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SACD Players in 2025?
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Yes I just bought a Sony UBP-X800M2 plugged it into a Marantz Cinema 30 when through this set up: Optimal HDMI settings for SACD playback :
Sony UBP-X800M2 setup
• HDMI Output: Use HDMI 1 (primary output) for combined video/audio to your receiver
Audio Settings:
• Navigate to Setup → Audio Settings:
• Set "Super Audio CD Playback Layer" to "Super Audio CD" (not "CD")
• Set "Super Audio CD Playback Channel" to "DSD Multi" for 5.1 surround
• Enable "Bitstream (Direct)" for DSD pass-through
Marantz Cinema 30
- HDMI Input Settings: Set to "Auto" or "Bitstream" mode
- Audio Format: Enable DSD/SACD decoding in audio settings
- Speaker Configuration: Ensure 5.1 setup is properly configured
HDMI Cable Requirements:
- Use HDMI 2.1 cable (48Gbps bandwidth) for best performance
- Keep cable length under 6 feet to minimize signal degradation
- Ensure HDCP 2.2+ compatibility
It worked beautifully!
As of today, there are 370 new SACD albums listed on HRAudio.net since last time I checked on October 5th 2025.
Rythmik F12SE sub for LFE channel only (I do not use bass management.)
Revel Performa3 F206 x 7 - LCR, Surround, Surround Back
SVS Ultra Elevation x 8 - two horizontally mounted on opposite walls for front wide, 6 wall mounted for heights (a little compromise, I didn't have the energy to ceiling mount but it sounds just fine.)
I was pleased that the SVS speakers in the Atmos specific positions merge nicely with the Revels, especially so after DSP via Dirac, and, to me, they sound ideal for Atmos content.
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Per the link in post #1 of the thread referenced below,
Sony has sold a 51 percent controlling interest in their home audio business to TCL.
www.audiosciencereview.com
Sony has sold a 51 percent controlling interest in their home audio business to TCL.
The video business is slowly dying
Over the years more and more brands are selling off or shutting down their video business, from beloved Oppo Digital, to Toshiba, JVC, Sharp, Mitsubishi, Panasonic, so on and so forth. Now Sony. This is a very competitive market. Hisense and TCL now are dominating the market due to consumer...
www.audiosciencereview.com
Roland68
Major Contributor
As far as I know, this only applies to Sony's TV division, not audio and home entertainment.Per the link in post #1 of the thread referenced below,
Sony has sold a 51 percent controlling interest in their home audio business to TCL.
The video business is slowly dying
Over the years more and more brands are selling off or shutting down their video business, from beloved Oppo Digital, to Toshiba, JVC, Sharp, Mitsubishi, Panasonic, so on and so forth. Now Sony. This is a very competitive market. Hisense and TCL now are dominating the market due to consumer...
However, Sony released its last true SACD player in 2010, and the last high-quality Blu-ray player with SACD capability should have been the UBP-X800M2.
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including televisions and home audio equipment.
per the statement issued by Sony
Sony Corporation - Sony and TCL Sign Memorandum of Understanding for Strategic Partnership in Home Entertainment Field
Sony Corporation ("Sony") and TCL Electronics Holdings Limited ("TCL") today announced that the two companies have agreed to move forward with discussions and consideration for a strategic partnership in the home entertainment field.
I don't know but I think Sony may be retaining consumer audio for mobile use.
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My speculation is TCL will use the joint venture to focus on selling Sony-branded TV's at the higher end of the global market.
I think TCL will milk what profits they can from Sony home audio and lower-priced Sony TVs and then quietly discontinue those products.
I hope I am wrong.
I am worried for the viability of the market for home video on physical media IF TCL and Panasonic no longer sell disc players.
I think TCL will milk what profits they can from Sony home audio and lower-priced Sony TVs and then quietly discontinue those products.
I hope I am wrong.
I am worried for the viability of the market for home video on physical media IF TCL and Panasonic no longer sell disc players.
Roland68
Major Contributor
I wouldn't worry about that.
- There's a huge market for used devices, including Sony models from recent years.
- This used market covers all quality/price segments.
- There are clones, for example, of the OPPO players.
- There are countless inexpensive Blu-ray players on the market from budget/no-name brands, which usually work well because they use the same drives/ICs as more expensive devices.
- New high-quality UHD Blu-ray/SACD/DVD/CD players are constantly being released. Block recently released a new player (€1800), so development in China/Asia continues.
- In the long run, the same thing will happen as with vinyl, CD, DVD, cassette recorders, and SACD players. All devices that have been declared dead countless times. The market adapts, stabilizes, and new devices are available in almost all price ranges.
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Yes,
I am concerned the release of content on UHD 4K media may slow if 'Sony/TCL' and Panasonic discontinue their low-priced UHD disc players.
Unless money means nothing to you, that's just stupid money to spend on a disc player. For $50 you can buy a used Sony & play everything from SACDs & CD to Atmos & BluRays. Plus none will sound one bit different from another unless something proves to be wrong with one of them.
PristineSound
Major Contributor
Relax, I'm only answering a question. If someone asked: do you know of a sports car that is awd with rear mounted engine, and then I say, yeah a Porsche, it doesn't mean I own one nor am I considering buying one.
Roland68
Major Contributor
This has absolutely nothing to do with each other, just like vinyl, CD, SACD, etc. This industry isn't concerned with playback devices.
It's solely determined by buyer behavior and demand. Production costs have to be covered and a certain profit has to be made; that's all that matters. If that's no longer the case, it's solely due to market developments, and therefore directly to the buyers.
Understood, but that player is pure snake-oil IMHO. I'm a bit skeptical of it's claim,
"Designed to unlock the full potential of SACD discs, Zenith XST20 offers a unique option to play any SACD in its true DSD quality to any external DAC with DSD capabilities. Utilizing either I2S connection for full native DSD64 or DSD64 DoP over the Coaxial / Optical / AES / BNC. (Note: USB Output does not support SACD Playback)."
There's other members here who understand the Sony legal positions much better than I, but no one else has ever dared too offer this type of hacking the SACD security system. If true, either copyrights are expiring or some believe Sony no longer cares (that I don't believe). Otherwise it's highly possible someone might get slapped with some very expensive lawsuites ??? Beyond that who cares, all this thing will play is CD's and SACD's, no DVDs or BD's of their various other audio & video capabilities. It also doesn't have any high quality built-in DACs or analog outs, like the Oppo's so what makes it worth $2k? I see they're also using a iconic expensive US electronics company Zenith (the quality goes in before the name goes on). It really more reminds me of some older open disc designs but it's missing the a couple 12AX7 tubes sticking out to truely make it KOOL. In the end I can see nothing about it to recommend.
I believe it is much worse than that. Sony, for example, is not merely a hardware company. It is a media company with an enormous catalog. The media companies seem to be pushing streaming services, i.e. renting music by subscription. I presume they make easy money with this approach. They are doing this in a way that takes the choice away from us ("the consumers"). This is especially pernicious in the case of Atmos music content. There is much available, both old and new recordings, where there is no physical release of the Atmos version, or where there is a physical release on blu ray, it is limited to a single pressing run.
I believe that the media companies are manipulating the market in an effort to corral "consumers" into the subscription model. This is most obvious with Atmos content.
My adventures in stereo
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Just picked up a Shanling SCD 1.3 SACD player
It has XLR outs, with 4.3 v output
does DSD to analog using AKM DA converter
Happy with how it sounds
I dont use the inbuilt streaming capability
It has XLR outs, with 4.3 v output
does DSD to analog using AKM DA converter
Happy with how it sounds
I dont use the inbuilt streaming capability
That's a digital output connection, not a analog XLR connection.
There aren't any onboard DAC's for XLR analog out.
Sorry you confused me. We were discussing one product and you a different one.
PristineSound
Major Contributor
There is a device tested here on ASR that does just that and I own one for some time now, it only really works using DoP.
I am happy with my Oppo BDP-105D, Topping D90SE and SMSL D400ES.
Which one ?
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