We're not sure about how well the
SACD (Super Audio CD) format is doing in Japan, but if it's anything like it is here in the US, then the iPod input on Pioneer Japan's PDX-Z10 SACD player will be a welcome addition to those audiophiles who actually want a wide selection of content. To be fair, the PDX-Z10 packs a fair bit of audio utility into its sleek chassis, with a 2x50-Watt amp, USB input, and an ethernet port for DLNA access to media stored around your local network. The PDX-Z10 is set for a late May release, but the ¥150,000 ($1500) pricetag is going to relegate this piece of gear to the executive offices. Again, we're not intimately familiar with the Japanese market, but we're scratching our heads over how Pioneer could
shutter the Kuro displays, but keep a light on for SACD.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
chuckdaly @ Apr 21st 2009 7:08AM
Audiophiles don't want Ipod inputs, they want USB inputs. Using your Ipod on your home systems is like brown bagging it at the dinner table. Since you must have a computer to use an Ipod, accessing the files from the computer is the way to go. The Apple Remote program only makes it that much easier to control the songs on Itunes from the comfort of your couch
Brian @ Apr 21st 2009 10:29AM
chuckdaly is right, I have my computer connected to a Cambridge Audio DAC magic, then running to a Anthem pre-pro to Paradigm studio 100s, sounds amazing. I did make sure all of my music was recorded to apple lossless first! The only thing that might sound better, "might" is my NAD sacd player. Its a shame kids and there Limewire mp3s have ruined the SACD market. sacd to music is blue-ray to movies, IF!!!!! you have a good stereo, no, not sony bose or polk! LOL
AisforAwesome @ Apr 21st 2009 11:00AM
Polks aren't Paradigms, but they do make some great speakers (at fair prices) that can certainly benefit from SACD...
kevon27 @ Apr 21st 2009 4:37PM
For dissing Polk, the next time I see your on the street, I'm gonna beat you with a rubber hose.
kevon27 @ Apr 21st 2009 10:31AM
Sacd/ Dvd-A need to be replaced with High Definition Audio (.hda) downloads.
Ipod, zunes, sansa's, etc, will be upraged with big hard drives (250gb and more).
.hda files and players will have specs equal to or better than DTS-HD master audio.
I want the quality of sacd and dvd-a but the music selection is way to small (over populated with classical and some other types of music I would rarely listen to.
matteman30 @ Apr 21st 2009 2:24PM
Same story in Japan: most SACD releases are classical, piano, jazz, etc.
Steven H. Taylor @ Apr 23rd 2009 8:17PM
Same story in Japan, yes, except they buy SACDs in much larger number than Americans and even Europeans. No wonder Japanese brands keep releasing SACD players.
Josh @ May 3rd 2009 12:16PM
Actually, if you look what's happening, the mass market is going to downloads (almost always at even lower quality than CD 16bit /44.1kHz), and at the other extreme, the audiophile market is moving to hi-rez SACD. CD as an audiophile concept is finished. Marantz have basically moved their entire line-up of standalone players to SACD. Pioneer - moved lineup to SACD. Yamaha - almost all SACD. Sony - same: they only sell 1 standalone CD player today - everything else is now SACD. And the real big boys of the audiophile market - Krell and Mark Levinson - don't even sell ANY CD players anymore. Finished. Kaput. They've both moved from CD to hi-rez SACD.
JOsh @ May 3rd 2009 12:41PM
> Pioneer Japan's PDX-Z10 SACD player will be a welcome addition to those audiophiles who actually want a wide selection of content
That makes no sense at all.
First, every SACD player can play all the SACD content + every CD on the market, so SACD provides more content; not less.
Second, if you are talking only about Hi-REZ content --- well, any audiophile interested in hi-rez is hardly going to be playing mp3 files off an iPod, are they? rofl. don't think an iPod's D/A converter will do anything better than CD quality anyway. And, since a standard SACD file is about 5 gig in size, even if you could get such content onto your iPod, you'd only get a few albums onto it before it is full.
Third, there are now over 5500 hi-rez SACDs on the market from over different 440 labels. That's exponentially more hi-rez content on SACD than ALL the other hi-rez formats combined (DVD-Audio, hi-rez downloads, Blu-ray audio), which total in the low hundreds. SACD might be small compared to the whole CD industry, but in the hi-rez world, it is king.