Happy ripping, and long live DSD. Do you have a preferred method for ripping SACDs? Still using a PS3, or have you moved to the Oppo method? Let me know in the comments below.

If you are reading this, you likely own a shelf of those slightly thicker, shimmering jewel cases. You know the ones: Super Audio CDs (SACDs) . You bought them because they promised "studio master quality" and the death of "brickwalled" loudness wars.

But here is the hard truth facing collectors in 2024 and beyond:

Specifically, the (and similar "LibreDrive" compatible drives) can now read the SACD layer when flashed with custom firmware.

Technically, circumventing DRM (the SACD watermarking system) violates the DMCA in the US. However, the legal consensus among archivists is if you own the original disc. No one has ever been sued for ripping their own SACD collection for personal use. Sony has largely abandoned the format, and enforcement is zero. But as always, keep your discs. The Verdict: Start Ripping If you have more than 50 SACDs, you are sitting on a time bomb. Do it now while the software is available and the hardware is findable.

High-end players are becoming vintage, laser assemblies are being discontinued, and Sony’s once-strict DRM is finally a thing of the past. The solution? Ripping your SACDs to a hard drive.