Thread: Problems with Hybrid SACD's

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Post by Kutyatest December 21, 2011 (11 of 24)
Of my modest collection of SACDs, only two of which are non-hybrid, this is not a problem I have ever experienced with my now 5 year old Arcam DV137.

Post by hiredfox December 21, 2011 (12 of 24)
pacwin said:


you quoted.... "Hybrid SACDs

I treated myself to a fairly expensive hi-fi system when I retired in 2006....

The chances are that he has a mass brand CD player that plays only CDs and doesn't realise (poor chap?) that he needs a SACD player to play SACDs!

Of the 700 odd SACDs in my collection, not one has failed to play as it should; not once has my SACD player failed to play the layer it was asked to play.

Somehow these two equations do not add up.

Post by amonti December 21, 2011 (13 of 24)
Isn't is possible that the SA-CD spec is evolving just a bit? All of my pre-2011 SACDs play just fine on my SCD-CD595, but the SACD layer in hybrid discs from PentaTone manufactured in 2011 aren't recognized and the player drops back to the CD layer.

One recent example is Sa Chen PTC 5186 444. Plays fine on my friend's Onkyo, but not on my player. My firmware is 1.02 and is not upgradable (unless I find someone with newer firmware in a broken player).

I've run the battery of built-in tests and calibrations to no avail, and the player hasn't seen enough hours to have a weak laser.

I seem to recall the same issue with older DVD players; as the spec evolved, there were specific combinations of players and discs that just didn't work due to outdated firmware. It just seems a bit odd to see many incompatible discs appearing.

Post by stvnharr December 21, 2011 (14 of 24)
amonti said:

Isn't is possible that the SA-CD spec is evolving just a bit? All of my pre-2011 SACDs play just fine on my SCD-CD595, but the SACD layer in hybrid discs from PentaTone manufactured in 2011 aren't recognized and the player drops back to the CD layer.

One recent example is Sa Chen PTC 5186 444. Plays fine on my friend's Onkyo, but not on my player. My firmware is 1.02 and is not upgradable (unless I find someone with newer firmware in a broken player).

I've run the battery of built-in tests and calibrations to no avail, and the player hasn't seen enough hours to have a weak laser.

I seem to recall the same issue with older DVD players; as the spec evolved, there were specific combinations of players and discs that just didn't work due to outdated firmware. It just seems a bit odd to see many incompatible discs appearing.

Well, that is certainly a new one. I kind of think you are stuck. The Sony 595 player was the lowest cost sacd player of any kind, about the same as the first Oppo player, the 970, has been out of production a fair while now, and is not really a cost effective repair unless you can do it all yourself. You may have to just suck it up and get another player.

Post by Kal Rubinson December 21, 2011 (15 of 24)
amonti said:

Isn't is possible that the SA-CD spec is evolving just a bit?

I seem to recall the same issue with older DVD players; as the spec evolved, there were specific combinations of players and discs that just didn't work due to outdated firmware. It just seems a bit odd to see many incompatible discs appearing.

It is much more likely that players age and deteriorate than that there is anything evolving in SACD technology.

Post by amonti December 21, 2011 (16 of 24)
stvnharr said:

Well, that is certainly a new one. I kind of think you are stuck. The Sony 595 player was the lowest cost sacd player of any kind, about the same as the first Oppo player, the 970, has been out of production a fair while now, and is not really a cost effective repair unless you can do it all yourself. You may have to just suck it up and get another player.

You are right; I'm grasping a bit before I walk down to the local shop and drop $499 on a new Oppo! I used to own a really good single-disc Sony (can't recall the model) that succumb to incessant skipping (out of warranty, of course).

Still, the manufacturers have to master the discs with software, and usually the software isn't tested against all cd players - sometimes something slips through the mastering process that renders the disc incompatible with older players. Haven't seen a viable explanation why older hybrid discs continue to be instantly recognized and play without error.

"It is much more likely that players age and deteriorate than that there is anything evolving in SACD technology."

No doubt - LOL!

Post by zeus December 21, 2011 (17 of 24)
amonti said:

Isn't is possible that the SA-CD spec is evolving just a bit? All of my pre-2011 SACDs play just fine on my SCD-CD595, but the SACD layer in hybrid discs from PentaTone manufactured in 2011 aren't recognized and the player drops back to the CD layer.

Have you tried re-aligning the laser? I've never owned a Sony player, but from memory you do this by placing an SA-CD in the tray, powering off then powering on again. It should do the alignment then. Worth a try.

Post by amonti December 21, 2011 (18 of 24)
zeus said:

Have you tried re-aligning the laser? I've never owned a Sony player, but from memory you do this by placing an SA-CD in the tray, powering off then powering on again. It should do the alignment then. Worth a try.

Thanks zeus; I appreciate the suggestion. There's a service menu that's accessible on the player (hold menu and select when powering up). There are a bevy of tests and calibration options (including auto-realignment), but not one of them seems to have made a difference with this particular disc. I also tried powering on and off with the disc in the tray to no avail.

I'm so mad at SACD right now, I've resorted to listening to Gaucho off a dts disc!

Post by stvnharr December 21, 2011 (19 of 24)
amonti said:

You are right; I'm grasping a bit before I walk down to the local shop and drop $499 on a new Oppo!

The only other really cheap thing you could try is to use one of those lens cleaner discs. This usually doesn't work, but occassionally is does.
Some players just occassionally seem to get sensitive to reading certain discs. You just have to learn to live with it until a correction can be made.

Also, Oppo is only sold online direct.

Post by amonti December 21, 2011 (20 of 24)
stvnharr said:

The only other really cheap thing you could try is to use one of those lens cleaner discs. This usually doesn't work, but occassionally is does.
Some players just occassionally seem to get sensitive to reading certain discs. You just have to learn to live with it until a correction can be made.

Also, Oppo is only sold online direct.

Good idea; I've blown off the lens with air, but usually hesitate to give it a clean unless it looks dirty. I have a lens cleaner disc and will give it a shot.

Oppo is sold online direct unless you live close to these guys (who stock and distribute Oppo in Canada).

http://www.americanhifi.com/theater_product.php?id=101

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