Convention Paper
Super Audio CD Format
AES Convention 104 · Paper 4705 · May 1998
Abstract
The Super Audio CD is the next generation audio disc. It is based on a hybrid disc concept, that provides compatibility with the Compact Disc. The Super Audio CD contains two layers: a CD layer and a high-density layer. The CD layer contains Red Book CD audio. The high-density layer contains both very high quality 2-channel stereo and very high quality multichannel audio. Besides the two types of audio, the high-density layer offers room for supplementary data, synchronized with the audio data, and a separate Extra Data area. The audio on the high-density layer is Direct Stream Digital (DSD) encoded: the audio is represented with a resolution of one bit, at the sampling frequency of 2.8224 MHz. The application of lossless coding, especially developed for DSD audio signals, allows storage of 74 minutes of both 2-channel stereo and multichannel audio on the high-density layer.
