I am currently using a samsung H40E dvd recorder to play my 2 channel hifi on and play dvd's. As my main priority is music I am looking to get into sacd sound but still retain a 1 unit option for playing dvd;s as well, I am obviously looking at universal players but can anyone recommend a good universal player or steer me clear of the bad ones. Thanks. Paul,

Hi Paul, have you seen the Pioneer DV-757Ai? It's about £800 an a real beauty- my friend's got one, and I'm VERY jealous! It'll not only play SACD but DVD-A's as well. And it goes without saying that the picture from DVD's is fantastic :) Too much money for me, but it might be the thing you're looking for?

Pioneer have another one that can play all formats but comes in at £150. The DV-575A is better for DVD than the hi-res formats or CD but at least you can play them for very little outlay. Then again there's stuff like Denon's DVD-A1XV that excels with SACD and includes top-notch video processing tech - one of those could set you back up to £2.5K though...

Thanks Tom & Dave for your feedback. I usually go for high endish stuff that is a 4 or 5 years old and by now at reasonable prices but, with the rate of advancement in technology these days I am starting to think, just go for a new or newish model at about 3-4 hundred pounds. The trouble I have at the moment is that I have not heard sacd I am just going on what I have read. I have been into hifi now for 30 years and I have been reading hifi mags for all that time and 30 years ago is when they told us to get rid of valve amps in favour of the then new transistorised amps from japan and every year we had the new rave amp or speaker or deck etc., that made all previous models obsolete. Well with all those giant leaps music still sounds roughly the same and music was enjoyable then with the right equipment the same as it is now. Obviously recording techniques have moved on since then which is why I am interested in sacd stereo because its all in the recording, (not multi channel as I don't have the room) and I've always believed that cd's were capable of more. Now to get back to the reason for righting, Is a higher priced or more up to date decoder /reproducer of the new information on the CD that much better than the lower priced versions. Please let me know your views or first hand knowledge on this . Cheers. Paul.

More expensive SACD players, much like their standard CD or DVD counterparts, tend to have more sophisticated/more efficient circuitry for reproducing the sound on the disc. As with most hi-fi, you generally get what you pay for, and after a certain point (pretty much decided on an individual basis) improvements are subject to the law of diminishing returns (a four grand player isn't going to sound four times as good as a £1,000 one, no matter what anyone tells you).
If you're thinking of getting an SACD player though, definitely try before you buy - ask a dealer to set up a dem for you and see if you can appreciate what all the fuss is about. You will hear a difference, but how much money you're prepared to spend on it will depend on how much you appreciate the improvement.

Thanks Dave, I totally agree with you on the laws of diminishing returns but, somtimes you can get a gem at a stupid price. I have resd reviews, gone for a demo and totally disagreed with the mags findings. For instance, NAD amps etc., get rave reviews but I don't rate them, its not my sort of sound, I make up my own mind. Yes I used to attend demos but I don't have the time these days. The great thing about ebay is that you cen buy and demo stuff and if you don't like it you can sell it on. Cheers. Paul.

Know what you mean about NAD, not something I'd necessarily buy myself, but I know others who swear by them - it's not like their bad, but they do have their own approach, and it's certainly not for everyone. Do let us know how you get on with the ebay glory hole...

What is it with NAD's stuff? They always get great reviews, but then when they're talked about in AV communities there's a much more muted response to them. Having never tried any of their equipment I'm keen to know if they have a 'signature' sound or something that is putting some people off.

I'm not sure where this anti-NAD attitude comes from. I've personally had the same NAD amp about the last 8-9 years and I've always been more than pleased with it. There is often a tendancy for people to go against what is popular and recieves great reviews in a bid to show their individuality and that they're not 'one of the crowd'.

Nad : With all the Buzzwords out there we are left with a meaningless vocabulary for
describing Musical Reproduction . Thats the way it is for Artwork so why notElectronics
I have the top end Nad Amp. & Pre-amp.This
designer Emphasizes Bold, Clean Power that
will bring out the Best in Good Speakers. Its not soft or Mellow as some , but with
properly matched Cables(all) one can tune
the output a bit-Also nad puts back the coutour controls we had in the 70's But they
do not alter or Boom the sound , just blend it at both extremes of the sound-