Stephen Best Report on HK SACD Workshop

[bmoura]

FYI, Stephen Best from the www.sa-cd.net web site has posted a report on the recent SACD Workshop held in Hong Kong on his site at http://www.sa-cd.net/shownews/23

It has some interesting information and highlights from the event.

 

[ssully]

I don't get it...he's part of sa-cd.net but this was his first time hearing multichannel?

 

[bmoura]

I don't get it...he's part of sa-cd.net but this was his first time hearing multichannel?

He's not just part of sa-cd.net, he owns it!

As for hearing Multichannel, there are a lot of audiophiles out there who are still 2 channel only fans. True for both SACD and DVD-A purchasers.

 

[Guy Robinson]

He's not just part of sa-cd.net, he owns it!

As for hearing Multichannel, there are a lot of audiophiles out there who are still 2 channel only fans. True for both SACD and DVD-A purchasers.

This is true but I was surprised as well. You would think that a guy so heavily involved in a format would have made it upper priority to hear all available aspects of it. It's like a Maytag salesman demonstrating a range and using the burners on the top all the time. Then all of a sudden he discovers that there is an oven in it!!!!!

 

[soundboy]

My first post here, so please be gentle....

Regarding listening in stereo only, a number of factors may dictate that. I currently enjoy my SACDs in stereo only as well, and while I like to set up a multi-channel setup, my room doesn't allow me to do that. Also, $$$ comes into play....while my current stereo setup is hardly big $$$ (and I'm sure some of you have interconnects that cost more than my entire setup), achieving the same level of quality over 5.1, if not more, channels is beyond my financial means right now. Then, there's the SAF. This is just my hurdles to get over for multi-channel playback, I have no idea what Stephen's situation is.

Regarding the Sony/Universal/Philips SACD conference/workshop in Hong Kong, it's interesting that HK Universal has decided to release both of its new single-inventory SACDs, Ding Fei-fei's "Origin" and Christopher Wong's "EverGreen", in multi-channel. From what I've read in the local audiophile magazines there, HK Universal is determined to push the format into the mainstream.

Having just visited HK myself, I noticed recent HK SACD releases from the HK Universal and HK EMI have been mostly multi-channel. HK EMI have released 3 Sarah Brightman albums on multi-channel hybrids, plus one each multi-channel hybrid SACD title from Vanessa Mae and Maksim.

 

[Guy Robinson]

Having just visited HK myself, I noticed recent HK SACD releases from the HK Universal and HK EMI have been mostly multi-channel. HK EMI have released 3 Sarah Brightman albums on multi-channel hybrids, plus one each multi-channel hybrid SACD title from Vanessa Mae and Maksim.

Welcome Soundboy,
All I meant was that SACD seems to loom large in the dude's life and he is missing the best part of it in my estimation. You took a trip to Hong Kong but you can't afford to set up a 5.1 system!!!!

Priorities!!!!!

 

[soundboy]

Haha

Actually, I am giving multi-channel playback serious consideration in recent days. I read an article in one of the local Hong Kong audiophile magazines where a guy is doing a 7.1 system in a 72 sq.ft. living room, which kind of gives you an idea of the typical living space in HK. This guy was using a Denon 3805 receiver with the local version of the Pioneer 563A. Since even my tiny listening room, actually a multi-purpose den, is bigger than 72 sq.ft., multi-channel is definitely in the future of my system.

 

[winopener]

Haha

Actually, I am giving multi-channel playback serious consideration in recent days. I read an article in one of the local Hong Kong audiophile magazines where a guy is doing a 7.1 system in a 72 sq.ft. living room, which kind of gives you an idea of the typical living space in HK. This guy was using a Denon 3805 receiver with the local version of the Pioneer 563A. Since even my tiny listening room, actually a multi-purpose den, is bigger than 72 sq.ft., multi-channel is definitely in the future of my system.

For us foot-impaired, how much is 72sq.ft? Anyway, i'm running my mch system on a 20 sq.meters room and sure i can't blow fully the amplifier but i managed just yesterday night to "bassly remove" some painting from the ceiling while monitoring a Rick Wakeman mch transfer.

 

[soundboy]

For us foot-impaired, how much is 72sq.ft? Anyway, i'm running my mch system on a 20 sq.meters room and sure i can't blow fully the amplifier but i managed just yesterday night to "bassly remove" some painting from the ceiling while monitoring a Rick Wakeman mch transfer.

72 sq.ft. roughly comes to less than 3 sq.meters

 

[winopener]

72 sq.ft. roughly comes to less than 3 sq.meters

Until two years ago, on my previous location, i had a very close setup that rougly was 3 sq.meters, done with 4 regular Tannoy speakers (not the tiny satellites used nowadays) a Rotel quad receiver and a dts decoder. Despite the small space, it was very enjoyable, especially working with this mch setup cranking well! DTP can be quite boring without some good music...

 

[soundboy]

Until two years ago, on my previous location, i had a very close setup that rougly was 3 sq.meters, done with 4 regular Tannoy speakers (not the tiny satellites used nowadays) a Rotel quad receiver and a dts decoder. Despite the small space, it was very enjoyable, especially working with this mch setup cranking well! DTP can be quite boring without some good music...

Yeah, this guy had floor-standing speakers in the front, with a full size center, but tiny satellites for surround speakers.

I have NHT SB2s for left/right speakers, so if possible, 5 identical speakers for my multi-channel setup.

 

[bmoura]

Welcome Soundboy,
All I meant was that SACD seems to loom large in the dude's life and he is missing the best part of it in my estimation. You took a trip to Hong Kong but you can't afford to set up a 5.1 system!!!!

Priorities!!!!!

The good news is that when they do add the speakers and amps for Surround, it will be like rediscovering their SACD collections all over again when they play those Surround SACDs!

 

[Guy Robinson]

Yeah, this guy had floor-standing speakers in the front, with a full size center, but tiny satellites for surround speakers.

I have NHT SB2s for left/right speakers, so if possible, 5 identical speakers for my multi-channel setup.

Well I have found that the rears for music sound best around 7 feet off the floor beside the listening position so huge speakers cannot be used here but tiny satellites should not be used either. I have a tweeter and a 6.5" in my rear speakers which seems to be more than adequate. This is in contrast to my center (horizontal design) and fronts (floor standing) which all have the same configuration of a tweeter plus 2 x 6.5". However all 5 are timbre matched with exactly the same drivers. The front array just has an extra speaker per box.