B e c a u s e

t h e r e ’ s

s o

M u c h

M o r e t o

H e a r.

B e y o n d C D :

I n t r o d u c i n g S u p e r A u d i o C o m p a c t D i s c.The Compact Disc was an important accomplishmentin stereo music reproduction. But over the years, discerning listeners have demanded even more.That's why Sony and Philips, the inventors of CD,have created the new Super Audio Compact Disc(SACD). It's the highest quality stereo sound sourceavailable today.

Unprecedented fidelity.

Super Audio Compact Disc utilizes advanced technologyin the pursuit of a single goal: superlative soundquality. SACD is based on a fundamentally newapproach, Direct Stream Digital™ encoding. Thisone-bit system goes far beyond more bits and higher sampling rates to produce nothing less than aquantum leap in music resolution.

Greater simplicity.

To audiophiles, purity has always meant simplicity.So with SACD, there's no option for lossy compressionof any kind. There's no option for music recorded atanything less than the highest possible resolution.And you'll never experience stereo derived from acomputerized fold-down. SACD is about music, pureand simple.

Remarkable compatibility.

Music enthusiasts have already made a substantialcommitment to their CD collections. To protect thisinvestment, every SACD player performs superblywith the more than 12 billion audio Compact Discscurrently in existence. And the SACD format alsoincludes a hybrid disc option that will play backbeautifully in the more than 600 million home, carand portable CD players made since 1982.

Super Audio Compact Disc. What else would youexpect from the people who created the Compact Disc?

T h e C r e a t i o n o f a N e w M e d i u m.

Super Audio Compact Disc is dedicated to a single goal: the finest music reproduction possible.

‘‘’’

-Robert Woods, Telarc International

CD Layer

HD Layer

Hybrid Disc

Dual Layer Disc

HD Layer

HD Layers

With the SACD format, musiccompanies can offer three different types of discs. The single-layer disc can store a fullalbum of high resolution music.A dual-layer disc provides nearlytwice the playing time. There'seven a hybrid disc that containsboth a high density music layerand a standard density CD layerfor compatibility with over 600million CD players, worldwide.

A staggeringimprovement over what we have now.

Direct Stream Digital encoding: a foundation for the future.

For nearly 30 years, digital audio has been based uponPulse Code Modulation (PCM) technology — andnobody knows PCM better than Sony. We've used it todevelop everything from Compact Disc and DAT toprofessional DASH recorders and digital mixing consoles. But to achieve a truly fundamental breakthrough in music reproduction, Sony has inventeda truly amazing audio technology: Direct StreamDigital (DSD®) encoding. DSD encoding is destined toserve as the foundation for digital audio in the future.

Simplifying the signal path.

Even the most advanced PCM record/playback systems require decimation and interpolationfilters that can cause problems, includingrequantization noise, passband ripple and ringing. These degradations can smear musical

overtones, muddy the soundstage and compromise overall transparency. A radically

simpler approach, Direct Stream Digital processingeliminates these problems by eliminating the filters. Itenables a 1-bit signal to be recorded directly!

P u r eA u d i o.

C h a n g i n g

t h e

M e a n i n g

o f

RECORDING PROCESS

64ƒs1 bit

64ƒs1 bit

64ƒs1 bit

64ƒs1 bit

ƒs16 bit

ƒs16 bit

8ƒs24 bit

[Noise Shaping]

RECORDING PROCESS

PLAYBACK PROCESS

PLAYBACK PROCESS

[Noise Shaping] [Noise Shaping]

Input Signal

Input Signal

Output Signal

Output Signal

Delta Sigma∆Σ

Modulator

Delta Sigma∆Σ

Modulator

Delta Sigma∆Σ

Modulator

DecimationDigital Filter

InterpolationDigital Filter

Analog LowPass Filter

Analog LowPass Filter

CD

Super Audio CD

Beyond comparison.

Direct Stream Digital processing is dramatically different, even when compared to the most sophisticated PCM technology. This 1-bit systemencodes music at an astonishing 2,822,400 samplesper second. The result is more than just superb frequency response and dynamic range. You'll hear the inner detail of choral ensembles. The reverberation trailing from a guitar chord. And theacoustic space surrounding the instruments. WithDSD technology, you hear every nuance of soundreproduced with incredible ease and clarity.

Moreover, many leading audiophile labels are alreadyconducting multichannel DSD recording sessions.Thanks to Direct Stream Transfer™ lossless coding,future SACDs will be able to offer both a 2-channel and a multichannel mix of the same music.And the 2-channel mix will be fully compatible withcurrent players.

The digital equivalent of straight wire with gain.

The DSD analog-to-digital converter produces a one-bit pulse train that appears remarkably analog.In this manner, DSD encoding combines the advantages of digital recording with the well-regardedcharacteristics of analog sound. For recording artists,producers and engineers, DSD technology is a priceless new tool. For audiophiles, it's a major stepcloser to pure music.

Analoginput signal

DSDoutput signal

01111110111101110110101 1110111011010101001111110111101110110101 111011101101010101010100100010000100001000100101010

The Direct Stream Digital pulse train"looks" remarkably like the analogwaveform it represents. More pulsespoint up as the wave goes positiveand down as the wave goes negative.

In high-end audio, simplest is best.And compared to conventional PCM,the new DSD system is far simpler.

‘‘

’’-Tom Jung, Digital Music Products (DMP)

‘‘

’-Steve Epstein, Sony Classical

SACD conveys therecorded performanceto the listener as accurately as possible.

After having made several recordings withthis technology, there isno going back to PCM – at any wordlength or sampling rate.

Presenting the SCD-1.

Super Audio Compact Disc is a milestone in musicreproduction. So to demonstrate the new format tothe fullest, Sony has built a landmark component: theSCD-1 Super Audio CD™/CD player.

The SCD-1 features Accurate Complementary Pulse(ACP) density modulation that defeats the switchingdistortion associated with conventional high-speedsemiconductors. Our Dual Discrete™ optical pickuphas two lasers — one dedicated to CD, the other optimized for SACD — for superb readout accuracy on both types of disc. Plus the rigid Fixed Pickup mechanism minimizes unwanted oscillation and servo current distortion.

Achieving higher standards for standard CD.

Critical listeners will also appreciate that the SCD-1is arguably Sony's best CD player ever. TheSynchronous Time Accuracy Controller (S-TACT) is ourmost effective method yet for suppressing time-basejitter. Our Current Pulse D/A converter vanquishes the imprecision of conventional, voltage-based systems. And the VC24 digital filter performs twice as many operation steps, for an altogether higherdegree of precision.

Built to last.

Air-borne, shelf-borne and internal vibrations cansubtly degrade your music. The Sony SCD-1 controlsthis problem across the board. The chassis featuresan all-new Base Pillar (BP) construction which combines two 5-mm base plates to form a massiveplatform nearly half an inch thick. On it reside sevenhigh-carbon cast iron pillars, 4.5-mm side walls anda 5-mm top plate. And the entire chassis rests oneccentric, pinpoint, gel-filled insulator feet. As aresult, the SCD-1 maintains effortless transparencyand detail – from the softest pianissimo to the loudest fortissimo.

There's also a more accessible Sony SACD player.The SCD-777ES incorporates most of the sametechnology as the SCD-1, including the FixedPickup mechanism and ACP circuitry.

The laser pickup signal is especially sensitive to

electromagnetic interference.That's why the Fixed Pickupmechanism minimizes servo current, reducing interference.

The VC24 digital filter, S-TACT stage, and Current

Pulse D/A converters are allICs designed and built by Sony.

The SCD-1 uses Sony'ssuperbly rigid Base Pillar construction.

E l i c i t i n g t h e f u l l Pe r f o r m a n c e

Legendary music.

SACD has triggered an outpouring of music by theworld's preeminent artists, both past and present.Jazz greats like Dave Brubeck, Miles Davis, HerbieHancock, Milt Jackson, Wynton Marsalis and OscarPeterson. Classical stars like Emanuel Ax, GlennGould, Yo-Yo Ma and Isaac Stern. And the world'sfinest orchestras under the batons of LeonardBernstein, Eugene Ormandy, Wolfgang Sawallischand Bruno Walter. These performances were singularevents. Now captured on SACD, these titles gloriouslydemonstrate music the way it should be.

o f M u s i c.‘‘

’’-John Eargle, Director of Recording,Delos International

‘‘

’’-Joe Harley, AudioQuest Music

...SACD’s high-definitionperformance is truly a step forward in consumer music presentation...

The kind of resolution I am accustomed toexperiencing while inthe studio, listening to the direct microphone feed.

Sony Electronics Inc. 1 Sony Drive, Park Ridge NJ 07656 http://www.sony.com© 1999 Sony Electronics Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. Sony, DSD, Direct Stream Digital,

Dual Discrete, Super Audio CD, the DSD logo and the Super Audio CD logo are trademarks of Sony. Direct Stream Transfer is a trademark of Philips.

To find out how much more there is to hear, visit a Sony SACD retailer.

Call 1-800-222-SONY or visitwww.sony.com