Pioneer PD-D9 SACD deck launches to stifled yawns
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.
![](https://www.slashgear.com/img/gallery/pioneer-pd-d9-sacd-deck-launches-to-stifled-yawns/Pioneer_PD_D9_2.jpg)
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).