How not to get wrong with online SACD findings ?

[Malhomme]

High to all. I'd like to have everyone return of experience on that subject. SACD are increasingly difficult to find, and sometimes the price is outrageous, even second hand. Not getting wrong on what you buy online is paramount. For example I'd like to buy a multichannel version of Miles Davies Kind Of Blue, or of Deep Purple's Machine Head. But these exist in many different editions, some are single layer, some are hybrid, and some are stereo, others multichannel. Most of the time, second hand sellers have no idea what they sell. Even on platforms (Amazon comes to mind, or FNAC in France), no one knows what is sold. How to not get wrong ? What is your strategy when you really only want that multichannel edition ???
Thanks in advance !

 

[LennonCobain]

High to all. I'd like to have everyone return of experience on that subject. SACD are increasingly difficult to find, and sometimes the price is outrageous, even second hand. Not getting wrong on what you buy online is paramount. For example I'd like to buy a multichannel version of Miles Davies Kind Of Blue, or of Deep Purple's Machine Head. But these exist in many different editions, some are single layer, some are hybrid, and some are stereo, others multichannel. Most of the time, second hand sellers have no idea what they sell. Even on platforms (Amazon comes to mind, or FNAC in France), no one knows what is sold. How to not get wrong ? What is your strategy when you really only want that multichannel edition ???
Thanks in advance !

Your best bet is to purchase from a website (such as eBay) where the listing is showing you actual pictures of the item for sale. Plus eBay allows you to message the seller.

Discogs is great as well as the sellers tend to list their items accurately. While you don’t see the pictures of the item, you can message the sellers as well. Discogs tends to be more expensive than eBay, however.

 

[Malhomme]

Thanks for the answer. The issue, for example on the Head Hunters SACD, is that nothing changes visualy between the 4 editions existing, and one of the three is a stereo only.
DIscogs is a good idea. It may be the price for security or purchase.

 

[LennonCobain]

Thanks for the answer. The issue, for example on the Head Hunters SACD, is that nothing changes visualy between the 4 editions existing, and one of the three is a stereo only.
DIscogs is a good idea. It may be the price for security or purchase.

I am not familiar with the specifics of this particular title, but are you suggesting that even the disc label shows “Stereo/Multi-CH” for the stereo-only SACD? There must be some visual cues if the more obvious ones (e.g. UPC or catalog number) can’t be relied upon for identification.

 

[Malhomme]

No, when it is sold second had on a platform (save Discogs) you don't get any information, it is hit and miss. I checked on several cases when there was ambiguity, I was none the wiser, and when you ask, most of the time, people don't know.

 

[ronsonroll]

I used to reference SA-CD.net for SACD information which changed to HRAudio.net for information on SACD but also Blu-ray Audio.

 

[barfle]

I have had similar problems with P.D.Q. Bach’s “Wurst of”. The jacket says quad, but I don’t know if it was ever actually pressed in quad. Best to specifically ask the seller for that detail.

 

[Malhomme]

I used to reference SA-CD.net for SACD information which changed to HRAudio.net for information on SACD but also Blu-ray Audio.

This is also my source. It may seem paradoxal, but it spawned doubts on SACDs I wanted to buy second hand. As I said they remain expensive, and I don't buy as many as I'd wish, so I'd better be sure. I've had a hard time with platforms (they don't answer to quiery most of the time, again discogs excepted, where I found my Tomita albums). Not to mention HRAudio and Discogs don't agree on some. For example, Analogue Solution Jeff Beck Wired is reported as stereo only on HRAudio, and multichannel on discogs (and the Sony edition does not exist on Discogs that list an Epic edition that does not exist on HRAudio)

 

[relaxing]

At least on Amazon you can return it if it ends up being the wrong item. And problems are getting less common because these platforms encourage sellers to start listing by scanning the barcode, so it’s harder to get a bad listing (at least for releases post-bar code era.)

Still I recently got bitten trying to buy a Miles Davis SACD from Japan, but the seller sent the regular CD release. In the end they let me keep the disc rather than pay the return shipping at their expense, so it wasn’t the worst experience in the world.