Super Audio CD (SACD) Hybrid Questions


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I've searched through previous related threads, but don't seem to find answers to my questions.

I recently puchased an import, limited-edition Super Audio CD (SACD-Hybrid) of a new release as it contained 4 bonus tracks, had SACD encoding should I ever have a system that can handle it, and yet still had ability to play in standard CD players.

As I want zero harm/loss to come to the original, I immediately made a personal backup copy via Nero, and as far as I can tell, it seems to behave identical to the original. At least I can play it on a standard CD player for now, which satisfies me for the time-being for most purposes.

Questions:

(1) Is the extra audio info encoded on SACD's stuff that would have been copied over to a "normal" CD, or is there more to SACD's such that all I would have copied over would have been the "standard" CD info? If so, would this be due to software limitation, hardware limitation, or media (blank CD) limitation?

(2) If I assume there's totally more to SACD's than something I can burn to a regular CD, has anyone heard of SACD capability being added to burners, etc., in the future, perhaps even DVD burners? I think I've read that SACD's do have greater capacity than regular CD's, sort of like DVD's do.

I really hadn't encountered much, if anything, previous to indicate SACD's were more than another random attempt to appeal to some small niche market of audiophile, but do seem to be becoming aware of them having a bit more presence now and then, especially since it sounds like some DVD players can decode them.

Any info anyone can share would be much appreciated in advance.... :fun:

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Hybrid SACD's are actually two layers. The Sacd player goes straight through the cd layer(which is the top normal layer), and reads from the SACD layer. You can not copy(not yet anyway!) an SACD track. Normal cd players won't even know it exists. It also has a digital watermark to prevent copying, as well as some form of physical mark on the disk.

Sony and philips are making it difficult to get a copy as they don't generally allow you to play the sacd tracks out of an optical port, only 5.1 seperate cabling. Therefore you can't make a good digital copy easily.

If you are after a good SACD, the best one I have found so far was done for the concert for september the 11th in new york. The sound is so immersive -- you feel like you are there.

Hope this answers your question.

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Can't thank you enough. I think that would probably answer my question, though wouldn't mind even more comments if anyone has anything to add.

Thanks so much for the SACD recommendation. I'm assuming this was the memorial concert, though am not readily finding the particular recording in searching on Amazon and the like....

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Wow, thanks so much yet again. With that info I've now found it some places within the U.S., but it's much rarer than usual--Amazon U.S. doesn't appear to carry it in SACD version, at the very least (unlike buy.com, etc.).

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