LIST: Suspected 44 or 48kHz PCM upsampled SACDs.

 The sentence says "supported by Japanese SACD manufacturer" (whatever that means!). An example of how the term SACD gets thrown around in cheap domestic and pirated Asian markets (this wasn't a true XRCD either)...

As I mentioned previously in my post on SACD (and DSD), there are a number of SACDs I have digitally ripped over the years that appear to be sourced from 44kHz PCM. This is of course the same sample rate as good ol' RedBook CD and therefore it's unlikely that these titles should sound any "better" than the CD release since the PCM-to-DSD conversion process will add some distortion to the original signal.

It's not difficult to detect these releases because of the "brickwall" loss of frequencies beyond 22kHz. Note that this list is of course unofficial and even though there's evidence that these come from 44 or 48kHz PCM, it's still possible they're from 24-bit data which could still be "hi-res".

An example of the 22kHz brickwall - Thelonious Monk's "Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea" off Straight, No Chaser SACD. Notice the typical ultrasonic 'noise shaped' SACD quantization noise from 22kHz up - filtered off in this case before 40kHz.

The reason I decided to post this list up was because even to this day, some folks will use questionable albums such as these to prop up the putative superiority of the SACD format or compare the DSD rip with the CD layer...  Even as recently as the May 2013 edition of Home Theater magazine - David Vaughn reviewing the Marantz AV8801 & MM8077 spoke of how he preferred the two-channel SACD layer of Norah Jones' Come Away With Me (p.41). There is of course one "inconvenient" problem; we've known since 2004 that this SACD was in fact a RedBook CD upsample! Therefore, the preference must be the result of perceptual bias, euphonic distortion by the DSD conversion, or maybe his SACD player is poor at playing CD. I have seen these kinds of comparisons and biases based on resampled SACDs made over the years both in the print magazines as well as on-line (eg. see this review) and in forums.

By no means do I believe this is a complete list - just ones I've run into over the years or confirmed by friends. I have tried to comment on these SACDs as part of my reviews on places like SA-CD.net but notice that these comments tend to get censored over time - I guess I can't blame them since they have something to sell :-).

Similar situations exist in the DVD-A world especially with upsampled 24/192 material (alas I never kept track of these but remember Frank Sinatra At The Sands was likely upsampled).

In alphabetical order of artists (threw in a few spectral screenshots):

Albert King - I'll Play The Blues For You (2004 release)

Albert King & Stevie Ray Vaughan - In Session (Probably 48kHz upsample, 2003)

Andrew Lloyd Webber - The Phantom Of The Opera OST (2004 Joel Schumacher movie)

Antonio Carlos Jobim - The Composer of Desfinado, Plays (2011 SHM-SACD)

"O Morro"

Babyface - The Day (2001 SACD)

Baiba Skride - Bach Bartok Ysaye (2004 SACD)

From "Corrente - Partita No. 2"

Beoga - Live At Stockfisch Studio (2010)

From "Factory Girl"

Blue Öyster Cult - Agent Of Fortune (2001 release, both stereo & multichannel layers likely from 44kHz)

Bon Jovi - This Left Feels Right (2004 SACD, 5.1 mix is OK!)

From "Bad Medicine"

Bruno Walter & The Columbia Symphony Orchestra - Beethoven: Symphony No. 6 in F Minor "Pastorale" (1999 Sony release)

From "Thunderstorm, Allegro"

Bryan Ferry - Frantic (both stereo & multichannel layers likely from 44kHz)

Cat Stevens - Tea For The Tillerman (2011 Analogue Productions - surprising! Maybe 48kHz source)

From "Wild World"

Celine Dion - All The Way... A Decade of Song (2001 SACD) - both stereo & multichannel appear to be 44.1kHz sourced.

From "Beauty And The Beast"

Celine Dion - A New Day Has Come (2002 - no surprise with pop albums, maybe 48kHz source)

Cowboy Junkies - Whites Off Earth Now!! (MFSL 2006 release - originally PCM recording)

Dead Can Dance - MFSL SACD Box Set (2008)

From "The Carnival Is Over" on Into The Labyrinth

Dire Straits - Brothers In Arms (2005 release - well known PCM recording)

From "Money For Nothing"

Donald Fagen - The Nightfly (2011 release - well known PCM recording, DVD-V version better IMO)

Elvis Presley - Elvis Is Back (2012 Analogue Productions - maybe so old there's no high frequencies!)

Eugene Ruffolo - Santa Sings The Blues (2009 release, Stockfisch)

Fourplay - Energy (2008, probably 48kHz upsampled both 2.0 & 5.1, 2.0 layer is DR12 so still better mix than DR9 CD)

Gloria Estefan - Greatest Hits (2002 Sony) - same DR as 1992 CD. Does have a multichannel mix however that looks like it came from higher quality source.

From "Conga"

Jacques Loussier - Impressions On Chopin's Nocturnes (2004 Telarc) - says 24-bit PCM on box, looks like 44kHz both stereo & multichannel.

Jacques Loussier Trio - The Best of Play Bach (2004 Telarc) - says PCM on the box, looks like 48kHz surround and multichannel.

From "Toccata & Fugue in D Minor"

Joe Satriani - Engines Of Creation (2000)
     - Also, the CD layer has DR7 vs. SACD stereo layer with DR11.  Different mixes with very dynamically compressed CD layer!

John Eliot Gardiner & Philharmonia Orchestra - Grainger: The Warriors & Holst: The Planets (2003)

Keb' Mo' - Just Like You (2002 SACD - same DR as CD, 5.1 also looks like 44kHz upsample)

From 'Perpetual Blues Machine'

Keb' Mo' - The Door (2000 release)

Ken Ishiwata's Band - Marantz: Ken Ishiwata's 30th Anniversary (2009)

Martin Taylor - Artistry (2004 Linn SACD) - looks like 44kHz source, multichannel similar.

From 'Georgia On My Mind'

Martin Taylor - Spirit of Django (2004 Linn SACD) - looks like 44kHz source, multichannel similar.

From 'Nuages'

Martin Taylor - Masterpiece Guitars (2003 Japanese SACD)

From 'Thank Heaven For Little Girls'

Michael McDonald - Motown (2003 - both stereo & multichannel 44kHz, DVD-A probably more accurate)

Michael McDonald - Motown 2 (2004)

Nick Drake - A Treasury (2004)

Norah Jones - Come Away With Me (2003)

Patricia Barber - Café Blue (2002 MFSL UDSACD 2002) - remarkable reviews on the net on this SACD! If this was a digital recording from 1994, one would also wonder about the capabilities of the ADC.

"Nardis"

Patricia Barber - A Distortion Of Love (2013 MFSL UDSACD 2100)

"Parts Parallels"

Peter Gabriel - So (2003 release - I suspect 44kHz recording but transferred from magnetic tape to DSD, thus the tape bias in the high frequencies and higher noise)

"Sledgehammer"

Peter Gabriel - Up (2003 release)

Pixies - Bassanova (2008 MFSL)

Ricky Martin - Sound Loaded (was there ever any doubt!?)

"She Bangs"

Ryan Adams - Rock N Roll (stereo layer looks sourced from 44kHz, multichannel mix seems OK)

Sarah Brightman - Eden (both stereo & multichannel, stereo layer DR7 seems even more dynamically compressed than CD DR8)

Sarah Brightman - La Luna (like above, stereo SACD layer DR8 vs. CD layer DR9)

Simon Rattle, Libera & Berliner Philharmoniker - Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker (2010)

Suitcase Pimps - Love Is Grand (2003)

The Dave Brubeck Quartet - Time Out (Columbia/Legacy & 2000 SME Japanese stereo layers)
     - Note the multichannel Columbia/Legacy layer seems to be OK.

From "Take Five" original Columbia/Legacy SACD.

The InTime Quintet & Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra - Piazzolla In Time (2004) - both 2.0 and 5.0 look like 44kHz upsamples.

From "Imperial"

Thelonious Monk - Straight, No Chaser (1999 release, see image above)

Tony Bennett - Playin' With My Friends (2001 release)

Uriah Heep - Magic Night (2004)

Vangelis - Blade Runner Soundtrack (2013 Audio Fidelity SACD) - I suspect the original recording was done in 44.1kHz.

From "Wait For Me"

Vince Guaraldi Trio - A Boy Named Charlie Brown (2004 release, 48kHz source?)

Vince Guaraldi Trio - A Charlie Brown Christmas (2003 release)

Wishbone Ash - Almighty Blues London & Beyond (2004)

Yo-Yo Ma, Edgar Meyer & Mark O'Connor - Appalachian Journey (2000)

Yo-Yo Ma - Soul Of The Tango (2003 release)

Interesting how the list includes "audiophile" labels and even demo/promo material like the Ken Ishiwata Marantz SACD, MFSL, Linn, even Japanese SHM-SACD. I think it also doesn't help the SACD cause that early Sony SACDs like the Brubeck and Monk are among these. I estimate about a quarter of the SACDs I've had a chance to evaluate consisting of eclectic rock, classical, and jazz disks are of the suspected-44/48kHz-upsampled variety.

Remember that I'm not saying these SACDs are bad sounding, just that in principle, the CD layer could be a more accurate representation of the music since there's no PCM-DSD conversion going on. In fact, many of these sound great and suggests that CD quality may be good enough. Unless there's a multichannel mix that you want on these disks or the mastering is somehow different (eg. less dynamic compression), IMO, there's no point paying extra for these SACDs.

Feel free to drop me a note if you know more about the releases (eg. can confirm if 24-bit source) or if you know of other upsampled disks.

Musical selection tonight: On an 80's kick right now. Going to have a re-listen to Midnight Oil's Diesel And Dust to get into the weekend mood... First pressing from 1987 of course. :-)