Because

t h e r e s

so

Much

More

to

H e a r.

Beyond CD:

I n t r o d u c i n g S u p e r A u d i o C o m p a c t D i s c.
The Compact Disc was an important accomplishment in stereo music reproduction. But over the years, discerning listeners have demanded even more. That's why Sony and Philips, the inventors of CD, have created the new Super Audio Compact Disc (SACD). It's the highest quality stereo sound source available today. Unprecedented fidelity. Super Audio Compact Disc utilizes advanced technology in the pursuit of a single goal: superlative sound quality. SACD is based on a fundamentally new approach, Direct Stream Digital encoding. This one-bit system goes far beyond more bits and higher sampling rates to produce nothing less than a quantum leap in music resolution. Greater simplicity. To audiophiles, purity has always meant simplicity. So with SACD, there's no option for lossy compression of any kind. There's no option for music recorded at anything less than the highest possible resolution. And you'll never experience stereo derived from a computerized fold-down. SACD is about music, pure and simple. Remarkable compatibility. Music enthusiasts have already made a substantial commitment to their CD collections. To protect this investment, every SACD player performs superbly with the more than 12 billion audio Compact Discs currently in existence. And the SACD format also includes a hybrid disc option that will play back beautifully in the more than 600 million home, car and portable CD players made since 1982. Super Audio Compact Disc. What else would you expect from the people who created the Compact Disc?

The

Creation

of a

N e w M e d i u m.

With the SACD format, music companies can offer three different types of discs. The single-layer disc can store a full album of high resolution music. A dual-layer disc provides nearly twice the playing time. There's even a hybrid disc that contains both a high density music layer and a standard density CD layer for compatibility with over 600 million CD players, worldwide.

HD Layer Dual Layer Disc

HD Layers Hybrid Disc

CD Layer HD Layer

A staggering over improvement

what we have now.
-Robert Woods, Telarc International

Super Audio Compact Disc is dedicated to a single goal: the finest music reproduction possible.

Changing the

Beyond comparison. Direct Stream Digital processing is dramatically different, even when compared to the most sophisticated PCM technology. This 1-bit system encodes music at an astonishing 2,822,400 samples per second. The result is more than just superb frequency response and dynamic range. You'll hear the inner detail of choral ensembles. The reverberation trailing from a guitar chord. And the acoustic space surrounding the instruments. With DSD technology, you hear every nuance of sound reproduced with incredible ease and clarity. Moreover, many leading audiophile labels are already conducting multichannel DSD recording sessions. Thanks to Direct Stream Transfer lossless coding, future SACDs will be able to offer both a 2-channel and a multichannel mix of the same music. And the 2-channel mix will be fully compatible with current players. The digital equivalent of straight wire with gain. The DSD analog-to-digital converter produces a one-bit pulse train that appears remarkably analog. In this manner, DSD encoding combines the advantages of digital recording with the well-regarded characteristics of analog sound. For recording artists, producers and engineers, DSD technology is a priceless new tool. For audiophiles, it's a major step closer to pure music.

Meaning
of

Pure
A u d i o.
Direct Stream Digital encoding: a foundation for the future. For nearly 30 years, digital audio has been based upon Pulse Code Modulation (PCM) technology and nobody knows PCM better than Sony. We've used it to develop everything from Compact Disc and DAT to professional DASH recorders and digital mixing consoles. But to achieve a truly fundamental breakthrough in music reproduction, Sony has invented a truly amazing audio technology: Direct Stream Digital (DSD) encoding. DSD encoding is destined to serve as the foundation for digital audio in the future. Simplifying the signal path. Even the most advanced PCM record/playback systems require decimation and interpolation filters that can cause problems, including requantization noise, passband ripple and ringing. These degradations can smear musical overtones, muddy the soundstage and compromise overall transparency. A radically simpler approach, Direct Stream Digital processing eliminates these problems by eliminating the filters. It enables a 1-bit signal to be recorded directly!

Analog input signal

DSD output signal

10 10 1 10 111 0 1 11 10 11 1 11 01 1110111011010101010101001000100001000010001001010101 01 0 11011 1 01 111 01 11 110111101110110101010

RECORDING PROCESS 64s 1 bit Input Signal Delta Sigma Modulator s 16 bit s 16 bit

PLAYBACK PROCESS 8s 24 bit 64s 1 bit Output Signal Analog Low Pass Filter

Decimation Digital Filter

Interpolation Delta Sigma Digital Filter Modulator

The Direct Stream Digital pulse train "looks" remarkably like the analog waveform it represents. More pulses point up as the wave goes positive and down as the wave goes negative.

[Noise Shaping] RECORDING PROCESS 64s 1 bit Input Signal Delta Sigma Modulator

CD

[Noise Shaping] PLAYBACK PROCESS 64s 1 bit Output Signal Analog Low Pass Filter

In high-end audio, simplest is best. And compared to conventional PCM, the new DSD system is far simpler.

[Noise Shaping]

Super Audio CD

SACD conveys the recorded performance

to the listener as accurately as possible.
-Steve Epstein, Sony Classical

After having made with several recordings

this technology, there is no going back to PCM at any word length or sampling rate.
-Tom Jung, Digital Music Products (DMP)

Eliciting the full

Pe r f o r m a n c e
Presenting the SCD-1. Super Audio Compact Disc is a milestone in music reproduction. So to demonstrate the new format to the fullest, Sony has built a landmark component: the SCD-1 Super Audio CD/CD player. The SCD-1 features Accurate Complementary Pulse (ACP) density modulation that defeats the switching distortion associated with conventional high-speed semiconductors. Our Dual Discrete optical pickup has two lasers one dedicated to CD, the other optimized for SACD for superb readout accuracy on both types of disc. Plus the rigid Fixed Pickup mechanism minimizes unwanted oscillation and servo current distortion. Achieving higher standards for standard CD.

The laser pickup signal is especially sensitive to electromagnetic interference. That's why the Fixed Pickup mechanism minimizes servo current, reducing interference.

The VC24 digital filter, S-TACT stage, and Current Pulse D/A converters are all ICs designed and built by Sony.

Critical listeners will also appreciate that the SCD-1 is arguably Sony's best CD player ever. The Synchronous Time Accuracy Controller (S-TACT) is our most effective method yet for suppressing time-base jitter. Our Current Pulse D/A converter vanquishes the imprecision of conventional, voltage-based systems. And the VC24 digital filter performs twice as many operation steps, for an altogether higher degree of precision. Built to last. Air-borne, shelf-borne and internal vibrations can subtly degrade your music. The Sony SCD-1 controls this problem across the board. The chassis features an all-new Base Pillar (BP) construction which combines two 5-mm base plates to form a massive platform nearly half an inch thick. On it reside seven high-carbon cast iron pillars, 4.5-mm side walls and a 5-mm top plate. And the entire chassis rests on eccentric, pinpoint, gel-filled insulator feet. As a result, the SCD-1 maintains effortless transparency and detail from the softest pianissimo to the loudest fortissimo.

The SCD-1 uses Sony's superbly rigid Base Pillar construction.

There's also a more accessible Sony SACD player. The SCD-777ES incorporates most of the same technology as the SCD-1, including the Fixed Pickup mechanism and ACP circuitry.

of

M u s i c.
Legendary music.

...SACDs high-definition performance is truly a step forward in consumer music presentation...

-John Eargle, Director of Recording, Delos International

SACD has triggered an outpouring of music by the world's preeminent artists, both past and present. Jazz greats like Dave Brubeck, Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, Milt Jackson, Wynton Marsalis and Oscar Peterson. Classical stars like Emanuel Ax, Glenn Gould, Yo-Yo Ma and Isaac Stern. And the world's finest orchestras under the batons of Leonard Bernstein, Eugene Ormandy, Wolfgang Sawallisch and Bruno Walter. These performances were singular events. Now captured on SACD, these titles gloriously demonstrate music the way it should be.

The kind of resolution I am accustomed to

experiencing while in the studio, listening to the direct microphone feed.

-Joe Harley, AudioQuest Music

To find out how much more there is to hear, visit a Sony SACD retailer.

Call 1-800-222-SONY or visit www.sony.com

Sony Electronics Inc. 1 Sony Drive, Park Ridge NJ 07656 http://www.sony.com 1999 Sony Electronics Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. Sony, DSD, Direct Stream Digital, Dual Discrete, Super Audio CD, the DSD logo and the Super Audio CD logo are trademarks of Sony. Direct Stream Transfer is a trademark of Philips.