Is multichannel SACD sound better than SACD stereo?

Answer 1

As a loyal SA-CD listenere, I would like to tackle this one....

First off, SACD was developed as not only a Stereo format, but one of the advantages that was pushed was the concept of Surround Sound.

SACD is capable of deliviring 2.0, 3.0, 4.0, 5.0 and 5.1 Surround Sound.

Strangely, a kind of debate has occured in the SA-CD community as to which sounds better, the stereo track or the surround track. Some feel that stereo is superior while others are more impressed with surround sound. Go to www.sa-cd.net and you can find differeing opinions on which speaker configuration people prefer.

Myself, I prefer Surround Sound. I feel there is a greater depth and realism with surround sound and more air around the sound as well. I listen to primarily classical recordings and this is where SA-CD shines, particularly if the recording was made in modern DSD sound.

Something unexpected has happened though. Manufacturers who make high end expensive SACD players are making them for stereo only and are not including multichannel playback capability. Many people still cling to stereo recording, I beilieve, because they somehow think that multichannel playback is some kind of gimmick.

If Multichannel recordings are a gimmick, then why do companies like Pentatone in Europe make magnificent Multichannel recordings? Are they wasting their time?

Hardly. Multichannel sound offers, in my opinion and in the opinion of many other listeners, greater depth, openness and realism than stereo.

I think the reason why many still cling to stereo setups is simply out of ignorance. They are not interested in surround and simply repudiate it. They probably do not want to go to the extra expense and trouble of setting up a surround system. Their is a kind of "elitism" amongst stereo listeners. They are firmly convinced that stereo is the very best way to listen to music and that it is the only way. They simply repudiate any possibility of surround sound being worthwhile.

This has created a problem for shoppers like myself. I find it extremely difficult to find high end players that offer multichannel playback capability in North America.

Why does SA-CD have Multichannel playback capability then? Should I simply remove the multichannel layer from each of my discs then? (if that were possible).

The truth is that everyone's ears are different. As much as there are those who see SA-CD Stereo as the only possible way to listen to music, others see the advantages of both stereo and surround and have an open mind to its possibilities and advantages.

Sadly, this does not make it any easier when buying hardware. Getting a high quality surround player can be most difficult.

Finally as to which is better, it all comes down to a matter of taster. My complaint is that lack of high quality multichannel hardware. More manufacturers should consider that there are those of us who enjoy SA-CD and want multichannel playback in a machine. Our opinon counts just as much as those who prefer stereo.

Finally, if you are looking to listen to multichannel playback and want to demo an SA-CD player, make sure you use an SPL meter, (Sound pressure level) meter and a good tune up SA-CD like Stay in Tune with Pentatone and balance the speakers. You may not get the best results out of the system otherwise.

Happy listening and insist on more equipment that can provide stereo as well as multichannel playback!