DVD-Audio?

[LaSarthe+Back]

Having recently heard the Beatles Love album, I am amazed this format never took off.

Just ordered Metallica's Black Album it a slightly high price of £25 (though a bargain when they are selling for $170 on some sites!). Looking forward to a blast when it comes.

So, any of you have prized discs from a bygone format of excellence?

ETA In fact add SACD!

Edited by LaSarthe+Back on Thursday 26th June 22:43

[clived]

Yeah I've got a fairly big collection of SACD, DVD-A and even a few DTS audio-only discs. If you're into this stuff you might also want to check out the HDAD stuff (like Alan Parsons' "I, Robot") which is a not-quite standards compliant spin off of DVD-A, stereo only, and sounds great

[qube_TA]

The general public just aren't interested in sound quality, they prefer convenience. I've a DVDA/SACD player and the quality is sublime but as the format never took off there's a very small selection of albums available.

Didn't help that this format was never advertised I'd wager most people don't even know what they are.

[Stamp]

A lot of the Linn download you can have at DVD-A quality.
I downloaded Judith Owen at higher rate to burn to DVD-A and it is great.
I have a few REM, Tubular bells etc.
There are quite a few topics on this on the Hitch-hikers guide to Meridian, the forums for Meridian Audio, as their flagship stuff plays DVD-A, like mine

[qube_TA]

What you reckon, 24-bit digital or vinyl?

[LaSarthe+Back]

qube_TA said:

What you reckon, 24-bit digital or vinyl?

Digital all the way. In an analogue system you can't do very much with it. With digital, there are endless algorithms you can apply to give such different sound.

[JustinP1]

The Seal Greatest hits DVDA as superb.

Also REM Greatest Hits and Fleetwood Mac Rumours are excellent.

On a good system, that is the best audio experience I have heard. Going back to stereo CD after having that on 7.1 surround you can really tell the difference...

[clonmult]

LaSarthe+Back said:

qube_TA said:

What you reckon, 24-bit digital or vinyl?

Digital all the way. In an analogue system you can't do very much with it. With digital, there are endless algorithms you can apply to give such different sound.

But do you continually change the algorithms on your DAC? And doing that is little different to the differences between solid state and valve amps, class a, etc.

[LaSarthe+Back]

clonmult said:

LaSarthe+Back said:

qube_TA said:

What you reckon, 24-bit digital or vinyl?

Digital all the way. In an analogue system you can't do very much with it. With digital, there are endless algorithms you can apply to give such different sound.

But do you continually change the algorithms on your DAC? And doing that is little different to the differences between solid state and valve amps, class a, etc.

Going by your job description, I would expect you to know the advantages of being able to manipulate data/information bit by bit.

Digital is simply much more efficient than analogue systems. While they have their own sound, that is mostly a function of the inaccurate components they must use [for fat crossovers].

[qube_TA]

Sure you can use a DSP on a digital signal but you can also do that on an analog one (albeit with more noise) but why on earth would you want to? You'll be buying a graphic equaliser next!

For my ears a high quality vinyl setup was always the ultimate until SACD came out, they're just fabulous. I've little time for surround sound though.

[LaSarthe+Back]

qube_TA said:

...I've little time for surround sound though...

Maybe cos you've not seen it to its full potential?

Do you like Pink Floyd? The DSOTM original quadrophonic tapes in surround is jaw dropping.

[clonmult]

LaSarthe+Back said:

clonmult said:

LaSarthe+Back said:

qube_TA said:

What you reckon, 24-bit digital or vinyl?

Digital all the way. In an analogue system you can't do very much with it. With digital, there are endless algorithms you can apply to give such different sound.

But do you continually change the algorithms on your DAC? And doing that is little different to the differences between solid state and valve amps, class a, etc.

Going by your job description, I would expect you to know the advantages of being able to manipulate data/information bit by bit.

Digital is simply much more efficient than analogue systems. While they have their own sound, that is mostly a function of the inaccurate components they must use [for fat crossovers].

But efficient does not necessarily equal improved/"better" sound.

I was brought up on high end vinyl systems, and have seen digital audio progress in leaps over the years, i've heard no end of systems at all levels on both analogue and digital, and I still prefer the analogue systems I've heard.

Got an old mate who reviews kit for one of the UK audio mags, and the killer for me is that his primary source is vinyl, even though he's got access to the best analogue/digital kit on the market. Although said deck is a Basis, used to have a Debut Gold, unsure of what he's upgraded to from their product line.

[AngryS3Owner]

I've got a few DVD-A and the DSOTM SACD and they do sound rather good, but not as good as I'd hoped compared to some normal DVD concerts I've got (DTS ones).

I think for multi channel music you really do need the speakers set-up how they suggest and for my 7.1 it's just not going to happen to have another set of speakers just for music at the rear.

[qube_TA]

LaSarthe+Back said:

qube_TA said:

...I've little time for surround sound though...

Maybe cos you've not seen it to its full potential?

Do you like Pink Floyd? The DSOTM original quadrophonic tapes in surround is jaw dropping.

I have most of the PF quad albums plus a few by Mike Oldfield, I still have a Sony quadraphonic amp.

Having sounds come at you from all angles is interesting but hardly jaw-dropping. I'm not saying it's bad but it's the higher resolution that makes me interested in SACD/DVD-A not the multi-channel ability of it.

[Plotloss]

DVD-A played on a THX array configured in the ASA style with the amp running in Music Mode is utterly utterly utterly fabulous.

The overall effect is significantly better than even the stereo beards can create.

[clonmult]

Plotloss said:

DVD-A played on a THX array configured in the ASA style with the amp running in Music Mode is utterly utterly utterly fabulous.

The overall effect is significantly better than even the stereo beards can create.

A well setup THX array is utterly incredible. Even the old THX train intro, or the THX logo just blew people away.

[telecat]

I love DVD-Audio the shame is that it is not exploited to the Maximum. Most of the Disc's I have are 24/48 which is really good except with a DAC64, CD works better!! My player is a Technics DVD-A10.

[qube_TA]

In the studio music is generally recorded at 24 bit/96KHz and has been for a while, it's then converted to 16 bits for use on CD's n MP3's which makes the music sound squashed and messy if there's a lot going on, the HD audio discs cure that by giving you essentially a bit-for-bit identical copy of the studio master. There's no way a CD can be better unless the HD version is a really bad master.

[telecat]

qube_TA said:

In the studio music is generally recorded at 24 bit/96KHz and has been for a while, it's then converted to 16 bits for use on CD's n MP3's which makes the music sound squashed and messy if there's a lot going on, the HD audio discs cure that by giving you essentially a bit-for-bit identical copy of the studio master. There's no way a CD can be better unless the HD version is a really bad master.

I'd doubt that. Most studio's are capable of 24/96 but not much is recorded to that quality at the moment. If you really want to get the best out of DVD-Audio I'd recommend the Audio Synthesis Dax Discrete with a Transcend modified Transport, or the Townsend TA565.

[qube_TA]

Nah, stuff has been recorded at 24 bit since the early 90's. Ever since hard disc recorders came in they've been high resolution. My home PC has been able to do it for over 10 years so I'm fairly confident that your average professional recording studio can.