“Octave Records” record all in DSD 256!

Native SACD has better range than Vinyl. Not to mention surface noise from Vinyl.

If I can get something in SACD I prefer it to Vinyl by far.

To listen to my SACDs on my Lumin DAC, I use software by Sonore called "iso2dsd."  The software reads the DSD data from my oppo 103.  You make a boot USB thumb drive that boots the Oppo so the data can be read on our network.  Enter the IP address of the Oppo in the software to connect to it.  Once connected you can copy either stereo or multi-channel tracks.  Once I have the files I stream them from Roon to my DAC.  Best of all it's free and I don't have to swap disks.

Thank you for this video. I've been looking for years how to play my SACDs. I will try your solution. Greetings from Canary Islands.

I also stumbled across this gadget, just a few months ago. So I've been re-experiencing my SACDs. Oppo 203, HDMI Audio out to the audio extractor box to the DAC. At the moment, I'm using a Topping DX9 Pro. For SACDs, this supports DSD via I2S AND S/PDIF. Like your DAC, the I2S on the Topping requires no reconfiguration. Using S/PDIF works just as well. But of course many DACs, even DSD-compatible ones, don't accept DSD over S/PDIF. The other day I spent a great time with the Reiner/Chicago 1960 "Living Stereo" recording of Scheherazade. Stunning. I was despairing of classical sounding as great as the better jazz and rock and electronic records, but this one dispensed with that. PS, I don't bother with adding extra power. The trickle from HDMI runs it perfectly well. I tried it for a while with an Oppo DVD/DVD-Audio/SACD player, but this proved less reliable.

Thank you for this upload. Super new to the SACD/DSD scene and after scoring a Yamaha CD3000, I quickly realized I was bound to its Saber DAC (which is great) but does not have the soundstage of the Pontus II by a long shot. I now a much cheaper Sony UBP-X800M2 on the way because it's one of few that plays multi-channel SACD. That converter is popping up in all my searches, glad to hear you made it work with Denafrips equipment. Cheers.

Great review.  Long overdue for me.  But what if your SACD/CD player does not have an HDMI out?

so glad you told me about this last month and like you, got myself the pontus II. I passed the info to Guttenberg and Herb, amongst others. This is a great video, more people need to know about this!

I am a Audiophile and a Senior. I am impressed with your knowledge of Classical music. Please continue to share your favorite recordings as part of your program. I enjoy learning about the best music and best recordings. Keep up the good work!

The key difference between I2S and other digital formats (SPDIF, USB) is that I2S includes the clock signals on its own pins, whereas all other formats have to reconstruct the clock from the audio data stream. HDMI is a convenient, standard cable and connector to carry these additional signals.

DSD audio format is not just the best sounding digital audio format, its the best sounding of all if properly recorded mixed etc..

This is a great video just because you introduced me to Esoteric Recordings 👍.

Great set up, very nice selection of components.  Intriguing topic.  I think for me, the biggest issue with SACD is availability.  Since I am not a vinyl fan, I am not used to paying over $50 per album, let alone over $85 for rarer albums.  Pretty awesome to see a younger man taking on this topic from the 90's.  Nice job on this video.

What a great knowledge, Taste and inspiration

I’m in a journey/process of sacd DDS into my LKS004 mod>genelec 8050b. Days of searching and watching, your set up and your opinion convinced me that I’m in a right direction. How exciting!! If you happen to see this, wondering any cd transport you recommend. Now we are in 2026 with so may choices of CDP. Now! Hunting for those CDs.. thank you very much. To me, you are the true modern audiophile some of us can relate to.

Nice topic. I'm feeling grateful that partnering the Sony UBP-X700 4K Blu-ray and Denon AVC-X3700H ,I can experience for the first time ever the SACD sound 2.8MHz/1bit flawlessly without adding 'any other box' in between...

I completely agree, the sound of SACD through high quality gear is vastly better than hearing it in CD format, all other things being equal.  Esoteric SACDs are especially well produced.  The remastering process can give the engineers the opportunity to correct all kinds of flaws in the original LP pressing, provided the remastering engineers are good.  If the master tape was well produced and preserved, the end result sometimes does beat the original LP.  I was an LP absolutist until I got an integrated transport/DAC that's top quality, and it opened my ears.

In the early 2000’s, with SACD still in its infancy, Classic Records (which has since morphed into Analogue Productions) released a number of  SACD’s along with the vinyl, of classics from the Mercury Living Presence and RCA Living Stereo catalogs. Some were even released in their original 3 channel master tape editions for use on a multi-channel SACD machine.  Classic records had access to the original tape masters, the urtext, as they say, and remember, those tapes were 20+ years younger then than they are today.

Great collection and Great Taste...👍

I'm using the same converter box from my Oppo bdp-103 to my Holo Audio May KTE dac. Works like a charm!