Technical Reviews/Comments on SACD/DVD-A - Page 7

Format: SACD Multi-Ch / Stereo

Genre: Jazz

MCH layer Sound Quality (Transparency, Detail and Dynamics): 8
I very much wanted to give this a higher rating because I like listening to it. However, after carefully listening, I think that an 8 may be generous. Firstly, there is audible compression. A lot of high frequency detail is lost. More importantly, the vocals are treated in a very strange way -- you have almost equal vocals coming from the LCR speakers. The same material coming from 3 different speakers produces something quite strange - it's a stereo hybrid, meaning that you need to sit right at the sweet spot. A foot to the right or left and the image of the voice is messed up.

Stereo layer Sound Quality (Transparency, Detail and Dynamics): Not rated

Vocals: As previously stated, equally from the LCR speakers.

System Info
Player: Oppo 80
AVR: Denon 4311
Audyssey MultEQ XT32 and Pro utilized, but not Dynamic EQ or DSX

Main Amplification: 3 x Emotiva XPA-1

Speakers (only 5 main channels used for the review, although system can do 11 channels)
FR/FL: Focal Maestro Utopia
Center: Focal Viva Utopia
Surrounds: Focal Profile 908
Surround angle from CC: 110°

Sub(s): 2 x SVS PB-13 Ultra and 2 x Paradigm Servo-15 v2

The room is well treated.

Mark

Jeff, I see nothing wrong with the beauty of the artist influencing our judgment of the technical quality of the music! LOL.

Marcus

Title: Reptile

Format: DVD-Audio Multi-Ch / Stereo

Genre: Blues

MCH layer Sound Quality (Transparency, Detail and Dynamics): 9

Lead vocals are solidly anchored at the center channel. The back-up vocals are at the LR speakers and have a wider image.

As is typical of Clapton, there are quite a lot of instruments, including 3 guitars, bass, drums, piano, organ, percussion and harmonica. The recording excels in separating the instruments from each other.

There is a lot of detail, my favorite being the plucking of a steel acoustic guitar - almost real. There is also a lot of beautiful high frequency detail, especially with percussion.

As is proper for a good blues concert, the bass and drums provide a good thump, almost compelling your head to bob with the beat.

The main problem lies with the surrounds, where the mixer put the reflections of some instruments, including the drums and cymbals. In some tracks, you can hear a faint cymbal sound from the left surround and that is so wrong. Initially, I actually thought there was something wrong with my speakers. Without this weakness, the disc should have gotten a near perfect score.

Stereo layer Sound Quality (Transparency, Detail and Dynamics): Not rated

System Info
Player: Oppo 80
AVR: Denon 4311
Audyssey MultEQ XT32 and Pro utilized, but not Dynamic EQ or DSX

Main Amplification: 3 x Emotiva XPA-1

Speakers (only 5 main channels used for the review, although system can do 11 channels)
FR/FL: Focal Maestro Utopia
Center: Focal Viva Utopia
Surrounds: Focal Profile 908
Surround angle from CC: 110°

Sub(s): 2 x SVS PB-13 Ultra and 2 x Paradigm Servo-15 v2

The room is well treated.

Mark

Jeff,

Yes, this is an "in the audience" perspective. The surrounds are mainly for ambience, not to create an image between the fronts and surrounds ... if that had been the intention, it doesn't work at all.

Regarding the voice anchored in the center channel -- a few months ago, I bought a new center speaker so I looked for concerts with the vocals solely (or mainly) in the center. To my surprise, I did not find many. I think most people don't realize this and automatically think that in multi-channel music, the vocals are always in the center.

Mark

Technically, isn't that wrong to have the same signal coming from 3 different speakers? As I've observed, this results in a quasi-stereo system wherein the listener has to anchor himself in the sweet spot. On the other hand, when you have a MCh system with the vocals in the center channel, you can literally sit anywhere and you don't lose the correct image of the singer at the center.

My guess is that some sound engineers mix the MCh tracks for stereo and then just add content to the other channels. This would result in the vocals in the LR channels and then the engineer adds the same vocals to the center channel. In this way, the center channel only supports the vocals which are coming mainly from the LR. I think this isn't the right way to do it. There should be a totally different standard for MCh mixing.

Mark

Title Info: James Horner, A Beautiful Mind

Format: SACD, 5.1 Surround

Genre: Soundtrack

Label: Decca U.S. (October 29, 2002)

Rating (scale 1 - 10): 10

MCH layer Sound Quality (Transparency, Detail and Dynamics): I love soundtracks. When SACD first came out there were several soundtracks produced. Unfortunately, within a couple of years the format was abandoned. Since soundtrack music is engineered for multi channel surround, I don't get why the format failed except for greedy commercial record labels that place $$$ over artistry. I do hope Blu-Ray audio will revive distribution of soundtracks in high resolution multi channel surround. These are modern day symphonies, in my opinion.

James Horner has composed so many great soundtracks over the years. This one is no exception. SACD will give you a rich immersion in to the haunting world of Dr. John Nash. Sample the music for yourself and if you can find the SACD, get a copy. Truly a wonderful listening experience. I play this SACD often!

Stereo layer Sound Quality: Not Rated



System Info
Player: OPPO 93
Pre/pro: Integra 80.2 (Audyssey enabled)
Amplification: Outlaw 755 (5 Channel)
FR/FL: Polk LSi9
Center: Polk LSiC
Surrounds: Polk LSiFx
Surround angle from CC: Behind Listener
Rear surround angle from CC: None
Sub(s): 2 Polk PSW505s

I agree. I have WOWed many of my friends with this excellent disc. Some comments from them after listening to the LOVE disc include:
"OMG"
"I have goosebumps."
"I've never heard anything that sounded as good as that."

Of course these comments came from people who haven't heard much in the way of SACD or DVD-A.

I'm reserving my SQ rating until I have a sufficient amount of SACD/DVD-A material to compare it to.
I only have a few...so far.

Hey, if I get into a debate (Argument) with you guys, can I get you to ship me your SACDs too?

^^^


How do you know who won? Should we take a poll like they do after the presidential debates?

Not yet....

Sorry if the question is in the wrong thread.

I´m planning to purchase a multichannel player. But not sure about the supported formats.

SACD, DVD-A, DSD, etc.

What is the most current format that is must to have?

Is any of the mentioned formats downloadable and playable on HDD players?

Recommendations about equipment?

Thanks

I do not recall any player that can work with SACD and DVD-A images on hard disk/via network. So you are stuck with physical media for these two formats. You always can convert them to multichannel FLAC files. But it is a time consuming process, and again only minority of media players support multichannel FLAC. For physical media currently the best choice is OPPO 93. It plays almost all disks and many media files.

Now they need to add SACD ISO support to make it THE ultimate player.

OPPO does support playback of SACD copy on DVD-R media. ISO will be the next logical step.

Ok, thanks for explanation.

Ok, So, SACD and DVD-A are 2 well established formats?

tks

Great, but.. How can I get those ISO´s???

Are those ISO´s available to purchase online?