Wow. I don't know where you lost touch with SACD but this has been discussed here and everywhere for more than a year now. The blame has fallen on the iPod, on Sony's marketing failures, on dual inventories, on major label resistance, on...........

There are still a few labels releasing SACDs. I get new ones all the time. See www.sa-cd.net for up to date listings.

As successors for the substrate for high resolution audio, some see BluRay and some see downloads. We'll see.

Kal

I get em all the time..my favorite labels still use the format..

http://www.opus3records.com/

http://www.tacet.de/main/seite1.php?language=en&filename=welcome.php&layout=willkommen

http://marecordings.com/

http://www.mdg.de/

http://www.alia-vox.com/

http://www.stockfisch-records.de/stckfish/sf_start.html

http://www.bluecoastrecords.com/

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I have a few SACD's and I guess I missed the discussions. Do you really feel that they offer substantial improvements in audio ?

Are you talking to me!??! Sure, I am addicted to mch SACDs.

Kal

It's all my fault.

I bought some SACD's and a player.

It's doomed, now.

I should have known. I bought an 8-track, an el-cassette, a laser disc, a Beta, Minidisc, digital cassette....

I also bought Apogee speakers, Audio Alchemy gear, PS Audio (the last time it was PS Audio,)....all gone now.

The rule should be, pay me NOT to buy it so your company will live.

_____

Anyway, I think SACD is better for adding a more 'live' sense to the sound. Maybe a little more small info that gives good spacial cues.

Some easy to acquire examples:

Sonny Rollins' sax on Way Out West is much more immediate and it sounds like there is more texture to the sound.

On Roxy Music's Avalon, the back-up singers are much more readily followed - which might not be what they intended! The voices sound more actual rather than ephemeral, which offers two distinct ways to hear the performance.

I love SACD. I hope it survives my support.

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In your opinion what do you think the biggest benefit of SACD is .................

Not one but three:
1. More care is taken in the mixing/mastering so they are typically better balanced.
2. The format permits higher resolution and greater dynamic range (although these are not universally realized).
3. Multichannel!!!!!

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and what player are you using?

Too many to list but, for tonight, the Sony SCD-XA5400ES.

Kal

One good source for SACDs is Acoustic Sounds; I'm not sure exactly how many titles are listed, but it must be close to 2000 in their catalog.

I am using the Ayre C5-xe, FYI...it is VERY good!!!

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By the way I had an opportunity to see SACD's and CD's being mfg while working for Sony and there is no difference in mastering: they were using the same Legacy recording for both formats when I saw it being done.

Right. They were remastering (or not) both similarly but I was speaking of new recordings, not reissues.

Kal