Manufacturers forced to stop SACD players production

[GaryProtein]

How do you rip an SACD??

 

[Steve Williams]

http://www.whatsbestforum.com/showt...f-ripping-SACD-s&p=76928&viewfull=1#post76928

 

[GaryProtein]

Thank you for the link.

I'm not so computer savvy, so please bear with me. In that thread, Bruce states you can rip an SACD, but not maintain it's integrity, correct?

If I can't maintain the sonic integrity, why would I want to rip it, other than to get a semblance of it on a server?

 

[Bruce B]

Thank you for the link.

I'm not so computer savvy, so please bear with me. In that thread, Bruce states you can rip an SACD, but not maintain it's integrity, correct?

If I can't maintain the sonic integrity, why would I want to rip it, other than to get a semblance of it on a server?

This is the way to maintain sonic integrity.

Ripping SACDs the right way

 

[Steve Williams]

This is the way to maintain sonic integrity.

Ripping SACDs the right way

That was the thread I was looking for Bruce. All I could find was the one I posted. Thanks for finding it

 

[Alpinist]

Sony just stopped SACD support. They have stopped manufacturing SACD decoding chips, meaning ALL manufacturers have to stop SACD player production. This is why dCS Rossini - which is the Puccini replacement - does not have SACD drive.

Esoteric has some stock, but that will not last forever. So is DCS but only for the Vivaldi.

I wonder if Sony will enable SACD ripping under those circumstances ?

Hi Adam,

Couldn't this be a good thing because then companies like Esoteric and DCS could start using Lampi's method of DSD decoding (which apparently sounds better than Sony's DSD decoding chip) for their SACD players and DACs?

Ken

 

[bmoura]

Yep. Two "industry members"... apparently not from Sony... ostensibly claim that Sony stopped manufacturing SACD decoding chips.

It sounds fishy to me.

I checked on this and it turns out that Sony stopped making the SACD decoding chips in 2013. The person I talked with who is close to Sony referred to it as "old news".

Obviously the chip situation hasn't stopped a number of companies from making SACD players. That includes the folks at Oppo who continue to make and sell Universal Disc players that handle CD, SACD, DVD, Blu Ray and other formats. Not to mention DSD and FLAC downloads for music fans ready to make the switch from optical discs to music files.

 

[a.dent]

So it looks like when the drive dies in my Vitus RCD-101 I will only have DAC functionality.

Or has Sony salted away a large stockpile of spare parts?

Whatever happens I will source a couple of spare drives if possible.

 

[bmoura]

So it looks like when the drive dies in my Vitus RCD-101 I will only have DAC functionality.

Or has Sony salted away a large stockpile of spare parts?

Whatever happens I will source a couple of spare drives if possible.

I assume that the audio manufacturers that have been introducing SACD disc players since 2013 have found a way to make do without this Sony chip.
Not surprising since other companies besides Sony were supplying SACD drives, boards and parts to audio manufacturers since the inception of the format.

Along with Blu-Ray drives, etc. for Universal Disc players like the Oppo that handle CD, DVD, SACD, Blu-Ray discs.

SACD lives on....

 

[a.dent]

The Vitus has a Sony SACD drive

 

[bonzo75]

How do you rip an SACD??

If you go ask on Computer audiophile, they will point you to a service that does the ripping for you. I remember it was advertised there once

 

[Drikus]

How do you rip an SACD??

You can also copy SACD's with a Tascam DA-3000 recorder and convert/edit the files with Audogate.

 

[bonzo75]

You can also copy SACD's with a Tascam DA-3000 recorder and convert/edit the files with Audogate.

How much does that cost?

 

[amirm]

I assume that the audio manufacturers that have been introducing SACD disc players since 2013 have found a way to make do without this Sony chip.

Have they? Usually companies give end of life notice prior to stopping the manufacturing. Companies then buy and stockpile them if they need it. There are also distributors who buy these parts and hold them only to sell them at much higher prices later.

When I was at Microsoft, we bought Pacific Microsonics. Immediately thereafter Motorola advised us that they were discontinuing their single-sourced part. We got forced into spending something like $400,000 in buying sufficient parts as to not run out. Other companies literally pull the plug if they can't afford to do this.

Not surprising since other companies besides Sony were supplying SACD drives, boards and parts to audio manufacturers since the inception of the format.

Did they? SACD did not last long enough to have created a solid third-party solution. And likely every attempt was made to keep it out of the Chinese/Taiwanese hands. Wonder if anyone but Sony and Philips built silicon for decoding the stream.

Along with Blu-Ray drives, etc. for Universal Disc players like the Oppo that handle CD, DVD, SACD, Blu-Ray discs.

Again the key is to look at the circuit board to see what they use. I am at our vacation house and don't have an Oppo here so can't look. Did a search online but no one has a close up of the drive electronics. Without that, we don't know what they are using. I know there was once shortage of Oppo players because the drive they used was discontinued.

 

[Drikus]

How much does that cost?

The Tascam? Around a $1000.00 somewhere. Audiogate came with my Korg recorder but you can have it for free if you have a Twitter account.

 

[bonzo75]

The Tascam? Around a $1000.00 somewhere. Audiogate came with my Korg recorder but you can have it for free if you have a Twitter account.

And how easy is it to do a rip, is it straightforward? How long does an SACD roughly take

Also, do you know if the quality of the rips is better than the PS3 rips, closer to dsd downloads?

 

[Bruce B]

The only way to "rip" a SACD is to use an old PS3. It has bugs and is not the same as downloads.
I do a direct digital transfer using a Playback Designs MPS-5 and a Sonoma workstation. This method IS the same as downloads.
The only way to capture a SACD with a Tascam is to record the analog outputs of your player or digitally if your player/transport has AES/EBU outputs.

 

[edorr]

The only way to "rip" a SACD is to use an old PS3. It has bugs and is not the same as downloads.

I have been too lazy to test this hypothesis. I have plenty SACD PS3 rips that are now available for download. Always too many projects and things to test.

I do believe about 6dB gets lost with a SACD rip - I always end up playing them at higher volume setting than other sources. Not sure if the 6dB comes back with the download.

 

[Bruce B]

I have been too lazy to test this hypothesis. I have plenty SACD PS3 rips that are now available for download. Always too many projects and things to test.

I do believe about 6dB gets lost with a SACD rip - I always end up playing them at higher volume setting than other sources. Not sure if the 6dB comes back with the download.

I've tested this hundreds of times. There is also missing data in rips since it relies on someone creating the TOC correctly. Just came across a Groove Note with a bad TOC.

 

[edorr]

I've tested this hundreds of times. There is also missing data in rips since it relies on someone creating the TOC correctly. Just came across a Groove Note with a bad TOC.

Maybe I will get my favourite SACDs re-ripped by you for a fee doing it the right way someday. I don't have that many I listen to a whole lot so may be worth it .......