Super Audio CD Format Tops 4,000 Titles

[jmrosen]

Sony's Super Audio CD Project has announced that the SACD format has now passed the 4,000 mark when it comes to albums released. According to Sony SACD Project officials, the Super Audio CD that hit the 4,000 title mark was the album Structures by John Abercrombie and Eddie Gomez with Gene Jackson (Chesky SACD 317), one of the initial titles in the New York Sessions series of Jazz Super Audio CD releases.

The news comes just over a year after last summer's announcement that the number of Super Audio CDs had topped 3,000. In that case, the 3,000 SACD mark was reached with the release of the 5.1 Surround Sound edition of Brothers in Arms by the Dire Straits in the European market (Vertigo/Mercury Records 971498). That SACD release proved popular enough that it was not only available in Europe but it also appeared in a variety of U.S. web sites and music stores as well.

A check of the www.sa-cd.net web site that catalogs Super Audio CD releases shows that the number of SACD titles continues to grow, with the current number of titles reaching 4,048 at last look. In the last year, the format has been buoyed by Super Audio CD releases in the Classical, Jazz and Audiophile categories and by independent record labels such as Channel Classics, PentaTone, Telarc, Membran, Octavia, Delta and BIS. This is in addition to releases from SonyBMG which claims to be the largest producer of SACD albums to date - with 699 titles in their catalog according to Sony officials.

Comments from the Sony SACD Project
Sony commemorated hitting and passing the 4,000 SACD title milestone with an announcement in their HD World newsletter. In it, Yushi Igarashi, General Manager, Super Audio CD Project, Home Audio Division, Sony Audio Business Group said that "It is highly appropriate that this honour goes to Chesky. As well as being the vanguard of Super Audio CD’s development as a creative distribution medium, Chesky has recently announced that in future, all of its new releases will be single inventory Super Audio CDs."

Igarashi went on to talk about Sony's continuing role in SACD noting that "As the format holder, Sony, together with Philips, continues to support Super Audio CD very strongly. We continue to introduce an ever expanding range of players in a number of categories; we have integrated DSD audio processing within the Sony VAIO PC range; SonyBMG is a very active record company with Super Audio CD and the imminent launch of PlayStation 3 sees Super Audio CD as a standard playback feature within the device."

New Super Audio CD Player from Sony
HD World reports that "senior Sony executives positioned Super Audio CD within the company’s core operations." As evidence of that position, Sony cites their recent announcement of a new SACD player, the SCD-XA1200ES as part of their ES series "pure HiFi Audio category" products.

Masahiro Otsu, Senior General Manager of Home Audio Division in Sony's Audio Business Group said that "We continue to reinforce the Home Theatre product category together with the introduction of the Blu-ray Disc format. Also, we are developing and promoting the pure HiFi Audio product category for customers who used to enjoy audio in 1970's to 90's - so called “baby boomers”, and also for their juniors to let them understand the great pleasure of listening to music through real HiFi audio products. The pure HiFi Audio category is the root of our audio business. So, we continue to position it as a key category in addition to the rapidly expanding Home Theatre AV category.

 

[JonUrban]

"SonyBMG is a very active record company with Super Audio CD"

Hmmmmm

Well, I don't want to rain on anyone's parade, so I won't.

What I would like to see are more "mainstream" SACD releases, especially from SONY. Then, I would be celebrating!

Get the latest Springsteens, the new Dylan, other modern popular artists on the Sony labels out on SACD, and we have something there.

A new player is nice, but if it were not for labels like Chesky and Telarc (here in the USA), SACD would basically be a "Far East" product. Considering that its inventor is here in the USA, it would be nice if the US consumer could get what they want on SACD.......like:

The Al Kooper titles "in the can" ready to go.
The Steely Dan early albums
The next Elton John series of releases, including his new disc

You know what I mean.

Still, keeping it upbeat, THANK YOU TELARC and CHESKY for keeping this format alive in the USA! Now, how about it's parents?

 

[Guy Robinson]

They talk a good game. Let's see some tangible ongoing output of new mainstream releases that the average consumer will enjoy.

 

[aquadad]

Hmmmmm
Well, I don't want to rain on anyone's parade

Hmmmmmm,

For some odd reason, it's literally raining here in SoCal today ...Who ever said it NEVER rains in California? I know Fievel said, "Never say never.".

 

[Chris Gerhard]

Over 4,000 titles is impressive. There are a lot of great releases included in the 4,000 and if Sony intends to continue to release music then I can understand their hyping this format's good beginning. From all I can see, Sony has no plans to release popular music on SACD and I am puzzled why they are even trying to promote new hardware to play it. Market conditions change and decisions can change with them so maybe somebody at Sony will decide to try SACD again. The software and hardware divisions sure don't seem to be in tune here. Maybe the SACD players are profitable for the company and the same market that buys the Telarc and Chessky SACD releases will buy the high-end Sony players but exactly what plans Sony has are sure not clear to me.

Chris

 

[bobou2]

Hmmmmm

Well, I don't want to rain on anyone's parade, so I won't.

What I would like to see are more "mainstream" SACD releases, especially from SONY. Then, I would be celebrating!

Get the latest Springsteens, the new Dylan, other modern popular artists on the Sony labels out on SACD, and we have something there.

A new player is nice, but if it were not for labels like Chesky and Telarc (here in the USA), SACD would basically be a "Far East" product. Considering that its inventor is here in the USA, it would be nice if the US consumer could get what they want on SACD.......like:

The Al Kooper titles "in the can" ready to go.
The Steely Dan early albums
The next Elton John series of releases, including his new disc

You know what I mean.

Still, keeping it upbeat, THANK YOU TELARC and CHESKY for keeping this format alive in the USA! Now, how about it's parents?

If there was more "mainstream" rock titles I'd be :banana:

but I'm feeling more like @:

 

[bmoura]

Over 4,000 titles is impressive. There are a lot of great releases included in the 4,000 and if Sony intends to continue to release music then I can understand their hyping this format's good beginning. From all I can see, Sony has no plans to release popular music on SACD and I am puzzled why they are even trying to promote new hardware to play it. Market conditions change and decisions can change with them so maybe somebody at Sony will decide to try SACD again. The software and hardware divisions sure don't seem to be in tune here. Maybe the SACD players are profitable for the company and the same market that buys the Telarc and Chessky SACD releases will buy the high-end Sony players but exactly what plans Sony has are sure not clear to me.

Chris

As I noted in the thread on this over in the SACD section at https://www.quadraphonicquad.com/forums/showthread.php?t=7077 and the story on High Fidelity Review at http://www.highfidelityreview.com/news/news.asp?newsnumber=15587172 there have been over 1,000 SACD releases since 2005. So the independent labels mentioned in the story have been busy!

 

[Chris Gerhard]

As I noted in the thread on this over in the SACD section at https://www.quadraphonicquad.com/forums/showthread.php?t=7077 and the story on High Fidelity Review at http://www.highfidelityreview.com/news/news.asp?newsnumber=15587172 there have been over 1,000 SACD releases since 2005. So the independent labels mentioned in the story have been busy!

Yes, and that is a good number from the independent labels. Unfortunately for me, that means there were no more than a handful of titles that were of interest. If classical music interested me more, I am sure I would consider SACD more than a technological success and I would be checking for new releases often.

Chris

 

[bmoura]

Yes, and that is a good number from the independent labels. Unfortunately for me, that means there were no more than a handful of titles that were of interest. If classical music interested me more, I am sure I would consider SACD more than a technological success and I would be checking for new releases often.

Chris

The core of the SACD format has been independent and audiophile record labels, jazz and classical music from day one. The fact that this continues to drive the format forward shows the wisdom of starting there in the early days of SACD.

I tend to follow the Jazz SACD releases more than the Classical ones. But there are some very nice Surround Sound SACDs coming out in that arena.

For example, the Big Band SACDs recorded direct to DSD in recent months from Telarc by John Pizzarelli and Ann Hampton Callaway are ones not to be missed by Surround Sound fans!

 

[Cai Campbell]

The core of the SACD format has been independent and audiophile record labels, jazz and classical music from day one. The fact that this continues to drive the format forward shows the wisdom of starting there in the early days of SACD.

Drive the format forward? More like keep it on life support! Yes, it started with independent/audiophile labels and that's where it will end.

SACD's heyday is past and it will take a miracle to bring it back to the level of its glory days. But I guess it depends on your POV. If you're a classical guy or love impeccably recorded c-list artists, then now is a great time for you and SACD.

 

[bmoura]

Drive the format forward? More like keep it on life support!

Over 1,000 SACD releases in one year. Hmm, doesn't sound like "on life support" to me.

I say keep them coming. I'm certainly enjoying the new Surround Sound SACD releases here.

 

[Cai Campbell]

Over 1,000 SACD releases in one year. Hmm, doesn't sound like "on life support" to me.

I say keep them coming. I'm certainly enjoying the new Surround Sound SACD releases here.

Like I said, depends on your point of view... quantity is but a small part of the equation for me.

 

[bmoura]

Like I said, depends on your point of view... quantity is but a small part of the equation for me.

It's also a question of what kind of music you like. I've always been a fan of many types of music. And there has been a lot of wonderful music in the SACD releases in the last 12 months.

I say to the labels issuing the SACDs, keep 'em coming!

 

[ct]

I appreciate that many good new releases have been issued recently, especially classical, but the fact that these releases appear to be available only "on line" now, and not in stores, must limit the growth of both hi rez format's.

 

[bmoura]

I appreciate that many good new releases have been issued recently, especially classical, but the fact that these releases appear to be available only "on line" now, and not in stores, must limit the growth of both hi rez format's.

With the closing of Tower Records, that's also true of all but the biggest selling Stereo CD releases as well.

Today's sellers of music on disc just don't stock a very broad line of titles.

 

[timbre4]

1000 new discs is an amazing fact; now if I can find 10 SURROUND SACDs I really want to buy is the issue. I thought the majority was classical too....

 

[bmoura]

1000 new discs is an amazing fact; now if I can find 10 SURROUND SACDs I really want to buy is the issue. I thought the majority was classical too....

Yes, adding another 1,000 SACD titles in just over a year is encouraging.

As for buying Surround Sound SACDs, it depends on what kind of music you like. In the last 12 months we've seen Surround SACDs from the Moody Blues, Depeche Mode, Duran Duran, John Legend, John Meyer, Spyro Gyra, Switchfoot and Al Di Meola. Along with the Classical, Jazz and Audiophile SACDs. Some interesting choices there to my ears.

 

[jaybird100]

Yes, adding another 1,000 SACD titles in just over a year is encouraging.

As for buying Surround Sound SACDs, it depends on what kind of music you like. In the last 12 months we've seen Surround SACDs from the Moody Blues, Depeche Mode, Duran Duran, John Legend, John Meyer, Spyro Gyra, Switchfoot and Al Di Meola. Along with the Classical, Jazz and Audiophile SACDs. Some interesting choices there to my ears.

Interesting that all this comes not too long after Sony had initially stated the SACD project was being discontinued. I've got a fair collection of these discs and enjoy them all. Now, if UMG will just allow the Steely Dan and Elton John discs to be mastered and released, I'll be a happy camper. But there's a lot of other music out there that could benefit from SACD's higher fidelity and surround sound. I'd be interested in hearing some of James Last's music in full SACD 5.1. Maybe even some Paul Mauriat. My tastes are eclectic, so I'd really be glad to see music of all genres released on surround SACD. I doubt I'll ever see it, but one can dream.

 

[bmoura]

Interesting that all this comes not too long after Sony had initially stated the SACD project was being discontinued. I've got a fair collection of these discs and enjoy them all. Now, if UMG will just allow the Steely Dan and Elton John discs to be mastered and released, I'll be a happy camper. But there's a lot of other music out there that could benefit from SACD's higher fidelity and surround sound. I'd be interested in hearing some of James Last's music in full SACD 5.1. Maybe even some Paul Mauriat. My tastes are eclectic, so I'd really be glad to see music of all genres released on surround SACD. I doubt I'll ever see it, but one can dream.

The announcement of the 4,000 SACDs came from Sony's SACD Project Manager in Japan. So the comment about "the SACD project being discontinued" isn't correct.

 

[jaybird100]

The announcement of the 4,000 SACDs came from Sony's SACD Project Manager in Japan. So the comment about "the SACD project being discontinued" isn't correct.

You say Sony has not discontinued the SACD project, but when did you last see any significant new releases in THIS country? It's been a while. And the word that Sony was cutting out SACD's was in one of the major publications, in fact, I believe it was in SOUND AND VISION. UMG has also announced they were not planning to release any more SACD's in this country. It would appear they were pressured into releasing the Moody Blues discs by fans who were willing to order them from overseas. Also, this list of 4000+ titles... where can one peruse this list?