Is SACD playback or ripping bit perfect?

microstrip

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It is known since long that playback of CDs with good readers is bit perfect, unless the disk is badly damaged. The error correction mechanisms are well known, some players had counters that indicated the number of fully corrected errors, interpolation corrections and uncorrected errors. Ripping software gives us statistics concerning errors - bit perfect in almost all the CDs I ripped.

However I could not find similar information concerning SACD or DSD files ripped using either the PS3 or the Pioneer DVD player. What level of accuracy do we get on this format?
 

Bruce B

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I have quite a few raw DSD files that were produced on SACD. The files were converted to a DSD-Edit master file and stamped to the SACD.
I've done so much testing on this to see if your questions were valid. I can only say that to my findings, the PS3 rips were different from my Sonoma rips, which the DSD files were edited on.

Secondly, playing back through a SACD player changes the files relative to what filters are present on audio output. Every (?) SACD player has filters to block the freq. above 25k and depending on the kinds (slopes) of the filters, depends on what you get on output.
 
Last edited:

michael123

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I have quite a few raw DSD files that were produced on SACD. The files were converted to a DSD-Edit master file and stamped to the SACD.
I've done so much testing on this to see if your questions were valid. I can only say that to my findings, the PS3 rips were different from my Sonoma rips, which the DSD files were edited on.

Interesting, .. what about the commercial online shops selling DSD titles?
I thought they are using quite the same 'technology'
 

Bruce B

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Interesting, .. what about the commercial online shops selling DSD titles?
I thought they are using quite the same 'technology'

We transferred over 4000 titles for HDtracks the past 8yr. I don't know what the other folks are doing.
 

microstrip

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We transferred over 4000 titles for HDtracks the past 8yr. I don't know what the other folks are doing.


What type of original format were the sources you transferred? Is your studio participation "tagged" anyway in the files?
 

astrotoy

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To go back to the OP question, I've ripped SACDs with my PS3. Occasionally I've done the same SACD twice. The ripped files haven't been exactly the same size, so I conclude that at least one of them was not copied bit perfect. Larry
 

microstrip

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To go back to the OP question, I've ripped SACDs with my PS3. Occasionally I've done the same SACD twice. The ripped files haven't been exactly the same size, so I conclude that at least one of them was not copied bit perfect. Larry

This is disturbing. Effectively I could not find exact details about SACD readout errors and statistics concerning it. I found that the SACD utilizes similar error correction to DVD-Video, but little else.
 

Folsom

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To go back to the OP question, I've ripped SACDs with my PS3. Occasionally I've done the same SACD twice. The ripped files haven't been exactly the same size, so I conclude that at least one of them was not copied bit perfect. Larry

There could be other factors at play, you can't really guarantee that's why. You would need a better way to compare them.
 

microstrip

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I was speaking of SACD's. (...)

Even more disturbing. Are you saying that when we get DSD files from HDtracks they are probably coming from SACD ripping, not from the DSD exact master files?
 

Bruce B

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Even more disturbing. Are you saying that when we get DSD files from HDtracks they are probably coming from SACD ripping, not from the DSD exact master files?

Correct. We had the DSD master files of several albums and material was bit perfect the way we did the transfer.
 

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