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DVD-A What´s the best one ? (1 Viewer)

Mauricio_BR

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Dec 4, 2002
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Guys, I just bought a dvd-a player (Pioneer 656) and I would like to know if there´s a reference one. That one that you cannot miss in your collection, for its sound and picture quality.


Tks

Mauricio
 

Scott Merryfield

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The video content on DVD-Audio discs will never be reference quality. This format is all about high-resolution audio, and the limited video features (usually nothing more than liner notes, song lyrics and a low-quality video clip or two) are more of an afterthought.

That being said, my favorite DVD-Audio titles are:

Steely Dan -- Two Against Nature
Eagles -- Hotel California
Fleetwood Mac -- Rumors

I also own the Elv1s DVD-A title, which is quite an interesting audio mix, but the disc is poorly authored -- there are no navigation menus to get to the high-resolution stereo track (which is one the dsic, although it is never mentioned anywhere on the packaging).

You may want to search the Music Area of this forum. DVD-A and SACD discussions and recommendations can be found there.
 

Douglas Bailey

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I'll throw in a vote for Queen's A Night at the Opera DVD-A.

Brian May (the band's guitarist) and Roy Thomas Baker (the original producer of the album) were both involved in the remastering/remixing, so the surround mix is genuinely representative of the artists' intentions. (I honestly don't know if that's the case with the other DVD-A albums out there.)
 

Matt Stone

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I haven't listened to too many, but I really like the Metallica disc.
 

JeremyFr

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I've only got 2 right now the first being Linkin Park-Reanimation, this dvd-a is brutal track 5 especially is very grueling with a very nice bass drop that occurs many times that hits at I'd say probably 35-40 hz all I know is if played on a good sub it can be painful and rattle your teeth out of your head. The other one I own is The Police-Every Breath you take they consider it DVD-A but its actually a DTS-CD so not true DVD-A but the sound quality is still superb and they remixed all the tracks from the original masters including an exclusive 5.1 version of de do do do, de da da da that starts out with a really cool acapela intro. I plan on getting more but so far these are the only 2 I own.
 

Konstantinos_G

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I will agree with most people in this thread.

Although DVD-Audio offers high(er) resolution audio, it can certainly not be compared to SACD, starting at the technical specifications...

Together with a friend, we have bought two (superb!) Pioneer DV-747A players and sat down and listened to the following excellent titles:

REFERENCE DVD-Audio
*Telarc - 1812 Tchaikovsky (the best of the best; try the SACD too!)

OTHER RECORDINGS
Hotel California - EAGLES
A Night At The Opera - QUEEN

(* I've been listening to TELARC recordings, since the early CDs and their quality is unparalleled--best in SACD)

It seems that for rock music, DVD-Audio is more acceptable to the ear than SACD; we listened to Mariah Carey's SACD and it scared us--it's *so* clear that it was uncomfortable!

I would say that SACD is better (for those who can hear the difference) for orchestral music, hear the way the instruments & choirs *really* sound (e.g. Carmina Burana, 1812) the virtuosos on special musical parts (Mozart). On the other hand, DVD-Audio is closer to pop & rock music, its resolution (superior to poor old CD) is higher enough to promote the dynamics of the recording.

The problem is that the war is still going on--what format is going to stay, at the end of the day?

Konstantinos
 

PhilipG

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The problem is that the war is still going on--what format is going to stay, at the end of the day?
I don't see this as a problem. Since my player handles both types, I don't see why all future players cannot either. Let the individual studios support whichever format they want. Where there's crossover (for example with 1812) I'll get whichever one has the better reviews.

I do like the visual advantage of DVD-Audio, however - having the lyrics on-screen is great. But that won't stop me buying SACDs.
 

Felix Martinez

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The best quality I've heard on DVD-A are the AIX discs. This one in particular blew my mind...

http://www.dvdangle.com/reviews/review.php?Id=2877

For rock/pop fans, all the titles mentioned in this thread so far are excellent, and I would also add the excellent America: Homecoming as well - excellent job.

As far as the whole SACD being "better" than DVD-A thang...

There's an argument to be sure; however, most people don't realize that the industry standard in re-mixing/transfering/restoring/tweaking audio, etc.
is ProTools and other PCM hardware/software. And, of course, there are all the full PCM digital recordings of the past 25 years.

So, unless a release is done completely using Sony's proprietary DSD technology (from original recording or tape transfer to final product), an SACD disc may in fact be a conversion from a PCM source.

The big deal is that both formats are much better than conventional CDs, and if one has been weaned on MP3s for the past couple of years, the quality jump to high-res is breathtaking.

My $.02,

Felix
 

Mauricio_BR

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I´ll be getting my new Marantz DV-8300 in late April, I think, so I´ll be able to compare both systems.

Any more suggestions ?

:emoji_thumbsup:
 

Mitch Stevens

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I only have around 5 or 6 DVD-A discs, but I've got to agree with a previous post that "Linkin Park's - Reanimation" is the best DVD-A out there!

It sounds incredible. The bass is extremely powerful, and the sound is extremely clean, and clear. This has to be the best thing I've ever heard in my life. Not even concert DVDs can compare to this!

Although the bass is very strong/powerful, it does not have enough power to rattle your teath. I have the SVS 16-46 PCi, and no such thing even comes close to happening.
 

Ken Stuart

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One must remember the old Audiophile Law that the sound quality is inversely proportional to the performance quality. :)

In the 21st Century, we do have some good performances on DVD-Audio or SACD, but the fact is that most of the best music is still on neither, and probably will never be on either.
 

AaronJB

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Bela Fleck's "The Bluegrass Sessions" is an excellent title. It is bluegrass, so it may not be for everyone, but the 5.1 mix is perfection and the audio quality is impressive.
 

Tom_Bechet

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right I have to admit that my player is not DVD-A compatible, but I'm playing with the idea of buying DVD-A titles (Faith Hill, REM, The Corrs)I hope that the DD5.1 and /or fullbitrate DTS will be good enough until I can get a better player.
Not having ever listened to DVD-A I can assume that the quality jump from a DVD-V (like Metallica cunning stunts and Queens greatest video)and the DD and DTS track of DVD-A titles going up to the proper DVD-A MLP 5.1 96/24 is quite significant, or not???

Just wanted to know If I should stick with DVD-music DVDs or invest in the future and buy DVD-A straight away(as long as they play on my current player)???

Can SACD play on normal DVDplayers?? (I think not)

Cheers
Sorry for being a complete Newbie to DVD-A and SACD. but after buying so many DVD-V the urge for music comes up as well (not having bought any CDs for a long time)
 

Jordan_E

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I just got Steely Dan's TWO AGAINST NATURE and really like it; go for the free shipping at Circuit City right now, as their DVDA selection is pretty cheap.
 

Mitch Stevens

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I have the Faith Hill DVD-A, and I'm certainly not impressed with it in any way, shape or form. The sound, while being crystal clear, doesn't have any bass what-so-ever!

Besides the fact that it has no bass, there are only 3 good songs on the album, and it's certainly not worth paying for only 3 songs. I would stronger advise you to download 1 minute clips of the songs from the album and just see if you like what you are hearing. If so, then go out and buy the DVD-A, but chances are, you won't like the songs.

BTW, I do like Faith Hill, I have her 2 previous albums as well, but the latest one, I didn't like!

Also, I don't think that the DTS is full-bitrate. Let me check....

The bitrate of the Dolby Digital is 448
The bitrate of the DTS is 1509

I guess it is full-bitrate. Sorry for the confusion.
 

Seth Paxton

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I've been pretty happy with Donald Fagan's Nightfly DVD-A.

I also think the DVD-A for Harvest (Neil Young) sounds great and even contains a brief but interesting discussion with Neil during the recording of the album on his farm.

The Automatic for the People 5 channel mix might be too aggressive for hardcore 2 channel folks, but I think it represents how multichannel mixes can enhance an album and add emotional nuances to the songs that weren't there before.
 

Tom_Bechet

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Thanks Mitch.
I downloaded Cry which I think is brilliant. I'll give the others a try b4 getting the DVD. still there's Metallica black album and REM automatic.
cheers

EDIT:
Ilistened to the beginning of ONE and that song isn't too good either. CRY seems to be the best from the ones I've heard so far.:frowning: I was actually looking forward to this DVD.
Can we expect BREATHE anytime soon on DVD-A??
thanks
 

Eric T

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Apr 1, 2001
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I have just a few DVD-A so far, and I'm very pleased with them all.

Linkin Park
Blue Man Group
Yes - Fragile

The Yes DVD-A is probably my favorite of the bunch. The sound clarity and quality is amazing, considering that it was made in 1971. Chris Squire's bass sound so clean. Not a lot of low-end stuff going on, but it's still a very satisfying mix.
 

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