Sony SCD-XA5400ES Operating Instructions - Page 8

About the Super Audio CD Super Audio CD is a new high-quality audio disc standard where music is recorded in the DSD (Direct Stream Digital) format (conventional CDs are recorded in the PCM format). The DSD format, using a sampling frequency 64 times higher than that of a conventional CD, and with 1-bit quantization, achieves both a wide frequency range and a wide dynamic range across the audible frequency range, and so provides music reproduction extremely faithful to the original sound. Types of Super Audio CDs There are 2 types of Super Audio CDs. Single layer disc A disc with a single Super Audio CD layer* Super Audio CD layer* Channel areas of Super Audio CDs A Super Audio CD has 2 types of channel areas. 2-channel area An area in which 2-channel stereo tracks are recorded Multi-channel area An area in which multi-channel (up to 5.1 channels) tracks are recorded When the 2-channel area and the multichannel area are recorded on a Super Audio CD layer In case of a disc with both areas, you select the area which is given priority to be played back (page 24). You can change the area to be played for each disc (page 24). 2-channel area Hybrid disc A disc with a Super Audio CD layer and a CD layer**. You can select the layer you want to listen to. Since both layers are on one side, it is not necessary to turn the disc over. You can play the CD layer on a conventional CD player. Multi-channel area Super Audio CD layer CD layer** Super Audio CD layer* * High density signals of Super Audio CD are recorded on this layer. **The layer can be played on a conventional CD player. 8GB