Sony SCD-1

May
1 9 9 9 may 1999
2 0 0 3
Plus
2003+

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 (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-M9ED), Sony gradually shelved all 2-channel high-end audio development, thus becoming the last of the japanese majors to exit that ever-diminishing market.

Production was planned at 500 units /month for the SCD-1 and 700 units /month for the SCD-777ES sibling.
There were at least 2500 made in total, the last batch bearing the post-2000 Sony EMCS T-tag sticker pasted over the original Sony Kitakanto.


You can see three SCD-1 prototypes in the Invisibilia section of TVK.

Sony SCD-1, image 1 Sony SCD-1, image 2 Sony SCD-1, image 3
Sony SCD-1 specifications
Title Value
SACD SACD
Playback frequency range : 2Hz...100Khz
Frequency response : 2Hz...50Khz (-3dB)
Dynamic range : > 105dB (audible frequency range)
THD : < 0,0012%
Wow & Flutter : below ±0,001% (Wtd, peak)
CD CD
Frequency response : 20Hz...20Khz
Dynamic range : > 100dB
THD : < 0,0017%
Wow & Flutter : below ±0,001% (Wtd, peak)
CD digital outputs : coaxial (0,5V p-p / 75 Ohm ; PCM only)
optical (-18dBm ; PCM only)
Analogue outputs : 2V rms (RCA)
4V rms (XLR)
Dimensions : 43 x 14,9 x 43,6cm
Weight : 26,5kg.
List price : 525,000¥ (1999...2003)
Laser : KHS-180A
page online since : august 2007
page updated : march 2010
page type : LGT / KNB
page weight : 199.92 Kb / 0 b
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