Sony SCD-1 SACD/CD Player – The Player That Launched SACD

Free Shipping (Contiguous U.S. Only)

General:
The SCD-1 is widely regarded as the finest CD/SACD player Sony ever produced, and many enthusiasts believe it is one of the best CD players ever built. Renowned for its engineering, uncompromising construction, and outstanding sound quality, the SCD-1 stands out within Sony's product range.

The SCD-1 was part of Sony’s limited-production “1 Series,” which also included the TA-E1 preamplifier, TA-N1 power amplifier, and SS-M9ED floorstanding speakers. These companion components are exceptionally rare, and we’re pleased to currently offer the matching TA-E1 and TA-N1 in a separate listing which you can view by clicking here.

Originally introduced in 1999 with a $5,000 MSRP - equivalent to approximately $10,000 today - with fewer than 2,500 examples ever produced.

Introduced as the world's first SACD player, the SCD-1 represented the cutting edge of digital audio technology at the time of its release. For a company responsible for numerous milestones in consumer electronics, the SCD-1 stands as one of Sony's most impressive achievements.

Its build quality is immediately apparent. Weighing nearly 60 pounds, the SCD-1 features a massively overbuilt chassis designed to minimize vibration and maximize mechanical stability. The distinctive motorized top-loading mechanism reveals a substantial steel disc stabilizer that clamps the disc securely during playback, reducing vibration and helping the transport achieve optimal read accuracy.

The transport itself is a remarkable piece of engineering, incorporating precision sapphire bearings and a level of mechanical refinement rarely seen in consumer audio products. Internally, the attention to detail continues with premium components, extensive shielding, separate power supplies, and a layout that reflects Sony's no-compromise approach to the SCD-1.

The result is a player that not only broke new ground as the first SACD machine but also remains a reference point for many audiophiles.

SkyFi Technical Notes:
As one of the very first SACD players introduced, this 26-year-old unit no longer reads the SACD layer of later hybrid SACD/CD discs. This is a common characteristic of early SACD players.

It continues to play single-layer stereo SACDs, as well as multi-channel SACDs in 2-channel stereo, without issue. Of course, standard CDs also play and sound excellent, with support for CD-Text when the disc is encoded.

Important: 
Player, disc stabilizer,  original owner’s manual, and power cord. The shipping carton shown is not the original Sony factory carton.

SkyFi Cosmetic Notes:
Excellent condition. Very light signs of wear.

Included:
Unit, original owner's manual, and power cord. The carton pictured is not the original Sony carton.

From The Vintage Knob:
The original SACD player.

If the format has yet to become market-wise successful, Sony's SCD-1 became very quickly -and remained so- the reference SACD player for a good many years.
Price-wise a little too expensive for many, so the similar SCD-777ES made most of the sales for Sony. The SCD-1 was however much more successful than the 1992 CDP-R10 and DAS-R10.

After the "1" lineup (SCD-1, TA-E1, TA-N1 and SS-M9ED), Sony gradually shelved all 2-channel high-end audio development, thus becoming the last of the japanese majors to exit that ever-diminishing market.

Production was planned at 500 units /month for the SCD-1 and 700 units /month for the SCD-777ES sibling. There were at least 2500 made in total, the last batch bearing the post-2000 Sony EMCS T-tag sticker pasted over the original Sony Kitakanto.
More from The Vintage Knob linked here

From a Stereophile review written by Jonathan Scull:
Sony's $5000 SCD-1 is a two-channel Super Audio CD player. Right out of the box, it impressed me with its hewn-of-a-piece construction. This is a serious high-end device, and built accordingly. The lavish engineering thoughtfulness is matched by every satiny panel and control surface. Fit'n'finish come no higher. The SCD-1's base unit is made of 6mm solid aluminum plate—very rigid, very firm. The cutout for the traveling spindle assembly is reinforced by an additional plate drilled for lightness and rigidity, thus avoiding vibration-induced "squeaking." Ahem. The whole construct floats on four thick pillars mounted directly to the chassis with "a minimum number" of rubber dampers.

The spindle motor sits in a die-cast aluminum housing incorporating sapphire bearings, with a ruby bearing on the spindle shaft. A substantial weight—Sony calls it a "disc chuck"—is placed on the CD before play. If you forget, a warning is displayed.

Symmetrical double-sided glass-epoxy circuit boards are arranged for short signal paths. A discrete analog power supply is located directly on the audio circuit board. A copper bus bar runs down the center, creating a low-impedance ground path for the current-pulse D/A, the digital filter, and the pulse generator. The ground terminal of the analog board is connected by a three-layer insulated-element bus bar to the back panel for a firm connection to chassis ground. There are two transformers: one for the audio side, one for the servo and digital circuits. These are potted in a resin-sealed case to reduce magnetic flux leakage and eliminate vibration.

Brand Background:
Since 1950 Sony has been building the most innovative products in the audio industry.

Ownership:
Single Owner

Connections:
RCA, XLR, Coaxial, Optical, IEC Power

General Sound:
Smooth, uncolored, undistorted natural and clean

Cosmetic Condition:
8/10 = Very Good. Excellent front faceplate, one minor flaw on chassis side or top. See our detailed rating description here.

Working Condition:
Working perfectly and tested on our bench with both CD and DVD. XLR and RCA working as they should.

Packing:
Original Manufacturers Packing

Original MSRP:
$5,000.00

Specs:
Frequency Range 2-100,000 Hz
Frequency Response 2-50,000 HZ (-3 dB)
Dynamic Range more than 105 dB (20-20,000 Hz)
Total Harmonic Distortion less than 0.0012%
Wow & Flutter Beneath measurable level (+/-0.001% weighted peak)
Compact Disc:
Frequency Response 2-20,000 Hz
Dynamic Range more than 100 dB
Total Harmonic Distortion less than 0.0017%
Wow & Flutter beneath measurable level Beneath measurable level (+/-0.001% weighted peak)
Output:
Digital Output Optical, coaxial (CD only)
Analog Output Unbalanced (w/ON/OFF switch for balanced)
Output Level:
Digital (optical) -18 dBm (fixed)
Digital (coaxial) 0.5 V p-p (fixed)
Digital (unbalanced) 2 V ms (fixed)
Analog (balanced) 2 V ms (fixed)

Dimensions:
430 × 149 × 436 mm (17 × 5 7 /8 × 17 1 /4)

Weight:
58 lbs.

Approximate Age:
1999

Link to Manual:
Click Here

Recommended Cables:
Kimber Kable - RCA Interconnects - Better

Kimber Kable - RCA Interconnects - Best

Kimber Kable - BALANCED XLR Connectors - Better

Kimber Kable - BALANCED XLR Connectors - Best

Kimber Kable - Coaxial Digital Interconnect

Kimber Kable - Optical Digital Interconnect

Kimber Kable - Power Cords - Good

Kimber Kable - Power Cords - Better

Kimber Kable - 14AWG (Gauge) Power Cords - Best

Testing Process:
We start with a visual inspection of all internal components to make sure that there are no signs of heat stress or damage. Capacitors are checked for telltale signs of predictive failure including bulging, shrunken wrappers, or physical leakage. We also inspect resistors and other passive components for signs of overheating. When the unit is first powered on we check the drawer mechanism function.

After the visual inspection we connect the CD Player RCA outputs to our Sencore PA81 Power Analyzer which simulates a real world input impedance and allows us to monitor the output on an oscilloscope. We start with a test CD with precision test signals to verify proper output on both channels. If the CD player has balanced outputs these are also tested at this time.

If this check passes, we move onto evaluation with actual music CDs. We listen for clicks, skips, and drops during playback. At this time we also check the transport functions including Play, Pause, Stop, Repeat Track, Next Track, Previous Track, Fast Forward, Rewind, and programming if applicable. If the unit has a remote control, all remote control functions are verified.

If the CD player is capable of SACD playback we test its ability to read SACD layers on multiple discs including standard and hybrid SACD's. At this time we also check the unit’s digital outputs where applicable. If SACD layers are being properly read we should see the digital outputs mute during playback. On redbook CD playback we verify that each digital output maintains proper lock on our bench DAC.

After bench testing is completed, CD players are set up for testing on our long term test rig. During extended testing we make sure that unit can play through several different discs from beginning to end with no skips or lockups.