JP
I’m all for choice, in fact some people know me as “Mister Choice” seeing as I’m so open to suggestion (please note, this is a lie), but sometimes a gadget comes along that leaves you wondering exactly who will ever buy it. Pioneer’s PD-D9 is one such lump, being as it is not only a CD player but – drumroll, please – an SACD player too.
SACD, in case you feel asleep during the relevant tutorial, is the joint venture between Sony and Philips aimed at bringing higher quality sound with up to six audio channels on a single disc. Hyped at its 1999 launch as the big rival to the similarly quiet DVD-A format, even Sony themselves seem to have forgotten about it in their concentration on Blu-Ray.
Still, if you manage to find an SACD disc and you’re desperate for a new deck to play it on, perhaps the PD-D9 is your best friend. It uses the Wolfson Twin DAC WM8741 chipset and supports mp3 and WMA discs also.
Available now, it’s priced at €850 ($1,199).
4 Responses to “Pioneer PD-D9 SACD deck launches to stifled yawns”
Ungh October 10, 2007
Wow whoever he’s showing that phone to sounds like a complete moron
+2Danny Tse October 10, 2007
Chris,
You really near to stay informed of what’s happening with SACD before you write your uninformed article about the format. There’s no desparation to find SACD players because they are plenty on the market, from $150.00 to over $10,000.00. Go check out the websites of Denon, Onkyo, Yamaha, Sony, Pioneer, etc. As for SACD titles, the internet is your friend….568 titles have been announced or released so far this year, according to sa-cd.net. BTW, this Pioneer CD/SACD was released last year overseas. You really should’ve reported on it last year.
-1threerandot October 15, 2007
For the serious music listenere, SA-CD brings the real flesh of the musical experience into your home. Remember how much people complained about the compact disc years ago? Well, SA-CD rivals vinyl in its warmth, but I personally feel that SA-CD even outdoes vinyl in depth, clarity and detail. It really is something you need to hear for yourself. I can’t imagine going without an SA-CD player now. I still have a traditional redbook player that I listen to, but CD does not match SA-CD. Why not go and hear the format for yourself and decide? If you want to learn more about the format, check out the FAQ at sa-cd.net?
NeutralSteve Burke February 8, 2008
Other than the fact you’ve mentioned the chipset, this article is pretty uninformed.
Neutral