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Is SACD Dead?

Steve Guttenberg Audiophiliac

63,566 views

The Audiophiliac ponders the state of SACD in 2026.

Thanks for watching, this channel is supported by the kind generosity of my Patreon backers: Patreon: Audiophiliac.

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0:00 What's up with the SACD format?
2:47 DAV-Audio, format war?
4:17 Best sounding SACD player is...
5:54 Resolution AV
7:35 Best sounding SACD discs
9:46 New SACD players
10:32 Album of the day!
11:40 Viewer system of the day!
12:47 Outro

20 Comments

@1337sim1 6 months ago (edited)

Looking at how "high res audio" is praised today... SACDs are still very much relevant !

@ematcion 6 months ago

After almost 27 years and over 2,000 SACDs, I am still "all in" with SACD.

@ElHefe 6 months ago

I still enjoy listening to all my SACDs

@geraldschrader8511 6 months ago

SACD is not dead - I'm still buying new SACD releases. I have over 200 SACDs.

@trevorharrison29 6 months ago

News of SACD's demise is greatly exaggerated.

@johnz4860 6 months ago

I have never stopped buying SACDs since 2003. I have a great grin when I listen to them.

@martinhaub6828 6 months ago

Fortunately, in the classical arena SACD is very much alive. Chandos, Bis, Pentatone and others still use the format.

@vinylrules4838 6 months ago

What Steve didn't mention, DSD was created to archive the record companies aging analog tapes, acetates, etc into a format that was future proof. DSD can be converted to PCM and made to the bit/sample rate of choice. The SACD is a byproduct of DSD.

@josepharchila1496 6 months ago

PS Audio is doing brand new live recordings in SACD out his Octave Records studio - they sound amazing!

@poturbg8698 6 months ago

Comparing the SACD layer with the CD layer on a hybrid disc can be problematic unless both layers have the same remastering.

@masshysteria9968 6 months ago

Analog Productions and Mo Fi make wonderful SACDs

@RizzenOsiris 6 months ago

SACD brought me into being an audiophile when they came out. I still love my collection and will always own them.

@paulm944 6 months ago

Some companies, like PS Audio, are still all in on this format.

@robertwood2490 6 months ago

SACD lives on the classical side!

@czayna80 6 months ago

SACD within SuperHigh frequency speakers are best audio experience I’ve ever had in my life

@birgerolovsson5203 6 months ago (edited)

I didn't buy my first SACD-player until summer 2009 and so far I've manged to get 420 SACD-discs.

@stevenlynn3942 6 months ago

A while after after SACD and DVD audio were introduced there was an article in Stereophile about why they weren't taking off. The writer in one of the better quips in audiophilia ever wrote that the average listener hears about this and thinks, "this solves a problem I don't have." The vast majority of people were happy with the quality of compact discs. Other factors were were fatigue over never ending higher rez and re-formated and remastered reissues of older music. Still going on. We had been promised better sound than perfect sound forever, and sometimes got it, sometimes didn't.