A CD/SACD transport like the dCS unit would cost more. Besides the fact that SACD is dead (is any new music released on a SACD disk?), a SACD transport is not the same as a CD transport. SACD uses a shorter laser wavelength than a standard CD to read the disc's much smaller data pits. Standard CD uses an infrared laser with a wavelength of 780 nm. SACD uses a visible red laser with a wavelength of 650 nm. Hybrid SACDs feature two separate layers: a CD layer (read by the 780 nm laser) and an SACD layer (read by the 650 nm laser).
SACD players or drives must license the technology and incorporate specific, proprietary Sony decoding chips. Under strict Sony licensing terms, hardware players are barred from outputting a pure, native DSD (SACD is DSD64) audio signal over standard digital cables. It must be converted to an analog output or through encrypted HDMI to prevent unauthorized piracy.
My Oppo BDP-103 Blu-ray player will play SACDs, DVD-Audio, HDCDs, and CDs. But the SACD bits are trapped inside the box and can only be heard by using the RCA analog outputs. The Oppo's internal SACD decoding and amps are not that great sounding, the CD layer sounds better when the coax output is fed into a good DAC.
Very informative thanks but already knows this.
CD, VINYL and Cassetes also are dead.
This release not very useful, market are plenty of
new and used CD Players, we dont need another
one ever cheap IMO.
What are missing are cheap SACD Players under
$500 a thing Chinese makers have a talent to do.
This brand have a expensive SACD Transport + External DAC in excess of $4500 usd both.
I have hundreds of SACDs discs to play.
Dont want access to DSD bits or external DACs.
