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SACD/DVDA beginners guide....

BLACKMASS

pfm Member
No you haven't travelled back in time nor have I resurrected an old thread.

I'm trading in my beloved ikemi for an Akurate CD player next Friday and I'm looking for some advice regarding SACD and DVD Audio discs.
Like the majority of people these formats past me by and would like a 'duffers guide to...'
Do they still manufacture SACD?
What are the best sites to buy them from?


One last thing. What is it with the price of these discs? I thought 1st pressing were expensive. Talk Talk 'The Colour of Spring' SACD £400! Are they taking the Mick?

You help and advice would be greatly appreciated
Cheers
Rob
 
SACD is fantastic! High Def audio is all the rage at the moment but actually SACD is high definition that has been around for quite a few years. I no longer have a SACD player but play the ripped SACD/DSD files via my PC into my treasured little Chord DAC.
SACD discs are available from Hi Rez and other online retailers. Should cost about £20. Well worth it and superior to most other formats. You're in for a treat :)
 
Some classical labels still press SACD.

Then there are the audiophile labels such as Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs (MoFi or MFSL for short), Analogue Productions, Audio Fidelity and others. ImportCDs.com (all_your_music on Amazon and eBay) are a cost effective source though HMRC may influence that... I believe there are one or two UK vendors here on PFM. These labels focus is on classic jazz and rock, by and large.

CDjapan.co.jp are good for Japan released general SACDs and SHM-SACDs.

The CAN back catalogue can be found on hybrid SACD. There are a few contemporary hybrid SACD releases from the mid-2000s from Goldfrapp, Super Furry Animals, and others. Pink Floyd's DSoTM is also available...

Check out sa-cd.net for reviews.

As for DVD-A, I have most of Talking Heads back catalogue on it. The last two EMI Talk Talk albums were available on DVD-A with remastered vinyl a year or two ago.

Since buying a Cambridge Audio 751BD I have built a nice little collection.
 
sa-cd.net provides a pretty exhaustive list of available SACDs. SACDs are still in production, mainly classical, but also some jazz and pop/rock reissues on labels like MoFi and Analogue Productions. Yes, some OOP items can expensive...don't know if the Amazon vendors ever get buyers at the astronomic prices they offer. But others are cheap, e.g. Nick Drake "Best Of".
 
As for DVD-A, I have most of Talking Heads back catalogue on it. The last two EMI Talk Talk albums were available on DVD-A with remastered vinyl a year or two ago.

Since buying a Cambridge Audio 751BD I have built a nice little collection.

I have the Talk Talk DVD-A's and the Bowie 40th anniversary Ziggy DVD-A too.
I've just ordered Michael Nyman 'The Piano' OST on SACD today.
Was Goldfrapp' 'Felt Mountain' ever released on sacd?

Thank you all for the replies so far.
 
If you like Porcupine Tree/Steve Wilson etc there is some dvd-a material at the Burning Shed website.
I scour Amazon for used SACD's
 
Most of the recent Steven Wilson remasters, including Aqualung, Court of the Crimson King, Red etc. include a DVD-A disc in the package.
 
As others ave said, check out sa-cd.net which lists just about every SACD title ever released. Many have reviews and links to various vendors where you can gauge at a quick glance the average price of that title. It's also worth checking out Quadraphonicquad.com for info and discussion on SACD and DVD-A releases.

The places I tend to buy from are Amazon, ebay, Burning Shed (for most Steven Wilson related music, whether as artist or mixer) and occasionally, CD Japan. Some OOP titles have crazy high price tags; I guess it's just a matter of how much you're wiling to pay for a particular title.

There's a dedicated thread on AV Forums (in the music section) dedicated to DVD-A and SACD chat where many members list their collection, which lets you know which releases are popular and perhaps worth getting if you like the music. I'm a relative latecomer, but so far have the following in my collection.

Blu-ray
Beck – Sea Change
Derek and the Dominoes – Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs
Dire Straits – Alchemy (Live)
The Rolling Stones – GRRR!
Supertramp – Breakfast in America
Steven Wilson - Grace for Drowning
Steven Wilson – The Raven That Refused to Sing (and other stories)

DVD-A (Includes some DD/ DTS releases)
The Alan Parsons Project - The Turn of A Friendly Card
Barclay James Harvest - Once Again
The Beatles - Love
George Benson - Breezin’
Bjork - Debut
Bjork - Homogenic
Bjork - Post
Bjork - Selma Songs
Bjork - Vespertine
Les Brown – Session #55
David Bowie – Young Americans
LTJ Bukem – Planet Earth
Caravan - In the Land of Grey and Pink
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - The Firstborn is Dead
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Tender Prey
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - The Good Son
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Murder Ballads
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - The Boatman’s Call
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - No More Shall We Part
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Nocturama
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Abattoir Blues/ The Lyre of Orpheus
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!
Joe Cocker - Night Calls
Depeche Mode - Black Celebration
Depeche Mode - Violator
Depeche Mode - Songs of Faith and Devotion
Depeche Mode – Exciter
Depeche Mode - Sounds of the Universe
The Doors - LA Woman
Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Emerson, Lake & Palmer
Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Tarkus
Donald Fagan – Morph the Cat
The Flaming Lips - Yoshimi battles the Pink Robots
The Flaming Lips - At War With the Mystics
David Gilmour – On an Island
Hawkwind – Warrior on the Edge of Time
Don Henley – The End of the Innocence
Insane Clown Posse – The Wraith: Shangri-La
KD Lang - Invincible Summer
King Crimson - In the Court of King Crimson
King Crimson - In the Wake of Poseidon
King Crimson - Lizard
King Crimson - Islands
King Crimson – Lark’s Tongues in Aspic
King Crimson - Starless and Bible Black
King Crimson - Red
King Crimson - Discipline
Lynyrd Skynyrd – Southern Surroundings
Alanis Morissette – Under Rug Swept
Motorhead - Overkill
No Man - Together We’re Strangers
No Man - Schoolyard Ghosts
Nosound – A Sense of Loss
Mike Oldfield - Tubular Bells
Mike Oldfield - Hergest Ridge
Mike Oldfield - Ommadawn
Glen Phillips – Abulum
Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon (4.1 Alan Parsons mix)
Porcupine Tree - Lightbulb Sun
Porcupine Tree - Stupid Dream
Porcupine Tree - Fear of a Blank Planet
Porcupine Tree - The Incident
Queen – A Night at the Opera
REM - Out of Time
REM - Monster
REM - New Adventures in Hi-Fi
REM - Up
REM - Reveal
Steely Dan – Everything Must Go
Sting – Brand New Day
Talk Talk - Colour of Spring
Talk Talk - Spirit of Eden
Talking Heads - 77
Talking Heads – More Songs About Buildings and Food
Talking Heads – Fear of Music
Talking Heads – Remain in Light
Talking Heads – Speaking in Tongues
Talking Heads – Little Creatures
Travis and Fripp - Follow
Jeff Trott – Dig Up the Astroturf
XTC - Nonsuch
Steven Wilson – Insurgentes
Wishbone Ash – Bare Bones
Yes – Close to the Edge
Neil Young – On the Beach
Neil Young & Crazy Horse – Greendale

SACD
The Allman Brothers Band – Eat a Peach
America - America
Eric Bibb – Rainbow People
Eric Bibb – Spirit and the Blues
Bjork – Medulla
Bon Jovi – This Left Feels Right
Bottleneck John – All Around Man
David Bowie - Ziggy Stardust
Can - Monster Movie
Can - Soundtracks
Can - Tago Mago
Can - Ege Bamyasi
Can - Future Days
Can - Soon Over Babaluma
Can - Landed
Can - Flow Motion
Can - Saw Delight
Can - Can
Can - Rite Time
Can - Unlimited Edition
Chicago – V
Eric Clapton – 461 Ocean Boulevard (SHM)
Eric Clapton – 461 Ocean Boulevard
Eric Clapton - Slowhand
Miles Davis - Kind of Blue
Depeche Mode - A Broken Frame
Depeche Mode - Some Great Reward
Depeche Mode - Music for the Masses
Depeche Mode - Ultra
Depeche Mode - Playing the Angel
Dire Straits - Dire Straits (SHM)
Dire Straits – Love Over Gold (SHM)
Dire Straits - Brothers in Arms
Nick Drake - A Treasury
Poor Boy – Songs of Nick Drake
Bob Dylan – The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan - Bringing it All Back Home
Bob Dylan - Highway 61
Bob Dylan - Infidels
Eagles – Hotel California
Donald Fagan - The Nightfly
Fleetwood Mac - Rumours
Foreigner - Foreigner
Marvin Gaye - What’s Going On (SHM)
Genesis - Trespass
Genesis - Foxtrot
Genesis - Selling England by the Pound
Genesis – A Trick of the Tail
Genesis - Duke
Genesis - Abacab
Genesis – We Can’t Dance
Golden Earring – Naked III
Goldfrapp – Supernature
John Hiatt – Master of Disaster
Billy Joel - The Stranger
Elton John - Honky Chateau
Elton John – Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
Elton John - Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy
Norah Jones - Come Away With Me
Sara K – Play on Words
Sara K – Hell or High Water
Sara K – Made in the Shade
Carol Kidd - All My Tomorrows
Carol Kidd - Nice Work
Mark Knopfler - Shangri-La
Lynyrd Skynyrd - Second Helping (SHM)
Claire Martin – Take My Heart
Claire Martin – Perfect Alibi
Claire Martin – Secret Love
Claire Martin – He Never Mentioned Love
Claire Martin – A Modern Art
Claire Martin – Too Much in Love Too Care
Claire Martin – When Lights Are Low
Claire Martin – Witchcraft
Lavinia Meijer – Phillip Glass: Metamorphosis
The Pentangle – The Pentangle (SHM)
Rebecca Pidgeon – The Raven
Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon
Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here
Poco – Pickin’ Up the Pieces
The Police – Every Breath You Take
Queen – Greatest Hits (SHM)
Queen – Greatest Hits II (SHM)
The Police - Outlandos D'amour
Steve Reich – Music for 18 Musicians
The Rolling Stones - Beggars Banquet
The Rolling Stones - Let it Bleed
The Rolling Stones – Sympathy for the Devil
Steely Dan – Aja (SHM)
Steely Dan - Gaucho
Sting – Sacred Love
Super Furry Animals - Love Kraft
10cc - The Original Soundtrack (SHM)
Tiny Island – Tiny Island
Tomita – Clare de Lune
Tomita – The Planets Ultimate Edition
Vangelis – Blade Runner Soundtrack
Jeff Wayne - War of the Worlds
Junior Wells – Come On This House
Stevie Wonder - Talking Book (SHM)
Stevie Wonder - Innervisions (SHM)
Stevie Wonder - Fulfilliness’ First Finale (SHM)
Stevie Wonder - Songs in the Key of Life (SHM)
Yes – Fragile

I used to have a surround setup, but have recently gone all stereo again, but if I ever move into a larger flat and can accommodate stereo and surround (in a way that allows both to be heard in all their glory), I'd have surround again because there have been some great multi-channel releases in both formats. :)
 
Thank you Windhoek for talking the time to reply in such detail I really appreciate it.
There are definitely afew titles that stand out for me. Bowie and Depeche Mode for starters.

My system is stereo based BTW.
 
You may find it quite a frustrating pursuit, as many SACDs are OOP and hence attempts are made to sell them at rather inflated prices on-line.

Although a big fan of SACD (if the music/performance/recording merits it), I'm not sure I'd start now. With the advent recently of http://www.highresaudio.com/ as well as the longer running hdtracks, eclassical and qobuz there is a much more efficient way of getting music at high resolution (as well as in it's native resolution -- many SACDs are re-sampled PCM). Just be sure that you know what you're buying before you buy...
 
I'm looking for some advice regarding SACD and DVD Audio discs.

Many of them sound lovely but CDs can sound just as good (for stereo) if you can find one equally well recorded and mastered. I have a slight preference for DVDA as I can't shake off the suspicion that DSD (format used in SACD) very slightly colours the sound, but if it does, it is euphonic ie most people like what it does.

Do they still manufacture SACD?

Yes

What are the best sites to buy them from?

Wherever you can find them; Amazon, ElusiveDisc if price no concern; cdjapan for the super-expensive SHM-SACD made of pointless super-brittle material.

One last thing. What is it with the price of these discs? I thought 1st pressing were expensive. Talk Talk 'The Colour of Spring' SACD £400! Are they taking the Mick?

Scarcity plus some demand pushes up prices.

Tim
 
Thank you Windhoek for talking the time to reply in such detail I really appreciate it.
There are definitely afew titles that stand out for me. Bowie and Depeche Mode for starters.

My system is stereo based BTW.

Although some of the Depeche Mode SADSs are quite expensive, you can still pick up some at reasonable prices. You can also buy the CD+DVD editions containing 24/96 content quite cheap too.
 


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