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Super Audio CD

Super Audio CD (SACD) is a read-only optical audio disc aimed at providing much higher fidelity digital audio reproduction than the compact disc. Introduced in 1999, it was developed by Sony and Philips Electronics, the same companies that created the CD. more...

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There is currently a format war with DVD-Audio, with neither side making any significant inroads to consumer acceptance. Media players that can play many formats (including DVD-Audio and SACD) are available for under $100, so both formats are likely to co-exist (as do DVD-R and DVD+R).

Overview

SACD uses a very different technology from CD and DVD-Audio to encode its audio data, a 1-bit delta-sigma modulation process known as Direct Stream Digital at the very high sampling rate of 2.8224 MegaHertz — with the typical sampling rate present on audio CDs currently being 44.1kHz.

SACDs must always contain a 2-channel stereo mix and may optionally contain a surround mix — either 5.0 or 5.1 layout. Although the disc always stores all channels, the surround mix does not have to use them all, and some may be mute; for example the 2001 SACD release of Mike Oldfield's Tubular Bells remained in the old quadraphonic 4.0 mix. The correct designation for the surround part of a SACD is "multi-channel", and usually has its own "Multi-Ch" logo on the back cover.

There are three types of SACDs:

Hybrid: The most popular of the three types, hybrid discs include an audio CD "Red Book" layer compatible with Compact Disc players, dubbed the "CD layer," and a 4.7 GB SACD layer, dubbed the "HD layer."; Single-layer: Physically a DVD-5 DVD, a single-layer SACD includes a 4.7 GB HD layer with no CD layer.; Dual-layer: Physically a DVD-9 DVD, a dual-layer SACD includes two HD layers totalling 8.5 GB, with no CD layer. This type is rarely used. It enables nearly twice as much data to be stored, but removes CD player compatibility.;

Integration

Currently the most interest in Super Audio CD discs has been from audiophiles and the recording industry which helps explain why most of the new releases in this format are classical, jazz and audiophile discs, although the biggest sellers are The Dark Side Of The Moon and Brothers in Arms. It remains an interesting question whether adoption of the new formats will be driven from the top down or bottom up. So far the trend has been from the top down with many labels adopting SACD for their new releases and re-releases, but mostly in the areas of classical music and jazz (the traditional hi-fi standards).

As of September 2006, there have been over 4,000 SACD releases, about 40% of which are classical music (source: Crow Left of the Murder, have been released in SACD format while many more popular older albums have been re-released in SACD format including most of Peter Gabriel's catalogue, most of Bob Dylan's catalogue, Pink Floyd's seminal album The Dark Side of the Moon (the 30th anniversary edition of 2003; there are also plans to release Wish You Were Here) and Roxy Music's Avalon (the 21st anniversary edition, 2003). The two latter albums were released on SACD to take advantage of the format's multi-channel capability. Both were remixed in 5.1 surround (leaving the original stereo mix intact), and released as Hybrid SACD's as an incentive for record buyers to switch from CD to SACD.