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PS3 vs s9000es direct comparison for SACD playback

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As a satisfied early SACD adopter on this forum with a Sony s9000es my life is in a new phase with 3 teen/tweenage boys. I am now the proud owner of a Sony Playstation (PS3) which sits atop it. They both play through a 10 yr old Bryston pre/ Power amp combo and Acoustic Energy AE1 speakers ( Hey I'm English). The PS3 uses the tape loop, connected using Sony's proprietary very low-grade -looking analogue cable. We battle in High Fidelity.

I may be in a reasonably unique position to review the SACD playback comparison between them.

For example, with some slick work using both remote controls, I can play songs for which I have an identical SACD track in both machines simultaneously ( hit the "<<" button on both remotes at the same time). Using this technique, and setting the PS3 volume output at +1, It is possible to press the "tape" button and switch between sources with near zero volume change change or latency - a true comparison. A suitably trained accomplice helped conduct a single blind study, hitting the tape button at random intervals, where I was the listener and did not know the source.

I was able to compare several songs from the original Sony SACD sampler to the same SACD tracks on the respective full length albums that I had also purchased all those years ago:-

Bob Dylan "Blond on Blond - I Want You"
Cyndy Lauper - " Time After Time"
Yo-Yo Ma - "Appalachian Journey"

Results. With my slightly battle-damaged ears I could discern no difference in the units. Both sounded very good, but to my ears the PS3 was just as good as the S9000es despite its seemingly inadequate cabling. I realized that any bias I had inherently had in the s9000Es's favor was caused by a dicernable volume difference in the 2 sources, but this was cancelled by setting the PS3's output at +1. They then became identical.

The older box may now have a limited horizon, although I have loved it dearly. It still labors with some hybrid SACDs, favoring the CD track. The PS3 has no problem with this at all, diplaying all 3 sources ( CD, 2-channel SACD and surround SACD ) for a hybrid disk on screen and allowing you to select which. As a focal point of our family's entertainment, the PS3 is very good value and a player of high resolution video and audio formats.



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Topic - PS3 vs s9000es direct comparison for SACD playback - sande010 13:26:45 01/17/07 (4)


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