CD and SACD Players: How to Choose?
From changers that house 300+ CDs, to CD-R/RW dubbers that let you record your own customised discs, today's audiophile has a variety of options when shopping for a CD player. Whether you're looking for a basic single-disc player or a unit able to support ultra-high-fidelity Super Audio CDs, it's important to get a component with the features you want and which is able to play the formats you need.
One major parameter to consider when choosing a CD player is disc capacity. If you don't always have time to listen to more than a single CD or a few songs at a time, a single-disc player is probably all you'll want. Even these single players feature programming functions that let you select only the tracks you want to hear on a disc, and play them back in any order you choose.
However, if you love the idea of hours of uninterrupted music, or the ability to random play tracks from several discs at a time, you will need a multi-changer. For example, a 5-disc changer will allow you to change up to four discs while the fifth keeps playing, for non-stop music.
Changer options
For the optimum in flexibility, opt for a mega changer. Also known as jukebox changers, these units provide a permanent home for up to 400 of your discs. Think how much faster and easier it'll be to get straight to the music you want to hear — your complete CD collection will already be loaded and ready to play.
If you decide that you want a jukebox changer, a feature you might want to consider is disc naming capability. Some mega changers let you enter the title and artist name for each CD stored, which makes searching for a particular disc really easy. Some even allow input from a PC keyboard, which facilitates really quick name entry.
Recorders
CD recorders, also known as CD-R/RW decks, make it easy and affordable to create great-sounding discs — direct digital recording means that your copies will sound the same as their original CD source. You'll also be able to play back your 'home brew' CD-Rs in most newer home; car, portable CD and DVD players and changers. You'll also be able to record CD-RWs, which don't play back in as wide a range of players as CD-Rs, but do allow you to re-record different music on the same disc multiple times.
SACD
SACD, or Super Audio Compact Discs require a specialised player because they're based on a new recording technology: Direct Stream Digital (DSD). SACD players, on the other hand, are designed to play both SACDs and standard CDs with outstanding quality.
DSD provides four times as much musical information as the Pulse Code Modulation (PCM) technology used in CDs. Consequently, SACDs sound warmer than standard CDs. SACD captures the fidelity of the original musical performance, including the ambience of the studio or concert hall where it was performed.
This new level of sonic reality is further augmented by SACD's multichannel capability. Some SACDs are recorded in dual-channel stereo, but many utilise the format's ability to store music in up to 6 discrete channels. Significantly, this multichannel capability is designed for compatibility with a standard 5.1-channel home theatre system.