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In Reply to: RE: Thinking about upgrading my SACD player posted by Doktor Brahms on March 12, 2012 at 17:30:20
I have never understood why the big Japanese companies (Sony, Marantz, Pioneer, Yamaha, Esoteric, Luxman) have always had such a mononpoly on SACD players.
Musical Fidelity came out with one years ago, (Arcam and Cary have also dipped a toe into SACD waters) but since then very, very few of the hi-fi specialist companies have bothered. This is in stark contrast to the current DAC-mania, where everyone who is anyone has a DAC.
I would love to hear what Conrad-Johnson, EAR, Audio Note, Unison Research, Copland, Rotel, Primare, Rogue Audio, Jolida or Rega (to name a few) could do with an SACD player.
I think the choices of SACD players are too limited and the Japan-inc players all sound more alike than not. An "upgrade" from one to another is more a side-ways step.
Follow Ups:
Interesting take on this issue. My theory: in order to design an SACD player, you need to have access to a suitable transport device. As you observed, this doesn't seem to deter the high-end Japanese companies, but it may inhibit some of the other companies. Just a theory.
Ayre has two SACD-capable machines in its product line-up: one is based on the Oppo transport, and I understand that the other one uses a Pioneer transport. One can only assume that Ayre has a plentiful supply of both mechanisms on hand to ensure proper support in the future. The other manufacturers that you've mentioned may not want to go down that road.
If its just a transport issue, they could buy someone else's (SACD) transport.
EMM Labs have used Philips and now Esoteric-TEAC transports. Marantz has used transports sourced from Pioneer. Oppo used to use Sony transports. I think they use Sanyo sourced transports now. Not sure where Arcam sources their (SACD) transport. It might be a Sony.
Perhaps the cost of OEM-SACD transports is prohibitive for small companies.
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I wonder how (small) companies like Oppo, NAD, and Cambridge Audio are able to absorb the SACD licensing costs but other small companies cannot?
f
Regards,
Geoff
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