On 2/17/2016 2:38 PM, Keyser Söze wrote:
On 2/17/16 12:36 PM, Mr. Luddite wrote:
On 2/17/2016 12:11 PM, John H. wrote:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDxGQ5t4lvI

Enjoy.


Telarc has put out a number of Super Audio CD's, this being one of them.

Hopefully, you have a Super Audio CD player (Sony) and
amplifier/receiver that
will accept it's 6 channel output with each channel having a dedicated,
discrete input. The amp/receiver must be then put in direct, 6 channel
mode, (often called "Multi-Channel Input" driving a main left, main
right, center, left rear, right rear and subwoofer. Most Telarc SACD
are hybrid, meaning they will also play on a conventional CD player but
you will lose superior fidelity of a SACD recording. Conventional,
digital "Surround Sound" ... be it 5.1 or 7.1 is *not* SACD.

In addition, SACD's are recorded completely differently than a regular
CD. It's complicated and hard to explain but it uses phase modulation
rather than amplitude modulation. Basically, it's much like the
fidelity difference between AM and FM radio. Many people don't realize
that AM radio's bandwidth is limited to 10Khz which means it can't
broadcast the full audio frequency spectrum that the human ear can
detect. FM, in addition to being frequency modulated rather than
amplitude modulated has a 200Khz bandwidth.

The only negative about SACD's is the limited number of them available
and the fact that Sony is the only manufacturer of SACD players (last I
knew).



My criteria is how much do the "super" CDs sound like a live concert.
The few I have heard on really good sound systems sound over-engineered
to me, sort of like an AUDI car. They sure as hell don't sound like you
are sitting in the expensive seats at a serious music concert.

A lot of issues there Harry. One is the sound system itself, it's
positioning and how much of a sound stage it can create without benefit
of creative mixing and recording. Also, I really do not care for
surround sound where the rear or side speakers are producing an
unnatural sound stage. You don't sit in the middle of a band or
orchestra when listening to music. The better recordings will capture
the subtle reflections of sound from the rear, and the audio system
needs to be adjusted and set up so they are not exaggerated.

I like simple, 2 channel stereo with well recorded music. A dipole
speaker design ... like your maggies or the Martin Logans I had work
well to produce a sound stage *if* you have them positioned properly.
So will the old Bose 901's when properly set up.

BTW, the sound stage can be 3 dimensional when set up well. Not just
left to right, but fore and aft as well. A well set up system will
create a sound illusion that "places the instruments or vocals.