What the heck is "hybrid SACD"???

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Never Get Old

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Joined 2017
#1
What is the downside to a "hybrid" SACD? I don't do SACD and never will, only CD.

It seems that somehow the laser on an ordinary CD player like mine somehow shines through the SACD layer and hits the deeper CD layer instead. How is it possible that there isn't going to be some sort of degredation as the CD player's laser shines through something that isn't completely transparent?

Are both layers made with dyes or is the CD layer made with old-fashioned CD pits and lands and deposited aluminum? I have had poor experience with CDs made with dyes over the years. They degrade and have inferior sound quality in my opinion. Your mileage may vary.
 
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#2
I treat old CDs with armor all. No joking. It minimizes or stops skipping.

Yea. What Is a SACD hybrid?

I use a SACD player/transport but I too never spin the discs or know much about them. Weren't they slightly higher resolution than standard Bluebook CD?
 
#3
A hybrid SACD can be played on an old fashioned CD player. It was maybe a means to persuade uncertain people to buy them (downwards compatible). A friend bought many of them but the famous CD rot was way worse with SACD. It took a few years and then most were unplayable. I repaired a few SACD players too and even scrapped a few as repair was too expensive. It sounded good but I learnt not to start collecting these. The pattern was a kind of usage rate, stuff was used like fuel in a car and it appeared to count for both media and players.

Optical/mechanical drives: more or less the same issues in time so aging, wear-out, plastic parts becoming brittle, lasers becoming dirty, temperature and moisture influences.
 
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#4
Subuckethead said:
It minimizes or stops skipping.
Click to expand...

I haven't had a CD skip since the 1980's when I used to beat them up badly by carrying them in my car to listen to them. I started keeping two copies of my favorite CDs at that point - one mint copy that never went anywhere except from its jewel case in my bookcase to the living room CD player and back, and then a second copy that I could lend to friends, play in the car, and otherwise abuse. I recently went through all of my CDs and replaced any that had even minor scratches (like those that car CD players always leave) with mint copies.
 
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#6
SACD is higher resolution and allows multi channel/ surround sound recordings

Hybrid will play normal CD and SACD

Dual CDs were made.
One layer Cd another layer SACD

So if you bought dual disk you can still play as CD

if you had a player, you could play higher resolution
and also have multi channel recordings
usually more data storage.

So im sure many recordings have additional " bonus" material

really great idea and better resolution around 99
When 3G and 4G came out and Youtube picked up.

Nobody buys music. everything online
 
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#8
Why ask if you already know? Thread title and first post, first sentence.

If you want confirmation that you were right not stepping into SACD: you were right. Expensive, short longevity, failed, little benefit for the costs, long superseded by better technology, for boomers.

Especially avoid Sony SCD-XB940. I have scrapped quite a few. It would also surprise me if working ones are still around.
 
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#9
Here is an example. I'm not paying this price for something that's dye-based:

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#10
jean-paul said:
Why ask if you already know? First post, first sentence.
Click to expand...

Never Get Old said:
... what is the downside? I don't do SACD and never will, only CD.

It seems that somehow the laser on an ordinary CD player like mine somehow shines through the SACD layer and hits the deeper CD layer instead. How is it possible that there isn't going to be some sort of degredation as the CD player's laser shines through something that isn't completely transparent?

Are both layers made with dyes or is the CD layer made with old-fashioned CD pits and lands and deposited aluminum? I have had poor experience with CDs made with dyes over the years. They degrade and have inferior sound quality in my opinion. Your mileage may vary.
Click to expand...
 
#11
What the heck is a "hybrid SACD"??? ....

Here that would mean that someone wants to know what the heck a "hybrid SACD" is so an open question followed by a second question in the same sentence. Nowadays one should not be surprised that this technique (in email, Whatsapp etc.) will result in only a reply to the first question 🙂
 
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#13
Not important to think about.

You just insert the disc and press play.

Depending on the artist and recording.
Sure multi channel would be great.

Far as re master of old quadraphonic recordings
or movie soundtracks.

Multi channel sounded like fun too me.
Just never bought when affordable.
Since 4G was out by then
 
#15
Never Get Old said:
I haven't had a CD skip since the 1980's when I used to beat them up badly by carrying them in my car to listen to them. I started keeping two copies of my favorite CDs at that point - one mint copy that never went anywhere except from its jewel case in my bookcase to the living room CD player and back, and then a second copy that I could lend to friends, play in the car, and otherwise abuse. I recently went through all of my CDs and replaced any that had even minor scratches (like those that car CD players always leave) with mint copies.
Click to expand...
Once in a while I aquire one with skips that I won't replace unless I encounter it.

Thanks to the rising popularity in streaming, I have two sometimes three copies of CD I still and will always spin.

I am slowly continually transferring CD to music files. I use this format most of the time you can't beat it for convenience or when on the go. Plus I do a lot of live concert viewing.
 
#17
And after looking around online, I'm finding widespread reports of problems caused by "hybrid SACD" discs going back to 2006, so I suppose I will simply avoid them. Trying to read a true CD layer through a supposedly transparent (at a certain wavelength) SACD dye layer is a gimmick that's just inviting problems where there need not be any.
 
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