn’t realize til I got the PMD what a great SACD this is. I have this on a French LP and it sounds fantastic, and the SACD sounded really good via the source I was using before. But this SACD reveals its charms unabashedly with the DMP and shows it’s an excellent example of the medium done right. (The LP sounds so good too, just a little different, warmer by a tad, not sure it’s as accurate a presentation.)
I haven’t heard the ORG LP pictured with it but it gets great praise as well from others.
I’m interested in people’s opinions on this topic. However, this thread does not look to have taken off. The last post was in November 2016. Regardless, hopefully there will be renewed interest.
Three of my favorites considering music and sonics are Rolling Stones, Let It Bleed; The Beach Boys, Pet Sounds; and Miles Davis, Kind of Blue.
Thanks Ted for your list. I will check some of them out.
Happened to check this out and while you are right that it has not taken off my experience is quality of SACDs varies quite a bit.
Noticed Ted mentioned Big B and holding Company “Cheap Thrills”
I recently purchased Pearl and listening to “Me and Bobby McGee” on DSD SACD through all PS Audio (Memory player, BHK Preamp and DS DAC ) is an amazing reproduction. The piano and organ you hear that you never heard before.
Similar experiences where some reproductions are so much better than others.
One consistent thread is when I find really exceptional songs be it SACD or HD Tracks downloaded ; the really special sounding songs are in DSD format.
Off the top of my head Steely Dan SACD is great and every Don Hendly download is great.
Given all forums out there and so little time to catch up this type of info. may exist.
The Proprius Records three volumes of “Jazz at the Pawnshop” have recently been reissued in an SACD box set for the thirtieth anniversary. I stayed away from these recordings for decades but as the box set is so cheap I picked it up and have to say the sound is very good, and the music is quite nice. I think anyone looking for “Top SACDs” would enjoy the playback of these discs.
My SACD collection gets more use than my vinyl 4-5 days a wee-minus Friday night when new releases hit the store shelves at local stores and Barnes and Noble.
Mi Top 3 SACD’s in rotation the past 5 days;
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James Gang “Rides Again” MFSL. Absolutely the best I have heard this album ever sound.
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Cowboy Junkies “The Trinity Sessions”–Analogue Prod. On par with the Classic Records vinyl version–but different and more lush to my tin ears. This album was recorded and completed in post so well, there’s very little to do upon reissuing it–I’d think?
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Animals “Retrospective” on ABCKO. Found at Goodwill for $1.99 (A to D transfer at Abbey Studios by Terry Landi and Peter Mews, Mastered by Ludwig at Gateway. Spill The Wine with Burdon and WAR is the best I have heard it before finding this nice gem.
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Jerry Garcia and David Grisman S/T MFSL. Listen to a lot before bedtime.
I collect and have sizable collection of vinyl from 23 years of solid collecting. But when I find an album that is available in SACD vs Vinyl----SACD 90% of the time, unless the LP is a collectors items and LTD edition. It’s appalling the crap they’re releasing to kids these days… Cheap recycled vinyl, pushing the acetate to the limit or until it’ ground in some spots. Then the sleeves and inner sleeves. I’d have to pick PF’s “WYWH” as my ultimate sound disc of SACDs. DIdn’t find much greatness with DSOTM…
Really like that AP Trinity Sessions as well. I think I still lean towards the Grundman mastered Classic Records vinyl, but both are outstanding.
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radioclash–love the handle
The Clash, and the bands stemming from it, are probably my favorite band(s) of all time.