I've been listening to some of my discs in Stereo but I've noticed that my Samsung HD950 won't play the SACD layer of some of my hybrid discs. The SACD-only discs I have seem to work fine and some of the hybrids work fine, but on other hybrid discs it starts playing the CD layer and when I try to switch it a little "no symbol" pops up on the TV.
I've tried cleaning the discs, but to no avail. Is this just what I should expect with cheap old dvd players? Any tips? Any cheap tips?
The lack of playback of particular discs might be a region issue? I honestly don't even know if sacd were produced as region specific like dvds were...
As for strategy, I would spend a tiny bit extra coin and get something that will play more media types without needing to rely solely on legacy (analog input/output only) gear, which will justify spending that tiny bit more. This will ensure the system can do more than playback CDs and a handful of SACDs. The more useful it is, the more you'll likely use it. Don't let the starting point with the increasingly ancient $10 player be your baseline for future component considerations. It would make more sense to throw it out then try to put lipstick on it.
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DVD or Bluray player that includes SACD surround playback capability, with full bitstream capable hdmi output. Anything retail since 2010-ish should fulfill this -- just look at the owner's manual online before buying to be sure. [eBay is good for these, they aren't huge in size or super heavy]
Receiver that accepts hdmi video and bitstream audio input over the same wire [maybe a friend/family member has something in their closet, otherwise eBay is fine if willing to accept that shipping for something heavy diminishes the deal buying used]
You can get a 5.1 speaker setup in a box new for $250 or less that will be adequate. Putting this together is possible through the thrifting/flea markets, but might take a while and there's plenty of opportunities to buy something defective, or that dies a week later, or whatever. I think used is better if you're seeking out specialty gear, in which case the time for the hunt and risk of it being junk are outweighed by the thing itself. Guess I'm saying speakers can rattle, have a loose wire, be blown, etc. These things can't always be fully tested prior to bringing them home. Since new speakers and subs that sound decent are fairly cheap, I'd just go the new route for them.
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Craigslist might be an option if it's active in your area, and the seller might have the ability to test the gear with you at their place.
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Worth stating the obvious -- a good surround setup isn't done cheap, so everything in your scenario is going to be compromised. I have about $1300 (some of it is aging though) into my budget 4k bluray/sacd/dvda playback system, and this is the bare minimum I could see spending and getting a pleasing experience from. It sounds like you want to come into this at 30% that cost total. IMHO that's an impossibility unless you luck out (someone gives you free stuff) or take many many many months or years seeking components used.
