Playing an SACD

[joeparaski]

Ok, had friends over for supper, then turned on the bigscreen and the "overkill" system and cranked up Chris Botti Live, Sade Live, and Sarah Brightman 'Harem' Live.

Guest are gone, so I figured I'd play my new SACD Sarah Brightman "Eden" on the Denon 3910. Well it doesn't play. I guess I have to press some buttons somewhere. It's late, I'm tired, and I don't feel like researching it. So what freakin' button needs pressing on the 3910 to play SACD's? I thought you can just pop these things in the player and it will play!!

I'll look for the answers here when I get back from work tomorrow night.

Joe

[janmike]

Look on page 48 of the manual Joe. Maybe that will help.

[treitz3]

I have the 2910, which I would imagine is the same puppy basically. Mine automatically picks up on the fact that it's an SACD and automatically plays that format. If it is not set up to automatically detect an SACD, then press the Super Audio CD button until the screen says SACD. Then you are good to go from there.

[schwarcw]

Joe,

Are you using the analog outputs from the Denon? SACD needs the analog outputs and the SACD decoding is done by the player. You will not hear SACD through your optical or digital coax outputs of your Denon.

[G-2]

The 3910 will tell you if it's an SACD and you'll need to press play in order to play the disk (connections must be analog to hear SACD). Enjoy!

[george daniel]

Joe,

Are you using the analog outputs from the Denon? SACD needs the analog outputs and the SACD decoding is done by the player. You will not hear SACD through your optical or digital coax outputs of your Denon.

Yep,, and yep :)

[joeparaski]

Thanks for the suggestions...but here is something weird. Yesterday, when I inserted the SACD disc, the blue light denoting that it IS an SACD was on and there was no sound. I went and did something else (unrelated), then tried again and it DID play, but the blue light denoting SACD was NOT on.

I tried it just now, and the blue light is on and there is no sound. The connection is optical. The problem with using the analog out, is that the analog is currently going straight to the t.v. so that my wife or daughter can watch a dvd without turning on the main system.

I'm sifting through the 3910 manual and there doesn't seem to be anything referring to the use of analog output for SACD instead of optical.


Curious as to why it played yesterday and not now.

Any thoughts?

Joe

[treitz3]

SACD needs the analog outputs...You will not hear SACD through your optical or digital coax outputs of your Denon.

From above....

[GV#27]

Well it may have played the PCM track when the blue light was not lit(assuming its a hydrid CD/SACD).You will not get any output on the optical with an SACD.

[joeparaski]

Well it may have played the PCM track when the blue light was not lit(assuming its a hydrid CD/SACD).You will not get any output on the optical with an SACD.

Well that sucks, looks like I need to get y-connectors for the analog out.

And there I was trying to convince myself that the SACD sounded better when a little voice in my head was saying that there was no difference.

Joe

[treitz3]

Your brain might lie to you, but your ears never will.;)

[schwarcw]

Well that sucks, looks like I need to get y-connectors for the analog out.

Joe

Joe, your Denon should have pleny of analog outputs. Use just the front channels of the 5.1 analog outputs. Make sure you set the SACD to 2 - channel mode. Or, if you want the multi channel capability, you'll have to get 3 pair of RCA cables, front, rear, then split the third set for the center and the subwoofer. Connect these cables to the 5.1 analog inputs on your receiver.

Let us know what you do.

Carl

[joeparaski]

Joe, your Denon should have pleny of analog outputs. Use just the front channels of the 5.1 analog outputs. Make sure you set the SACD to 2 - channel mode. Or, if you want the multi channel capability, you'll have to get 3 pair of RCA cables, front, rear, then split the third set for the center and the subwoofer. Connect these cables to the 5.1 analog inputs on your receiver.

Let us know what you do.

Carl

I like that idea! Thanks for the suggestion. Too late to try it tonight though, but I'll definitely do it (multi-channel that is).

Joe

[fatchowmein]

Sarah Brightman Eden is a multi-channel hybrid SACD. You won't hear anything if you have your Denon on SACD mode with only an optical connection.

My apologies if I'm beating a dead horse.

[reeltrouble1]

Just make sure you get some expensive interconnects......friends don't let friends use crappy connects....

its my new motto:D

RT1

[joeparaski]

Sarah Brightman Eden is a multi-channel hybrid SACD. You won't hear anything if you have your Denon on SACD mode with only an optical connection.

My apologies if I'm beating a dead horse.

No horses were hurt during the discussion in this thread.

Joe

[joeparaski]

Joe, your Denon should have pleny of analog outputs. Use just the front channels of the 5.1 analog outputs. Make sure you set the SACD to 2 - channel mode. Or, if you want the multi channel capability, you'll have to get 3 pair of RCA cables, front, rear, then split the third set for the center and the subwoofer. Connect these cables to the 5.1 analog inputs on your receiver.

Let us know what you do.

Carl

DONE....the 5.1 outs of the Denon are going to the 7.1 inputs of the Emotiva pre-pro and it works fine. Thanks for the suggestion!

Just before I did the connection, I popped in the SACD and it played with the optical out (no SACD light). I ejected the cd and put it back in and it didn't play (SACD light came on). Any idea why the player seems to randomly 'see' the disc as SACD and sometimes not?

Joe

[schwarcw]

Hmmmmm. I never owned that player. Maybe some of the Denon folks will jump in!

Carl

[Polkitup2]

Remeber the 3910 has an SACD mode button that lets you select CD, Stereo, or Multichannel. If your on CD you get no hi-rez stereo and no multi-channel -just redbook, stereo gives you SACD stereo, and multi-channel gives you multi-channel. And as has been mentioned use the analogue outputs. For the best sound out of your 3910 you may want to play with the source direct setting in the setup that keeps the signal pure DSD. You will lose bass managment for the multi-channel outputs so you will want a receiver that can do bass management on the 7.1 analogue inputs. I use the stereo analogue outputs to my two channel setup and the multi-channel outputs to my HT receiver.

[treitz3]

Hmmm, that sounds strange to say the least. Try calling Denon directly.

General office: 201-762-6500

Customer Service, Tech Support and Repair Dept. can be reached at 800-497-8921 or 201-762-6665

[fatchowmein]

Well, Joe, do you like the SACD version of Eden?

[joeparaski]

The SACD version seems to have better separation in the sound....it has a more 'surrounding' feel to it, if you know what I mean. The bass seems to be less present though, and the bass that is there is a little tighter.

I'm sure that once I apply all my upgrades which I have been collecting for quite a while now, the listening room will be completely different.

Joe