How Can You Rip SACD Files ?

[mwheelerk]

There have been threads regarding use of a PS3 player to RIP SACD to file but is there any other method that would allow us to have DSD files to playback from a Mac Mini system?

[REShaman]

There have been threads regarding use of a PS3 player to RIP SACD to file but is there any other method that would allow us to have DSD files to playback from a Mac Mini system?

 

Great question which I have been extremely interested in finding the answer to as I made an error in judgment when I purchased my PS3 back when ignoring the opportunity to buy the SACD playing edition of the PS3. How I regret that decision. My fault. Anyone to the rescue besides buying one on Ebay? Or another methodology? It isn't as if I have waited for mwheelerk to pose the question. I have not been successful in finding/receiving the answer.

Best,

Richard

[orgel]

At this point, the only (legal) options are to have access to a PS3 with the right firmware version or choose from the rather limited (but high quality, IME) selection of DSD downloads available. I hope this situation changes in the future — I guess it's pretty much up to Sony and/or the record companies.

 

Once you have the DSD files, you need either a DSD-capable DAC and software capable of delivering the DSD info to the DAC, or else software (or hardware like this) that can convert DSD to PCM.

 

--David

[REShaman]

At this point, the only (legal) options are to have access to a PS3 with the right firmware version or choose from the rather limited (but high quality, IME) selection of DSD downloads available. I hope this situation changes in the future — I guess it's pretty much up to Sony and/or the record companies.

 

Once you have the DSD files, you need either a DSD-capable DAC and software capable of delivering the DSD info to the DAC, or else software (or hardware like this) that can convert DSD to PCM.

 

--David

 

Thank you,

Richard

[ted_b]

Orgel summarized beautifully. As I've posted numerous times, feel free to PM me for my PDF guide.

[djvitamind]

I've only known about the Playstation method as well then I read an article about Audirvana Plus in the Sept issue of Absolute Sound: "For audiophiles with large SACD collections Audirvana Plus also offers an easy way to play them through your computer audio system. Merely rip them into your computer (you will need a third-party blu-ray drive as Apple doesn't officially support blu-ray hardware) and then add them to the Audirvana Plus playlist and push "play". I use Audirvana and this has to be incorrect info...???

[ted_b]

I've only known about the Playstation method as well then I read an article about Audirvana Plus in the Sept issue of Absolute Sound: "For audiophiles with large SACD collections Audirvana Plus also offers an easy way to play them through your computer audio system. Merely rip them into your computer (you will need a third-party blu-ray drive as Apple doesn't officially support blu-ray hardware) and then add them to the Audirvana Plus playlist and push "play". I use Audirvana and this has to be incorrect info...???

 

That is blatantly incorrect info. The only way (other than ripping DSD via hacked PS3 as I and others have described in detail) is professionally via Sonoma workstation, or a fairly techy DIY modification approach where you'd need to go in and grab DSD off the SACD player chip before the PCM conversion, and then send it to your DSD-capable DAC, via, say SDIF or I2S....not worth talking about in this general thread (folks have DIY'd it for their Twisted Pear DACS, etc). Net/net, no "merely rip them into your computer" solution at all!! What the computer and BluRay disc would see is 16/44 redbook layer.

[Jay192]

Orgel summarized beautifully. As I've posted numerous times, feel free to PM me for my PDF guide.

 

Hi Ted, a slightly different question, but around the time the PS3 SACD ripper came out wasn't there some discussion happening about using HDMI splitters to utilise that hires feed? I guess that didn't go anywhere post PS3?

[ted_b]

Hi Ted, a slightly different question, but around the time the PS3 SACD ripper came out wasn't there some discussion happening about using HDMI splitters to utilise that hires feed? I guess that didn't go anywhere post PS3?

 

Jay192,

I've written about HDMI de-embedders ever since I reviewed the original Atlona box 2 years ago on Audio Circle. There are several folks still using that inexpensive approach, but it is not DSD. It requires the SACD player to be set to downrez to PCM (usually 24/88, sometimes higher) then send PCM across HDMI and have the de-embedder grab it and send it via coax or toslink (to your DAC), while passing the HDMI along to a handshake end device (like a receiver or pre/pro). It's still a perfectly good way to listen to 24/192 2 channel BluRay on your DAC, and if you do not have a DSD-capable DAC it's quite good for the above-PCM solution. Monoprice makes a box for like $50.

[REShaman]

Jay192,

I've written about HDMI de-embedders ever since I reviewed the original Atlona box 2 years ago on Audio Circle. There are several folks still using that inexpensive approach, but it is not DSD. It requires the SACD player to be set to downrez to PCM (usually 24/88, sometimes higher) then send PCM across HDMI and have the de-embedder grab it and send it via coax or toslink (to your DAC), while passing the HDMI along to a handshake end device (like a receiver or pre/pro). It's still a perfectly good way to listen to 24/192 2 channel BluRay on your DAC, and if you do not have a DSD-capable DAC it's quite good for the above-PCM solution. Monoprice makes a box for like $50.

 

Yes, thanks to Ted, for some time, now, I have used the Atlona AT HD577 from Oppo BDP-95 (HDMI audio out) to HD577 via S/DIF/coax BNC to W4S Dac2 & via XLR to preamp (not receiver or prepro). It's not what I prefer, but, I believe Ted said in this way the arrangement by-passes the Oppo's Dac(s) which are the same Dacs (9018 Sabre) as the Dac2 (but implemented differently - read better output - according to EJ at Wyred). I do not know what the other method sounds like, but what I am able to produce gets high praise from other listeners (I am already there).

Best,

Richard

[Jay192]

Yes, thanks to Ted, for some time, now, I have used the Atlona AT HD577 from Oppo BDP-95 (HDMI audio out) to HD577 via S/DIF/coax BNC to W4S Dac2 & via XLR to preamp (not receiver or prepro). It's not what I prefer, but, I believe Ted said in this way the arrangement by-passes the Oppo's Dac(s) which are the same Dacs (9018 Sabre) as the Dac2 (but implemented differently - read better output - according to EJ at Wyred). I do not know what the other method sounds like, but what I am able to produce gets high praise from other listeners (I am already there).

Best,

Richard

 

Jay192,

I've written about HDMI de-embedders ever since I reviewed the original Atlona box 2 years ago on Audio Circle. There are several folks still using that inexpensive approach, but it is not DSD. It requires the SACD player to be set to downrez to PCM (usually 24/88, sometimes higher) then send PCM across HDMI and have the de-embedder grab it and send it via coax or toslink (to your DAC), while passing the HDMI along to a handshake end device (like a receiver or pre/pro). It's still a perfectly good way to listen to 24/192 2 channel BluRay on your DAC, and if you do not have a DSD-capable DAC it's quite good for the above-PCM solution. Monoprice makes a box for like $50.

 

Thanks guys. I'm a 'TV-hater' so have that 'hidden' in another room, and in the main living room where the main audio system lives I'm wanting to have a projector / pull down screen setup and have the BluRay with 24/88+ audio integrated with that. I'm just thinking of the best way to handle the cabling (projector to screen is 5m horizontal, and screen will be ~above amps and DAC (have no pre-amp) ...also got to think of the carpentry involved! I know we're not a hi-res Home Theatre forum here but I'll do some homework (also on good / bluray players that will spit out 24bit and not 16), perhaps ask you both some more questions if it's ok (may be a new thread with correct topic too). ... that'll be as soon as I start / finish my PS3 downgrade experiment (to 3.55) using the E3 Flasher ...

[REShaman]

Thanks guys. I'm a 'TV-hater' so have that 'hidden' in another room, and in the main living room where the main audio system lives I'm wanting to have a projector / pull down screen setup and have the BluRay with 24/88+ audio integrated with that. I'm just thinking of the best way to handle the cabling (projector to screen is 5m horizontal, and screen will be ~above amps and DAC (have no pre-amp) ...also got to think of the carpentry involved! I know we're not a hi-res Home Theatre forum here but I'll do some homework (also on good / bluray players that will spit out 24bit and not 16), perhaps ask you both some more questions if it's ok (may be a new thread with correct topic too). ... that'll be as soon as I start / finish my PS3 downgrade experiment (to 3.55) using the E3 Flasher ...

 

Sorry Jay192. Do not feel I have the experience to respond in a useful way. Acknowledging this rather than remain silent or ignore your further questions. I am confident that other posters with the requisite experience and technical expertise will fill the nano-second vacuum my absence might cause. Hope you find answers to questions yet to be posed.

Best,

Richard

[REShaman]

jay192, as far as your request for a blu-ray player, my history with OPPO includes BDP-83SE, 93 and 95 which I use in my 2ch system (main). Superb performance, support. Highly recommended.

I am comfortable responding to your last post with my present comments.

Good fortune,

Richard

[Jay192]

Thanks Richard

[tomstatham]

Rip SACD files; Do you mean from your player or that you already have a SACD iso. Because that is the first

step if you have a player is to rip the iso file. After

that, you can extract the .dff files with scarletbook and convert to 24/96 PCM with audiogate (free.)

 

Not all SACD iso files can be ripped this way. I downloaded some from Mojave productions that

scarletbook wouldn't process.

 

I had to use foobar. Many people here have access to outragous equipment and softwares costing thousands

of dollars. It's just a guess but I would assume that

these people are professionals that have access to

their companies' equipment.

 

--TomS

[ted_b]

Rip SACD files; Do you mean from your player or that you already have a SACD iso. Because that is the first

step if you have a player is to rip the iso file. After

that, you can extract the .dff files with scarletbook and convert to 24/96 PCM with audiogate (free.)

 

Not all SACD iso files can be ripped this way. I downloaded some from Mojave productions that

scarletbook wouldn't process.

 

I had to use foobar. Many people here have access to outragous equipment and softwares costing thousands

of dollars. It's just a guess but I would assume that

these people are professionals that have access to

their companies' equipment.

 

--TomS

 

Mojave Productions SACD.iso's are not scarletbook AFAIK...they look to be homemade authored ISO's that usually house DVD-A material for SACD players. And yes, they can't be extracted for those reasons. Ripped SACD's via PS3 (not expensive company-owned equipment) will extract just fine.

[Boris75]

What I find really strange is that some record companies ask more $ for DSD downloads than for the physical SACD containing the same files. See for instance Dijkstra's nice DSD-recorded Bach motets: Channel Classics sells the SACD for €17 and the DSD files for €30 even though manufacturing a SACD, printing the liner notes etc. has to be more expensive than putting up DSD files for download.

[ted_b]

What I find really strange is that some record companies ask more $ for DSD downloads than for the physical SACD containing the same files. See for instance Dijkstra's nice DSD-recorded Bach motets: Channel Classics sells the SACD for €17 and the DSD files for €30 even though manufacturing a SACD, printing the liner notes etc. has to be more expensive than putting up DSD files for download.

 

Yes, as we've discussed a few times already, Jared Sacks of Channel Classics explains that these are the master tapes, the family jewels...unlike the SACD discs. And yes, people can now rip SACD so if you want to go that route then buy the SACD for less money and do the DIY work yourself.

[Boris75]

Yes, as we've discussed a few times already, Jared Sacks of Channel Classics explains that these are the master tapes, the family jewels...unlike the SACD discs. And yes, people can now rip SACD so if you want to go that route then buy the SACD for less money and do the DIY work yourself.

 

By following this logic, record labels in my view are pushing SACDs to go the same way as DRM'd downloads -- down the drain.

[ted_b]

By following this logic, record labels in my view are pushing SACDs to go the same way as DRM'd downloads -- down the drain.

 

Not sure I follow. SACDs have not been flying off any shelves...ever! The latest reports say that there has been a small but positive spike in SACD sales, maybe related to the new interest in DSD. But to predict SACDs are on their death bed is to preach news that's 10 years old.

[Boris75]

I think that if the DSD layer of SACDs was as easy to rip as the redbook layer, SACDs would find interest among the growing number of people who want to play high-resolution music files. But I guess that it is too late to make SACDs easy to rip. I do regret this because high-resolution music is a big improvement over redbook CDs, and SACDs could have been a very nice bridge from redbook CDs to high-res downloads, if not for their built-in DRMs.

[ted_b]

I think that if the DSD layer of SACDs was as easy to rip as the redbook layer, SACDs would find interest among the growing number of people who want to play high-resolution music files. But I guess that it is too late to make SACDs easy to rip. I do regret this because high-resolution music is a big improvement over redbook CDs, and SACDs could have been a very nice bridge from redbook CDs to high-res downloads, if not for their built-in DRMs.

 

It ain't difficult. I've ripped 600 of them, all with my trusty PS3.