Headphones and Amps and DACs... Oh My!

[allegate]

Research into SACD players is confusing...

Am I correct that there is not a native DSD player for less than about $1500? The players look to be about $700-800 (Marantz, Cambridge Audio, Sony), but then you need a DAC/Amp that can support the audio which is equal in price. Are these price points accurate for Onkyo and Denon (I'm not familiar with these as much). The "all-in-one" players (just one component instead of two) look to be about $1999+ MSRP. Correct?

Also, a lot of the verbiage for some of the specifications is vague, especially since each brand has their own "lingo". I know DoP (DSD over PCM) is an option, but since I'm in the market for a new receiver, it'd still be about $1000-1200. So, the thing has to play native DSD, through a disc slot, as well as HDCD decoding (this is a huge one as the vast majority of Grateful Dead stuff is HDCD). I know Sony has the patent for the DSD technology, does that mean any of them over a certain dollar amount can passthrough native DSD if I have a DAC which can decode it?

I'm also planning on getting a PS2 for ripping/extracting purposes...

I realize this is all over the place; I'm really looking for some guidance. I'd like to spend no more than $1500, but if that's not possible, I'd really just like a breakdown of which direction to go (I'd like to stick with Sony, Marantz, or Cambridge Audio if possible).

ETA: And De-Emphasis!#@$

sorry for the out-of-order of this but I just saw this: do you mean a PS3? Because there's a version of the PS3 that will allow you to rip SACDs after a bit of trickery with the firmware.

as for the rest of your post: good luck. HDCD is fairly rare on cheaper players right now. Combine that with an SACD player and you're looking at some high-level (and high-price) equipment. and not to add to your headache but there is also DSD over HDMI but it will only work if the receiver has the DAC for it, otherwise it's just a PCM signal. the forums at https://forums.stevehoffman.tv/ would be a good place to read up and ask questions if you aren't already.

side note: dbpoweramp and foobar can decode HDCD digital tracks if they are lossless, if it matters. for example you might find that the Grateful Dead albums you're worried about might not matter at all.

[Jon]

sorry for the out-of-order of this but I just saw this: do you mean a PS3? Because there's a version of the PS3 that will allow you to rip SACDs after a bit of trickery with the firmware.

as for the rest of your post: good luck. HDCD is fairly rare on cheaper players right now. Combine that with an SACD player and you're looking at some high-level (and high-price) equipment. and not to add to your headache but there is also DSD over HDMI but it will only work if the receiver has the DAC for it, otherwise it's just a PCM signal. the forums at https://forums.stevehoffman.tv/ would be a good place to read up and ask questions if you aren't already.

side note: dbpoweramp and foobar can decode HDCD digital tracks if they are lossless, if it matters. for example you might find that the Grateful Dead albums you're worried about might not matter at all.

Yep, I meant the PS3. Thankee-sai.

The Grateful Dead releases are interesting because only a few include peak extension, and a good portion of the releases are the wrong speed. Unfortunately, Sunshine Daydream is one of them.

I've been trying to find a discounted Marantz SA8005, but no luck so far (MSRP is $1200). We have a Sony UBP-X700 which has been fine for DSD playback. Using a PC+software does seem like the best approach.