First introduced in 1999, the SACD file stands for “super audio compact disc.” It is a high-resolution format that Philips and Sony developed to improve the user listening experience.
This technology uses Direct Stream Digital (DSD) file formatting to serve as an alternative to the Pulse Code Modulation (PCM) used for traditional CDs.
That means a single CD can hold as much information as a DVD, accommodate six-channel mixes, and have separated stereo sound. SACD files can even contain text and photo information, such as album art of liner notes.
How to Play SACD Files on a PC?
SACD files are a proprietary, non-standard hardware format. It would be best to have disc players based on the MT8580 chip from MediaTek to rip these files to your drive. Once saved, store them as ISO files or an album folder with individualized tracks.
You also have the option to store them under the DSF file extension.
Although DSF is directly associated with Corel Designer and might not work for everyone, it is uniquely structured to manage the sound and audio formatting that comes from Delusion/XTracker software.
A standard CD player cannot play a disc formatted with SACD.
If you purchase an SACD player to use at home, that technology is backward-compliant with the traditional formatting.
Some SACDs have dual layers, with PCM content that you can play on a standard CD player or PC.
Not all of them have this standard layer, which means you’ll need to check the label to see your playback options.
If your SACD indicates it has a standard CD layer, you can use virtually any media software to play that portion of the disc.
When that option is not available, you’ll need to store the data in an alternative file type.
How to Create ISO Files from a Windows PC
When you save an ISO file from an SACD, you’re creating a complete image of the disc to be on your Windows PC.
Once you’ve taken this step, you can mount the available information as a virtual SACD, providing the option to turn your physical disc into a digital one.
You can use this same process to play old computer games or operate software programs on modern computers without disc drives.
Some DRM copy protection schemes prevent this process without taking additional steps, but that issue applies to software instead of SACDs.
Windows doesn’t come with a built-in method of creating ISO files on your behalf. Windows 10 can natively mount them without additional software, which lets you use the data once it gets created.
Third-party programs are necessary to create the ISO file from a physical disc. Most of them come with junkware, bloating, or worse, so be careful with the one you select to convert your SACD into a usable item on your PC.
One of the safest ways to download an ISO tool is to visit Ninite.
■ What Is Ninite and Why Do I Use It?
Ninite provides access to unmaintained or discontinued software. In some situations, it will only install the outdated version of specific programs.
Although that means you won’t receive updates or fixes for bugs, it also lets you run items on older PCs that wouldn’t be available in other settings.
When you need ISO file conversion software to store and play SACDs on your PC, this platform provides several choices to consider.
You’ll want to review the three following options to see which tool would work the best for your computing setup.
| InfraRecorder | ImgBurn | CDBurnerXP |
| It is released under the terms of GNU General Public License 3 and is free software. It offers features similar to CD and DVD authoring software. The software uses the cdrtools library to perform the file creation process. The 64-bit version doesn’t include the Ogg Vorbis decoder. | Since version 2.3, this software creates image files from unencrypted discs. Anything prior to version 2.5.1 is freeware. It is written in the C++ programming language. The supported environments stop at Windows 7. | This software option works with Windows 2000 operating systems or later. Version 4.5.8.7128 was released in November 2019. It supports ISO, ISO-9660, and UDF formats. 32-bit and 64-bit versions are available to use. A portable version is available to use on USB. |
You can find these downloads outside of Ninite, but they often come with junkware to manage.
Downloading them from this platform is the easiest way to create and save the ISO files needed for SACD playback.
After installing the third-party software, insert your physical SACD into the drive. Click the option to read the disc or create the ISO file type and choose your preferred location to save it.
Once you’ve taken those steps, the data rips from the SACD to your drive. When the ISO file is finished, you can start the playback process on your PC.
What Is the Problem with SACD Recognition?
Several issues develop when attempting to take information from an SACD to achieve PC playback.
The first problem is that the technology was a proprietary option.
With Sony and Philips Electronics holding the keys to this format, only authorized players could access the data the disc contains.
Secondly, most PC drives aren’t equipped to recognize the SACD formatting.
Although you could play the item on DVD drives on some computers, the protections often prevented any copying from happening.
That’s why you typically need to take an image of the entire disc to save as an ISO file to get this method to work.
Thirdly, the technology didn’t take off as expected. When consumers could download music files from the Internet directly, it was cheaper to be selective about the songs they wanted.
The SACD was never really accepted by the mainstream market because of the challenges it presented with technology upgrades required.
Although over 400 labels would eventually have SACD releases in the first decade of this technology’s deployment, it would quickly fizzle. Only smaller brands offer new recordings in this format.
With over 6,000 SACD releases available to find, you’ll also discover that three genres dominate this recording method: classical, jazz, and pop.
What to Expect with a Hybrid SACD
If you have a hybrid SACD that you want to play on your PC, the easiest method is to access the CD layer.
Although you won’t get the surround sound benefits with this technique, you’ll have an easier time uploading the file to your computer.
Most media players can recognize and play standard CD audio files.
| CD Layer Specs | SACD Layer Specs | |
| CAPACITY | 700 MB | 4.7 GB |
| SAMPLING FREQUENCY | 44.1 kHz | 2.8224 MHz |
| MAX AUDIO CHANNELS | 2 | 6 |
| STEREO PLAYBACK TIME | 80 minutes | 110 minutes (no DST) |
| AUDIO ENCODING | 16-bit PCM | 1-bit DSD |
If you have a commercial release SACD, you’ll likely have the surround sound and stereo mixes contained in the layer.
Reissues often retain the multi-channel formatting to present more of an authentic listener experience.
When you attempt playback on a CD/DVD drive, the PC will not recognize the disc’s HD layer.
What you can do is use the SACD drive on a PlayStation 3, download the appropriate firmware, and extract the DSD copy from the HD stream to port to your computer.
How to Move PS3 Files to a PC
Although the PlayStation 5 was the must-have gift for 2020 in many homes, having a PS3 around is still beneficial if you love listening to SACD content.
With the jailbreak that happened on that platform (Sony produces the PlayStation console), it became much more comfortable to transfer content from the gaming system to a computer.
Once you have the files extracted from your SACD onto the PS3, the only thing you need to have is a flash drive to transfer the data.
After plugging in the PS3, head to the saved data utility on the console. You don’t need to have a PlayStation Plus account to take this step.
Copy the SACD data from the console to the flash drive. Since you might be receiving almost 5 GB of information from this process, you’ll need to ensure the USB storage device is capable of holding that much information.
Select the “copy” command on the PS3 when you’re ready to proceed. Once it is finished, unplug the USB drive from the console, take it to the PC, and plug it in there.
Please note that this process still creates an ISO file.
After navigating to the saved data file that contains SACD information, you can copy it to your PC.
Most modern computers can also play the data directly from the storage device.
What If I Have a PS4 or PS4 Pro?
If you have one of Sony’s other gaming consoles, you cannot follow the steps outlined above to copy SACD files to your PC.
When Sony released the PS4, the company moved away from the idea that the console should be an all-in-one entertainment center.
The first feature that got dropped was SACD playback.
If you have an SACD that you try to play in a PS4 or PS4 Pro, you’ll encounter the same issues that happen on a PC.
With the release of the PS4 Pro, Sony avoided giving players the option to use 4K Blu-ray discs as part of the design.
Microsoft went in the other direction with their Xbox consoles. Although the Xbox One S didn’t support 4K gaming, it does play Blu-ray discs with that information and supports 4K streaming through compatible apps.
Final Thoughts about Storing and Playing SACD on PC
Although people have ripped SACDs to PCs using the analog in to capture the sound from the discs, this method creates six WAV channels that get encoded into the DTS.
With the PS3 method and other copy protection compromises, you can use third-party software to copy the file bit-by-bit as you would with any other DVD. By creating an ISO file, most PCs can handle the playback with relative ease.
This process’s crucial step is to select a program that doesn’t contain bloatware and miscellaneous junk.
Choose a downloading platform you trust, grab the software you need, and enjoy listening to the HD music that the SACD offers.
Although the SACD format never earned widespread use, some releases still use this format for those who enjoy listening to the added depth and frequencies in recordings.
Following these steps can help you achieve that goal on PC.