Sony SCD-1
(1999 - 2002)

Sony SCD-1
(1999 - 2002)

The original SACD player.
If the format has yet to become market-wise successful, Sony's SCD-1 became very quickly -and remained so- the reference SACD player for a good many years. Price-wise a little too expensive for many, so the similar SCD-777ES made most of the sales for Sony. The SCD-1 was however much more successful than the 1992 CDP-R10 and DAS-R10.

Given what is left of the high-fidelity market, SACD might remain a niche until the next (un-necessary?) (r)evolution. But with the overwhelming craze over anything downloadable and conveniently compressed (all in all: quantity vs quality), I sincerely doubt SACD will remain a "niche" market as long as LP replay has since its demise as worldwide standard for the masses. Because SACD so far didn't become a worldwide format for the masses and didn't have the time to either.

I for one believe SACD to be the last worthwhile audio format: a great step forward which would've needed to be launched only a couple of years earlier - before mp3 landed on the scene and forced manufacturers to adopt a deadly dual-language: SACD is great but expensive, mp3 is great and free. It was easy to spot the winner even before the race started.
After the "1" lineup (SCD-1, TA-E1, TA-N1 and SS-1ED), Sony shelved all 2-channel high-end audio development, thus becoming the last of the "majors" to exit that ever-diminishing market.

Click the buttons below for a very very complete description of the DSD format and the SCD-1 ! If you don't, you're missing the point and the most complete description of the SCD-1 available on the Internet.

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