SACD format

[equinox]

Hi Gale,

What does it mean exactly:

Quite likely, but one of the test files is 5:1 so that won't be suitable for audio CD.

It seems to be very important info to me but do not understand, sorry.


Thanks,
Attila

[equinox]

I have just checked the highest quality format which can be read by MARANTZ SACD player from a disk.
This is a WMA file with 44.1kHz sample frequency and 192kbps. No info regarding your bit-rate (e.g. 24bit).
I do not know how these parameters can match to your provided numbers (24 bit at 192kHz).

Regarding media type, the player can manage CD-R/RW disks only (based on the manual and Marantz site) but no DVD. As I understand, this capacity is far not enough for studio FLAC quality demand.

So it means no way to use the disk player slot of the MARANTZ SACD player for utilization of the high sound quality of downloaded master FLAC files, in spite of any format transformation in Audacity or other softwares... I have to use a PC connected to the PC-input of the player. [email protected] (Sorry.)

I am not too happy with it, even more, I am quite disapointed...
I did not want to use a whole computer next to the player in the living-room just to listen a stupid music player.


Attila

[steve]

I have to use a PC connected to the PC-input of the player

What exactly is that input?
Does the Marantz have "digital in"? If so, what format does that support?
Do you have a DVD player? If so, does it have digital audio out? If so, what format?

[Gale Andrews]

What does it mean exactly:

Quite likely, but one of the test files is 5:1 so that won't be suitable for audio CD.

It means one of the test files you linked to on http://www.linnrecords.com/linn-downloa ... files.aspx is "24bit 88.2kHz 5.1 Surround Free Lossless Audio Codec*. It means there are six channels in the file (four more than usual left and right for stereo).

Audio CD only supports the normal two channels (left and right). So unless you accept downmixing that six-channel file to two channels, you cannot burn it to an audio CD. If you don't care about that file, it doesn't matter - it is only a fragment a few seconds long.


Gale

[Gale Andrews]

I have to use a PC connected to the PC-input of the player

What exactly is that input?
Does the Marantz have "digital in"? If so, what format does that support?

Yes it has a coaxial and optical digital in - see here http://www.marantz.co.uk/uk/Products/Pa ... IPearlLite from where you can also download the manual (which I've looked at).

The digital in supports up to 192 kHz / 24-bit, PCM only. This is the only option that meets the demand for lossless 192 kHz/ 24-bit.

The USB input from a PC accepts up to 96 kHz / 24-bit, so not a high enough sample rate.

It can play PCM on USB flash storage but no more than 48 kHz/ 16-bit.

CD-R/CD-RW is MP3 and WMA only.

You may get about 25 minutes of 192 kHz/24-bit FLAC on an audio CD.


Gale

[Gale Andrews]

Moved to the more appropriate "Audio Processing" board.


Gale

[stillnotpc]

I'm coming in a bit late on this one, but for Linn recordings, you need the physical CD to get the SACD layer. I'm still playing with this, having got a Linn recording on CD via eBay. Have a look at the Linn downloads site http://www.linnrecords.com/linn-formats.aspx where they talk about formats. They don't offer SACD as a download format for reasons that are clear in this article http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Audio_CD

I'm pretty sure that neither my computer nor my audio CD players can read the SACD layer, so usually, I pay for their hi-res flac downloads. I have not so far been disappointed with the quality of any of their recordings and find their pricing perfectly reasonable.

I believe that Foobar2000 (for WIndows) can be persuaded to play SACD, but haven't experimented.