"Hotel California" DVD-A 192kHz/24bit review please!! (1 Viewer)

[Jaehoon Heo]

I think many people here bought the DVD-A disc "Hotel California" from Warner music. Can anybody who bought them share the feelings and reviews of that disc, especially for 192kHz/24bit stereo track?
RicP,
I saw your excellent post mentioning this disc. Could you share your thought with us?
Thanks in advance

 

[PatrickM]

I was just listening to it this afternoon in both stereo and surround.

The stereo 24/192 track is very good especially considering it came from an analog master. (By the way, America's Homecoming DVD-A is also very good and also has 24/192 stereo.)

The sound is quite clear and the detail is very good. The high resolution stereo seems to make it less fatiguing to listen to when played at high SPL's.

The surround tracks are also very good but the mixing is a matter of taste. I like the mix but others may not.

Patrick

 

[KeithH]

Jaehoon, search this site, as the disc has been discussed quite a bit. In my opinion, the 24/192 stereo mix is outstanding relative to the DCC gold CD. I compared the 24/192 track on my Technics DVD-A10 to the DCC gold CD on my Sony SCD-777ES, and the 24/192 track was easily better. The 24/192 version gives a wider soundstage, smoother vocals, and more detail. As others on this site have said, the DVD-Audio disc does show limitations of the relatively poor master, so the 24/192 track isn't perfect. As Michael_T aptly put it here awhile back, there are portions of Hotel California that make it sound like cardboard boxes were used for drums. I have always noticed that on the CD, and that comes through on the DVD-Audio disc. Still, the DVD-Audio version is significantly better than the CD. If you like Hotel California, then you absolutely owe it to yourself to get the DVD-Audio version. Trust me. You won't be disappointed.

 

[RicP]

RicP,
I saw your excellent post mentioning this disc. Could you share your thought with us?

It's awesome. Get it!
Hope that helps.

 

[Jaehoon Heo]

RicP,
How do you compare the quality of 192kHz PCM with DSD? I just want to hear your experience, no debate guaranteed...

 

[KeithH]

Jaehoon, I'm not Ric, but he certainly isn't the only one here who has compared 24/192 PCM to DSD. First off, 192 is just a number. Let's remember that the sound quality of a CD, SACD, or DVD-Audio disc is limited by the quality of the master and the talent of the individual authoring the master to the digital format (the time spent, effort, and equipment used also are very important). My feeling is that while the 24/192 stereo track on Hotel California is outstanding relative to my DCC gold CD of the album, it is not as good sonically as the best SACDs or some 24/96 DVD-Audio discs I own. The limitations of the master on Hotel California are readily apparent. As I said earlier in this thread, some drums sound like cardboard boxes, and the sound is simply not first-rate. Still, the 24/192 stereo track is a major improvement over the CD, but it does not necessarily show the best that 24/192 has to offer. I still feel my best-sounding DVD-Audio disc is Steely Dan Two Against Nature, which has a 24/96 stereo track. That disc is outstanding, both musically and sonically.

 

[RicP]

How do you compare the quality of 192kHz PCM with DSD?

Well as soon as I have the same master encoded in both formats, I'll be sure to let you know.
It would be impossible for me to compare 2 completely different albums in 2 different formats. Nothing would be gained by doing that.
Hotel California is a great sounding DVD-A, I have many great sounding SACD's. I can't really comment any further than that.