Question about hooking up an SACD
AsSiMiLaTeD
Posts: 11,728
As you can see in my sig, I have a Sony CE595 SACD player in the Main HT rig. In that rig I'm running a 4 channel setup, two fronts and two surrounds, no room or need for a sub and no room for a center channel really.
So I'm wanting to test out the multi-channel thing on the SACD player, and have 2 quick questions:
1 - Without a center channel and sub, am I going to be missing those channels, or how is the player going to handle that? Or will that be handled by the receiver?
2 - Should I run just the 4 cables from sacd player to receiver, or run all 6 cables?
In short, what's the best way to set this up? It's set up as stereo now, I'm just wanting to add the back channels.
So I'm wanting to test out the multi-channel thing on the SACD player, and have 2 quick questions:
1 - Without a center channel and sub, am I going to be missing those channels, or how is the player going to handle that? Or will that be handled by the receiver?
2 - Should I run just the 4 cables from sacd player to receiver, or run all 6 cables?
In short, what's the best way to set this up? It's set up as stereo now, I'm just wanting to add the back channels.
Post edited by AsSiMiLaTeD on
Comments
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You'll be missing music if you don't have the center connected. Sub only really matters if you're running any of the speakers as "Small". I'd stay with 2 channel unless you want to go the full 5.1. Just make certain your SACD player is set to default to 2 channel or it will run 5.1 & you'll be missing a lot.TNRabbit
NO Polk Audio Equipment :eek:
Sunfire TG-IV
Ashly 1001 Active Crossover
Rane PEQ-15 Parametric Equalizers x 2
Sunfire Cinema Grand Signature Seven
Carver AL-III Speakers
Klipsch RT-12d Subwoofer -
Yes you will DEFINATELY be missing a lot of music if you use the multichannel option. Without the center channel you will probably be missing key vocals & instruments.Marantz AV-7705 PrePro, Classé 5 channel 200wpc Amp, Oppo 103 BluRay, Rotel RCD-1072 CDP, Sony XBR-49X800E TV, Polk S60 Main Speakers, Polk ES30 Center Channel, Polk S15 Surround Speakers SVS SB12-NSD x2
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Personally I prefer the 2ch SACD sound over the 5.1. Unless of course you're into sound effects like you would get on Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon." The only benefit I noticed with 5.1 SACD sound was with classical music as you get the feel of more hall ambience but with my 1.2 TLs I still get that feel.
To answer your question, yes, you would be loosing one of the channels thus missing parts of the music like Cathy listed above. -
Depends on what processor you are using. There are a few like my HK avr 630 that can digitize analog inputs so you can run a phatom center from sacd through the multi-channel analog inputs. This would work if you could do it, and it would still give you the surround effect of the sacds. I have the same sacd player and really like it, but my blu-ray player takes up the analog inputs so I just run two channel and am happy that way. I am more interested in the increased sound quality of the sacds than the surround.Living Room 2.2: Usher BE-718 "tiny dancers"; Dual DIY Dayton audio RSS210HF-4 Subs with Dayton SPA-250 amps; Arcam SA30; Musical Fidelity A308; Sony UBP-x1000es
Game Room 5.1.4: Denon AVR-X4200w; Sony UBP-x700; Definitive Technology Power Monitor 900 mains, CLR-3000 center, StudioMonitor 350 surrounds, ProMonitor 800 atmos x4; Sub - Monoprice Monolith 15in THX Ultra
Bedroom 2.1 Harmon Kardon HK3490; Bluesounds Node N130; Polk RT25i; ACI Titan Subwoofer -
That's unfortunate news.
So am I also missing alot of information in movies, via my optical cable,without a center channel? I get that they would sound better with a center channel, but when I'm watching movies I don't feel like I'm missing anything. -
If your reciever is setup properly so that the receiver knows that there is no center and can run a phantom center speaker then you are not necessarily missing anything. Lots of guys here run a phantom center and are very satisfied with the results. The problem is that with sacs player you can only use multi channel analog inputs and most receivers cannot run a phantom from the analog inputs. So in other words you might be fine through the digital optical input but multi channel analog is a different story. Hope that makes sense.Living Room 2.2: Usher BE-718 "tiny dancers"; Dual DIY Dayton audio RSS210HF-4 Subs with Dayton SPA-250 amps; Arcam SA30; Musical Fidelity A308; Sony UBP-x1000es
Game Room 5.1.4: Denon AVR-X4200w; Sony UBP-x700; Definitive Technology Power Monitor 900 mains, CLR-3000 center, StudioMonitor 350 surrounds, ProMonitor 800 atmos x4; Sub - Monoprice Monolith 15in THX Ultra
Bedroom 2.1 Harmon Kardon HK3490; Bluesounds Node N130; Polk RT25i; ACI Titan Subwoofer -
don't most SACD players also have a 2ch mix down.. so on the rear.. there should be a left and right only RCA connectors.. that will give you two channel music.
otherwise.. as has been said.. if you listen to SACD in 5.1 ch audio.. you willl be missing all the sound of a center channel. i suggest you get a center ch speaker.PolkFest 2012, who's going>?
Vancouver, Canada Sept 30th, 2012 - Madonna concert :cheesygrin: -
danger boy wrote: »don't most SACD players also have a 2ch mix down.. so on the rear.. there should be a left and right only RCA connectors.. that will give you two channel music.
otherwise.. as has been said.. if you listen to SACD in 5.1 ch audio.. you willl be missing all the sound of a center channel. i suggest you get a center ch speaker.
The R/L connectors on the back are part of the multi-channel out. The 2 channel/multi-channel output is determined within the player. I don't think there is any dedicated 2 channel outputs on the rear of any SACD player...TNRabbit
NO Polk Audio Equipment :eek:
Sunfire TG-IV
Ashly 1001 Active Crossover
Rane PEQ-15 Parametric Equalizers x 2
Sunfire Cinema Grand Signature Seven
Carver AL-III Speakers
Klipsch RT-12d Subwoofer -
My Oppo BDP-83 has dedicated 2-channel RCA outs:
http://www.avrev.com/images/stories/equipvideoplayers/oppo/oppo_bdp83_rear.jpg
H9: If you don't trust what you are hearing, then maybe you need to be less invested in a hobby which all the pleasure comes from listening to music. -
My Denon 3930CI has dedicated 2-channel analog outputs.
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My Denon 2900 had dedicated 2 - channel analog outputs too.
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My Pioneer Elite DV-50a has dedicated 2-channel analog outputs too.I don't read the newsssspaperssss because dey aaaallllllllll...... have ugly print.
Living Room: B&K Reference 5 S2 / Parasound HCA-1000A / Emotiva XDA-2 / Pioneer BDP-51FD / Paradigm 11se MKiii
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HT: Denon AVR-X3400H / Sony UBP-X700 / RT16 / CS350LS / RT7 / SVS PB1000 -
Any help on the follow-up question?AsSiMiLaTeD wrote: »That's unfortunate news.
So am I also missing alot of information in movies, via my optical cable,without a center channel? I get that they would sound better with a center channel, but when I'm watching movies I don't feel like I'm missing anything. -
One of my sets-ups also has 4 speakers like the OP's. For center channel output I use the TV's speaker, but my SACD/DVD player has a special feature for that -- not sure if it would be an option for you.
By the way, not that you've got a shortage of SACD players or that it would help with your 4.0 set-up issue, but have you ever tried SACD on your PS3? (I can't tell which model you've got.) Your Pioneer could handle the PS3's multichannel output via HDMI.
