Is a SACD player to be expected from B&O?  Is there a big difference in listening to a normal CD of excellent recording quality CD compared to a SACD?

 George

B&O "deselected" SACD, and chose to not include it as an option in their audio players. The format has had a hard time catching on (came out at the same time as DVD-Audio and while most people were turning to low resolution mp3 as "more than enough" for their needs.)

I doubt that B&O will go to a disc-based SACD format now given that more and more people are placing their music on harddisks -- but there are quite a few releases of SACD still, and it's becoming a connoisseur's format for music. In a few years we'll be downloading high-resolution multi-channel files of music as a matter of course, and these will deliver what SACD does now, and some of them may even be mastered as SACD, or in some of the other high-resolution formats.

At Musicgiants.com you can download 5.1 channel high-resolution music files today (from large portions of the Naxos catalogue). To use Musicgiants you need to have a PC running. There are also numerous other suppliers of high-resolution music downloads (such as Linn Records).

Is it different? That depends upon the acuity of your hearing and your musical taste. You will find many claiming it's no different from CD-quality playback, while others are adamant it is much, much better. I think that perception of difference comes down to the kind of music you are listening to - the format's caught on among lovers of Jazz and Classical, and I think it is best suited for acoustic music of that kind.
I like multi-channel versions and really feel the format contributes to the "in the auditorium" feel -- on good recordings you may also note a sharper attack and detail in the bottom of the sound frequency spectrum as well as better resolved high notes. In my listening room, I feel the music opens up much better at higher resolutions than CD. I have a few of the Linn recordings in 24-bit/88.2kHz and 24-bit/96kHz and the music simply feels smoother, richer.

I'd recommend giving the format a listen at a hi-fi dealer with a good listening room. Bring along music you know well, preferably in hybrid format (CDs with both Redbook (16-bit/44.1kHz) and SACD layers). Many players will let you switch between the two, and you can make up your mind.

The designers in Struer for sure must have been also considering these options when developing the coming beosound 5.   I don't think downloading music files wil make physical musiccarriers like CD/SACD obsolete, at least i like the "real" thing to hold in your hand, reading the book/text/lyrics that goes with it, and putting it into the player, a moment where the physical experience of the unique mechanical design that makes B&O products so special comes into play. But, of course, it's not only the mechanics that need to be state-of-the-art in a marque so expensive as this, one expects sonic qualities to be best in class too. Reviews of the beolab 5  mentioning the great openess of the sound, the ability of the speaker to disappear, makes one wonder what SA-CD would be able to add to this..     Seeing the future of a top of the line beocenter/sound just as a danish design computer connected to some speakers would be a bit disappointing to me. So may the round music disc, CD or SACD live for another 25 years!

jc:

I don't think downloading music files wil make physical musiccarriers like CD/SACD obsolete, at least i like the "real" thing to hold in your hand, reading the book/text/lyrics that goes with it, and putting it into the player, a moment where the physical experience of the unique mechanical design that makes B&O products so special comes into play.

I buy a number of records, and it's a delight to read the sleeve notes and study the graphics -- something we lost with CDs, though some do make an effort to compensate. And yes, the mechanical ritual is nice -- though I must say I like the fact that my CDs are protected from wear when I play from a harddisk.

jc:

Reviews of the beolab 5  mentioning the great openess of the sound, the ability of the speaker to disappear, makes one wonder what SA-CD would be able to add to this..    

Well, I am playing high-resolution formats through my BeoLab 5s, and I really love what happens. The highest resolutions I have played are 24-bit/96kHz multi-channel. But the fairest comparison would be between stereo Redbook and stereo high-resolution -- I have downloaded the mp3, CD and high-resolution versions of various recordings from Linn Records, in order to compare -- and I am in little doubt that the playback is richer, "rounder" and airier with the high resolution formats. Choral works are stunning.