Sacd; Are they also 5.1?

[C Biscuit]

Hi,
Been seeing some audio cd's billed as Sacd. Others are billed as SACD and 5.1. Are all SACD also 5.1?? Thanks
CB.

[Sir Terrence the Terrible]

Hi,
Been seeing some audio cd's billed as Sacd. Others are billed as SACD and 5.1. Are all SACD also 5.1?? Thanks
CB.

No. SACD comes in Stereo and 5.1. I believe(and at least in my collection) that stereo SACD is labelled DSD Stereo, and the 5.1 disc are called Hybrid disc's.

[jeskibuff]

No. SACD comes in Stereo and 5.1. I believe(and at least in my collection) that stereo SACD is labelled DSD Stereo, and the 5.1 disc are called Hybrid disc's.

Almost, Sir Terrence...
Part of the problem with SACDs is the varied flavors they come in. It's easy to buy something that you don't really want, so you have to look carefully before you make a purchase.

Basically, high-resolution SACDs are either stereo tracks or multichannel (5.1). I try to buy only the multichannel ones, but I did get a good buy on Rolling Stone's Hot Rocks, which is just stereo. SACD tracks WILL NOT PLAY on regular CD players.

Some SACDs will also have a CD layer which will play in a regular CD player. These type of SACDs get the "hybrid" label. You could have stereo or multichannel hybrids...the "stereo or multichannel" refers to the high-resolution (DSD) tracks. The CD tracks will most likely always be stereo (but I guess mono IS a possibility). So, hybrids will play in either SACD or regular CD players.