[Mag]

I finally got around to piping SACD to my Bryston SP2 in 5.1 bypass. Using a Sony NS9100ES source, video display off, cheap IC's, with an HDMI cable connected to an av/receiver. IIRC the sound is somewhat muted without an HDMI connection, which the SP2 does not have.

Played at my prefered spl level of 92-95 db. The sound is superb, very smooth, with a very wide spatial soundstage. The harmonics seem to be excellent. My critiscm before using a Yamaha av/processor, dac pcm, cd layer was that sacd lacked the harmonics when compared on the fly.

Anyway I think I've heard the true hi-rez output of sacd for the first time, and I like it.

[ted_b]

I finally got around to piping SACD to my Bryston SP2 in 5.1 bypass. Using a Sony NS9100ES source, video display off, cheap IC's, with an HDMI cable connected to an av/receiver. IIRC the sound is somewhat muted without an HDMI connection, which the SP2 does not have.

I'm glad you like the sound of true hirez SACD.  I'm confused by you rcomments, though.  Why do you think the sound is muted without an HDMi connection...you don't have one to compare?

My critiscm before using a Yamaha av/processor, dac pcm, cd layer was that sacd lacked the harmonics when compared on the fly.

 

The cd layer was NOt SACD, you know?  Whatw ere you comparing it on the fly to?

[Mag]

>>I'm glad you like the sound of true hirez SACD.  I'm confused by you rcomments, though.  Why do you think the sound is muted without an HDMi connection...you don't have one to compare?<<

I don't know for sure but I believe that without HDMI connection the unit defaults to 16 bit. It does that for dvd digital, though the manual does not mention defaulting with analog. So to be sure I'm getting full sacd resolution I have the HDMI connected to an av/receiver.

>>The cd layer was NOt SACD, you know?  Whatw ere you comparing it on the fly to?<<

Having a BCD-1 I was able to play the a copy cd-r and have the sacd in the Sony, switch inputs with the av/receiver. With the sound still fresh in my mind.

My test album Kitaro- Live in Yakushiji, I have the cd layer version, sacd and dts.

[Phil A]

John Gatski of everythingaudio.net has tested many of the HDMI outputs, including Sony, and yes they truncate to 16 bit.  I liked what I heard from the Integra DPS-6.9 but wasn't sure from comparisons whether it was truncating.  I took it over his place a couple of weeks back and he had an Oppo BDP-80 set-up and we swapped the Oppo and Integra on various type discs (including SACD) and it also truncated HDMI out at 16 bits.

[ted_b]

John Gatski of everythingaudio.net has tested many of the HDMI outputs, including Sony, and yes they truncate to 16 bit.  I liked what I heard from the Integra DPS-6.9 but wasn't sure from comparisons whether it was truncating.  I took it over his place a couple of weeks back and he had an Oppo BDP-80 set-up and we swapped the Oppo and Integra on various type discs (including SACD) and it also truncated HDMI out at 16 bits.

Mag is saying the opposite, Phil.  He's claiming, for whatever, reason, that analog outs will truncate to 16 bit unless they see an HDMi connection??.  Analog outs don't have bits and anything SACD sent via the 2.0 or 5.1 analog outs would not go through truncation.  It would sound like crap.

This all makes no sense to me.  The analog multichannel outs of the Sony SACD player would NOT truncate anything, guys....it will deliver SACD (PCM'd) to analog.  There is no reason to ALSO have an HDMI connection; you don't want two connections to two different processors.  I'm not even sure what you are hearing once that occurs.  Same can be said for your BCD-1 comparison,.  Anything the BCD-1 was playing was NOT SACD, just the redbook/cd layer of the SACD, which is a moot point here in this discussion.   

[Mag]

Ok, I stand corrected HDMI cable connection has no effect on SACD output. I'm not often wrong but when I am it bothers me something fierce.

Anyway, as I was saying the Bryston SP2 has been a revelation in Hi-Rez capability of sacd that I hadn't heard previously with this format.

Thanks