is trueDD and DTS-HD worth the upgrade? (1 Viewer)

[Bmoney]

can someone explain to me what is the difference between lossless tueHD and other HD audio from reg. DD and DTS. I mean what is heard in the differences? cause i already feel BD audio is supierior to SD dvd. thanks for the help. I just wanna make sure the upgrade is justified



thanks guys always truly appreciate this forums help

 

[Jeff Gatie]

If by "BD audio" you mean uncompressed PCM, then TrueHD is the same thing when decoded. So is DTS-HD Master Audio. Both are lossless codecs, so when decoded, they are the exact same tracks as before being encoded. The others (DD+, DTS-HD, etc.) are in between DD/DTS and lossless as far as fidelity is concerned.

Are they worth it? Depends on how much you like your audio.

 

[Bmoney]

i love my audio. it is #1 in my book. so what i am asking is what differences will i hear? is there more seperation. deeper bass? any description would be great!

 

[Jeff Gatie]

Greater dynamic range. Fuller sound - meaning there are not any "thin" parts, like rolled off highs. Think of the difference between a 192k MP3 file vs. a CD, it's about the same difference. BTW, you mention that you like "BD audio" and think it is superior. If that means you've heard Blu-Ray uncompressed, then you've already heard the difference. TrueHD would sound the same.

 

[Craig Morris]

I agree... for all the talk about new processors and receivers, there's very little (or no) talk about how these formats sound compared to regular DD and DTS. HDMI switching and all these "new" features are hardly worth it if in the end the audio sounds virtually the same as before.

 

[Michael Reuben]

As Jeff Gatie noted, "BD audio" can mean different things, and we have no idea what the OP is listening to that he finds superior to standard DVD.

M.

 

[Craig Morris]

I guess I assumed that given the experience of most listeners on a forum like this, those factors would be a given. I was thinking more along the lines of "everything else being equal" what does a DD soundtrack sound like versus the TrueHD version... like A vs. B on the same system.

My fear is that if the differences are truly subtle, then dropping my AVM20 for a $1500 receiver may result in a net change of zero. ie. if the subtle improvement of TrueHD is lost because of a 'downgrade' in D/A conversion or other circuitry, then there's no point in switching.

 

[Bmoney]

what i meant was the DD on BD to me sounds more dynamic than what i have heard on my 500+ sd dvd's I am usinf reference series Klipsch (rf-7's) with a yamaha v2500 and svs cs+/samson1000.(all calibrated with sp meter, avia etc.) just so you know what i am dealing with.

I just was wondering for me to upgrade an already 1000$ reciever for another i.e/. denon 3808, for the HD uncompressed audio if it were a big difference say as in SD vs. BD video. I am very aware of nuances and subtle sounds in surround mixes. I really have upgrade-itis but would like to refrain from doing it if i dont have to. i can deal with the no HDMI switching for a while...but can i do without the trueDD and other uncompressed audio?

thanks guys

 

[Jeff Gatie]

In my opinion, it is not as big a difference as SD vs. BD video. Then again, there are people who claim the differences between SD and BD are minimal to none (believe it or not). So it is all anecdotal, but to me the difference is significant. As I said before, if you can tell the difference between 192k MP3's and the original CD, then you will be able to enjoy HD as superior to DD/DTS.

 

[Bmoney]

thank you, great response, i cant believe people cant see the dif between sd and hd.

But yes i can hear the diff between 192 mp3's and cd's so that is a very good comparison. I guess i will have to go audition it in the store...that would be my best bet huh?

dont get me wrong...i wil be upgrading anyhow eventually....just wondering if i should stretch myself out now and do it immediatly

 

[Michael Reuben]

Does the AVM20 have a set of 5.1 analog inputs? If so, do what I did -- connect a BD player via the analog inputs and let the player do the decoding. The only sound formats I can't take advantage of are DTS-HD and DTS-HD MA, because my Panasonic BP10 won't decode those, but there should be players coming along shortly that can.

M.

 

[Bmoney]

oh yeah that would be pertinent info...

ps3 via optical...so I KNOW it is not uncompressed.

 

[Michael Reuben]

Not only isn't it uncompressed, but you're listening to what you could get off a standard DVD.

M.

 

[ManW_TheUncool]

Actually, that's not quite true. SD DVD's DD is somewhat lower bitrate than the 640Kbps DD coming from BDs. I can't tell you how much actual diff it makes, but to me, I *think* I've noticed a diff compared to SD DVD. Then again, it's really hard to compare these things since the soundtracks can be mastered differently, etc. For instance, it's been pointed out in the past that the Redbook CD layers on Hybrid SACDs tend to get better mastering than typical CDs.

Also, I'm not sure what exactly the PS3 outputs via optical when you choose an uncompressed PCM track. My PS3 seems to suggest it does actually output uncompressed PCM via optical, but I can't be sure since my ancient processor doesn't seem to handle 5.1 PCM.

[EDIT] RE: uncompressed PCM tracks, seems the PS3 just downmixes it to 2-channel PCM w/ DPL matrixing for optical output. I think it does something like that for DTS-HD/MA also from what I can tell w/ Hairspray.

_Man_

 

[Jeff Gatie]

The maximum the SPDIF spec allows is 2.0 PCM.

 

[Michael Reuben]

Unless I'm seriously misinformed, the most that an optical digital connection can handle is PCM 2.0. (I see Jeff beat me to it.)

M.

 

[Bmoney]

you very condescending. i dont need to be talked down to. i KNOW that i can only get normal DD off out of the optical cable thats why i posted i KNOW i am not getting uncompressed. i am not an idiot. I was asking in the original question.....

will a difference be heard. to me it sounds like(maybe they are only mastered diff.) that BD has better sound on them than SD discs.

:rolleyes

 

[ManW_TheUncool]

No, you guys are right -- and beat me to it when I corrected myself. The PS3 seems to downconvert to 2.0 PCM w/ DPL matrixing.

_Man_

 

[Robert Crawford]

I don't see how Michael was condescending to you with his comments.





Crawdaddy

 

[Michael Reuben]

It might be helpful to identify specific titles. In my experience, it's uncommon to encounter BD discs with standard DD tracks, but we may just have different tastes.

Bmoney, I'm sorry you're offended, but I haven't said anything to you since post 13.

M.