I just ordered a Shanling SCD1.3 SACD player/DAC off Amazon and it will be here on 12/31. Can't wait. I will run some tests on SACD playback.

[Jim T]

just ordered a Shanling SCD1.3 SACD player/DAC off Amazon and it will be here on 12/31. Can't wait. I will run some tests on SACD playback. I will run some freq tests and look at my FFT display and see if the normal HF noise is present. I have a feeling that many who are using BluRay players for SACD playback are really hearing their music converted to PCM. I have not seen many cheaper players with I2S outputs.

I have also seen many SACDs with some seconds of dead air before the recording starts and see some high noise floors of the recording venue at -40db and -50db. That is not even cassette deck quality. In my home recording chain I have -70 to -80 db noise floor with the mics open. I want the room and the electronics quiet. I have Furman conditioners on everything. My Rode mics have -4 to -5db of self noise. Many mics are closer to -20db of self noise.

 

[DVDdoug]

I have not seen many cheaper players with I2S outputs.

You shouldn't NEED I2S for DSD but I don't know how most Blu-Ray players handle SACD. IMO they should be capable of sending DSD over HDMI. There MIGHT be an option for PCM in case you have an AVR (or DAC) that can't decode DSD.


...I'm pretty sure that I couldn't hear the difference if converted to PCM and I doubt that other people can hear it either. "CD quality" or (lossy) Dolby Digital is better than my ears!

and see some high noise floors of the recording venue at -40db and -50db. That is not even cassette deck quality.

I assume it's ultrasonic and inaudible so the sound should be much better than cassette. But YES... It should be better-filtered! If it's in the audible range, I'd say "unacceptable".

 

[Roland68]

just ordered a Shanling SCD1.3 SACD player/DAC off Amazon and it will be here on 12/31. Can't wait. I will run some tests on SACD playback. I will run some freq tests and look at my FFT display and see if the normal HF noise is present. I have a feeling that many who are using BluRay players for SACD playback are really hearing their music converted to PCM. I have not seen many cheaper players with I2S outputs.

I have also seen many SACDs with some seconds of dead air before the recording starts and see some high noise floors of the recording venue at -40db and -50db. That is not even cassette deck quality. In my home recording chain I have -70 to -80 db noise floor with the mics open. I want the room and the electronics quiet. I have Furman conditioners on everything. My Rode mics have -4 to -5db of self noise. Many mics are closer to -20db of self noise.

To be honest, I haven't seen any affordable players with an i2s output yet. Don't confuse HDMI with i2s over LVDS.

The Shanling SCD1.3 also outputs digital SACDs in PCM 88.2 kHz, regardless of whether it's i2s or SPDIF, no DSD.

 

[Jim T]

To be honest, I haven't seen any affordable players with an i2s output yet. Don't confuse HDMI with i2s over LVDS.

The Shanling SCD1.3 also outputs digital SACDs in PCM 88.2 kHz, regardless of whether it's i2s or SPDIF, no DSD.

I doubt that I will use any of the digital outs. SPDIF was always PCM I wonder why there are so many newer gen used SACD players on the market at high prices? Do they not hear a difference from that and redbook to make a difference to them? I had 4 old SACD players that stopped reading the SACD layer. They were all combo DVD players, but still play all of my 2406 files that I recorded and burned to DVDrs. I just felt in my old age time to get one last SACD player.

 

[Descartes]

And what’s the verdict?