# Super Audio CD

> read-only optical disc for high-fidelity audio storage

**Wikidata**: [Q212960](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q212960)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Audio_CD)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/super-audio-cd

## Summary

Super Audio CD was established in 1999.

## Summary
Super Audio CD is a read-only optical disc format for high-fidelity audio storage, developed jointly by Sony Group and Koninklijke Philips NV and first introduced in 1999. It offers superior audio quality compared to standard CDs through advanced encoding technology.

## Key Facts
- Super Audio CD is a read-only optical disc format specifically designed for high-fidelity audio storage
- Developed jointly by Sony Group and Koninklijke Philips NV
- First introduced in 1999
- Owned by Sony Group
- Short name is SACD
- Subclass of optical disc and opto-digital audio storage medium
- Also known by aliases including Super audio compact disc, SA-CD, Direct Stream Transfer, and translations in multiple languages
- Has 35 Wikipedia sitelinks across multiple languages including English, German, Japanese, and Chinese

## FAQs
### Q: What is the difference between Super Audio CD and regular CD?
A: Super Audio CD is a read-only optical disc format for high-fidelity audio storage that offers superior audio quality compared to regular CDs. It uses different technology to deliver higher resolution sound with wider frequency response and greater dynamic range.

### Q: Can Super Audio CDs be played on regular CD players?
A: Some Super Audio CDs are hybrid discs that include a standard CD layer, allowing them to be played on regular CD players. However, the high-resolution Super Audio CD layer requires specialized players for full quality playback.

### Q: Who developed the Super Audio CD format?
A: The Super Audio CD format was developed jointly by Sony Group and Koninklijke Philips NV, with first introduction in 1999.

## Why It Matters
Super Audio CD represents a significant advancement in digital audio storage technology, addressing the limitations of standard CD formats by offering higher resolution audio with wider frequency response and greater dynamic range. This format brought studio-quality sound capabilities to home listeners, representing a notable step forward in consumer audio technology. The introduction of hybrid discs ensured backward compatibility with existing CD players, making the transition to higher quality audio more accessible to consumers while maintaining the format's technological advantages for dedicated audiophiles.

## Notable For
- Superior audio quality compared to standard CDs with higher resolution, wider frequency response, and greater dynamic range
- Development by two major technology companies (Sony and Philips) ensuring technological credibility
- Hybrid compatibility design that allows playback on standard CD players while offering enhanced quality on specialized players
- Introduction in 1999 as part of the evolution in digital audio storage technology
- Multiple language aliases indicating international adoption and recognition across different markets

## Body
### Overview
Super Audio CD (SACD) is a read-only optical disc format specifically designed for high-fidelity audio storage. It represents an advancement over standard compact discs by offering superior audio quality through improved encoding methods.

### Development and Ownership
The format was developed jointly by two major technology companies: Sony Group and Koninklijke Philips NV. Sony Group currently owns the format, which was first introduced in 1999. This collaborative development between industry leaders established SACD as a credible alternative to existing audio formats.

### Technical Classification
Super Audio CD is classified as both an optical disc and an opto-digital audio storage medium. It operates as a read-only format, meaning data cannot be written or erased after manufacturing, similar to standard CDs and DVDs.

### Naming and Aliases
The format has multiple aliases across different languages and contexts, including SACD, Super audio compact disc, SA-CD, Direct Stream Transfer, and translations such as "Disque compact super audio" in French, "スーパーオーディオCD" in Japanese, and "超级音频CD" in Chinese. These variations reflect its international adoption and recognition.

### Documentation and Recognition
The format has 35 Wikipedia sitelinks across multiple languages including Afrikaans, Arabic, Asturian, Bulgarian, Catalan, Czech, Danish, German, and English. It is also documented in the YSO (Yleinen suomalainen ontologia) system with ID 19061 and has a Freebase ID of "/m/0jy36".

## References

1. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
2. YSO-Wikidata mapping project