AVS › AVS Forum › Audio › Surround Music Formats › Sound Quality/Music Reviews and Comments on SACD/DVD-A
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

Sound Quality/Music Reviews and Comments on SACD/DVD-A - Page 13

post #361 of 436
10/30/12 at 11:23am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by grubadub View Post

Bonnie Raitt - Nick of Time (dvd audio)
I thought i would give a mini review on a disc i hardly ever hear anything about just in case any of you like Bonnie Raitt and maybe haven't heard that there was a dvd-a of this record. It has radio hits "Nick of Time", "Have a Heart" and "Real Man". I'm not a huge fan of Bonnie Raitt but i do get the urge to listen to her stuff from time to time. This dvd-a sounds really nice. It's very clean sounding with plenty of bass (not bloated though). The word that comes to mind when trying to describe the sound signature would be "lively". The surround treatment is slightly on the aggressive side (which i like). Some really nice background vocals come through in the surrounds. If you're a Bonnie Raitt fan, this disc is worth owning. And there are three videos as a bonus: Thing Called Love, Love Letter and Nick of Time. Not sure about the availability - i noticed there are used ones for sale on amazon for $25.
Sound quality - 9.25
Surround mix - 9

grub,

Thanks for posting the review smile.gif. I have the CD from when it was first released and always enjoyed it. So I'll have to keep my eyes open for a used copy of the DVD-A. I'll add your reveiw to the first post.

Bill
Reply
Reply

AVS Top Picks

post #362 of 436
11/15/12 at 10:46am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Philnick View Post

Additional interesting findings from tonight's Steely Dan / Donald Fagen marathon:
The DVD-A of Gaucho was a wonderful 96/24 5.1 mix, as I mentioned earlier.
The 5.1 DVD-A of The Nightfly, which is one of my favorite collections of songs - particularly the title track, which is a miniature movie - was only at 48/24 and lost a little transparency as a result.
Then I put on the 5.1 DVD-A of Kamakiriad, which I hadn't listened to more than once - when it first came out. While its back cover said that it was at 48/24, my Oppo testified that it was actually 96/24! Being familiar with his later songs - particularly "The Things I Miss The Most" from Everything Must Go - I recognized that he's been writing about his marriage and its breakup for years, with Kamakiriad being almost a song cycle on the subject. I hadn't gotten the emotional resonance of that disk and "The Things" until I listened to all of them straight through.
I don't have Two Against Nature in high def, and I ran out of steam before getting to Morph The Cat - which I'm very familiar with.
I bought the 96/24 stereo HDtracks download of Sunken Condos last week. It's one of those rare mixes that really opens up when run through the DTS: Neo 6 Music matrix processing in my Yamaha (it's a gentler process than the corresponding Dolby version).
It's a shame that The Nighfly is odd-disk out - I'd love to have a 96/24 5.1 version of that - it has some great tunes.
-Phil
PS Before moving on to other disks after Gaucho, I replayed my FLAC rip of "Babylon Sisters" from the CD layer of the SACD - it sounded more like the DVD-A than any of the other versions. It has displaced the Mobile Fidelity Ultradisk in my affections, and will be the version I play in my car.

This album was recorded at the begining of the digital era in 16bit I believe. Always thaught it sounded very good and still do. A notch below TAN and EMG however...
Reply
Reply
post #363 of 436
11/15/12 at 10:54am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Philnick View Post

My brother is as much of a Steely Dan fan as I am, and is coming by next week or later to listen to my hi-def surround disks by the Dan and the Man (Fagen).
A little while ago I dug out my first surround sound disk of Gaucho, a DTS music disk that I got before I knew about DVD-A and SACD. I had recently ripped to FLAC the CD layer of my SACD of that album and my old Mobile Fidelity Ultra Disk CD, as I'm building a hi-fi jukebox using my Oppo BDP-93 to play music off my computer over my LAN, so I decided to do a little comparing. Since my brother doesn't have an SACD or DVD-Audio player, I wanted to see how my old DTS disk sounded - I could give that to him.
First I played "Babylon Sisters" from the CD layer of the SACD. That sounded very good. Put on the same track from the Ultra Disk. That sounded warmer, but not as detailed. Then I put on the DTS. W-a-a-y-y too much bass!
So I put on the real SACD in 5.1 as a tie-breaker. It sounded somewhere in between the Ultra Disk and its own CD layer.
Then I put on the DVD-A of Gaucho. All other versions paled into insignificance. Bright, clear, with lots of low-octave punch, and it was like having the musicians in the room around me perfectly balanced and every one perfectly recorded - in short, a 3D version of the Dan's reputation for "the infinite mix" back in the days of stereo.
That DVD-A has got to be one of the best-recorded and mixed albums of all time.
Next stop - my DVD-A of The Nightfly.
-Phil

Quote:
Originally Posted by Bill Mac View Post

Phil,
I'm a big fan of Steely Dan and Donald Fagen as well. I listened to the Gaucho SACD the other day and I have to admit the bass is a little too much at times. I actually had to turn the sub trim level down a bit as it seemed a bit boomy. After I listened to Gaucho I set the sub trim level back to where it was. Then I played the Avalon SACD and the sub level was just right. I listened to the Nightfly DVD-A last week and it sounds excellent. I borrowed a friends copy of DF's new CD Sunken Condos. I have to admit at first listen I wasn't overly impressed. The CD comes in a very cheap cardboard jacket that has no liner for the CD rolleyes.gif. I will hold out on buying the CD to see if there will be a 5.1 DVD-A or SACD release.
Bill

Could this be setup/player differences? I thaught the SACD and the DVDA had the same mix? The SACD for me has always been one of my favs for a combination of great sound quality AND a great surround mix...
Reply
Reply
post #364 of 436
11/15/12 at 4:54pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by himey View Post

Could this be setup/player differences? I thaught the SACD and the DVDA had the same mix? The SACD for me has always been one of my favs for a combination of great sound quality AND a great surround mix...

I remember reading somewhere a few years ago that the SACD and DVD-A mixes of Gaucho were done independently.
Reply
Reply
post #365 of 436
11/15/12 at 8:14pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Philnick View Post

I remember reading somewhere a few years ago that the SACD and DVD-A mixes of Gaucho were done independently.

Found this thread after a quick search :

http://www.quadraphonicquad.com/forums/showthread.php?3839-Steely-Dan-GAUCHO-DVD-A-SACD/page2
Reply
Reply
post #366 of 436
11/15/12 at 9:13pm
Looks like the DVD-A is the preferred one, and of course I own the SACD and DTS-CD versions rolleyes.gif
Reply
Reply
post #367 of 436
11/15/12 at 10:10pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by holt7153 View Post

Looks like the DVD-A is the preferred one, and of course I own the SACD and DTS-CD versions rolleyes.gif

There is a couple older threads on this site that compare the three formats and it seemed pretty even between the DVDA and the SACD with the DTS almost as good. All three top notch. Those who like the DVDA best may be making an extra conversion from DSD to PCM on the SACD and that could make the difference on that system...I have many recordings in both formats (but not this one) and always pick the SACD in my system. I do understand in other systems how the DVDA could sound better.
Reply
Reply
post #368 of 436
11/15/12 at 11:06pm
thanks, Himey.
Reply
Reply
post #369 of 436
1/21/13 at 8:06pm
Thread Starter 
I almost forgot about this thread. I hope I'll have some time to do a few "reviews" in the near future. I encourage everyone else that has the SACD/DVD-A/BluRay bug to post some reviews of their own as well smile.gif.

Bill
Reply
Reply
post #370 of 436
2/13/13 at 2:49pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bill Mac View Post

I almost forgot about this thread. I hope I'll have some time to do a few "reviews" in the near future. I encourage everyone else that has the SACD/DVD-A/BluRay bug to post some reviews of their own as well smile.gif.

Bill



It looks like we're a dying breed. Where do you buy your sacd and dvd-a?
Reply
Reply
post #371 of 436
2/13/13 at 10:39pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by comfynumb View Post

It looks like we're a dying breed. Where do you buy your sacd and dvd-a?

Sadly yes. I really enjoy the format and am saddened to see it die. What's worse is I sold one of my DVDA players with my Porcupine Tree In Absentia disc in it. Looks likes it's going to cost me about $75.00 to replace it. mad.gif
Reply
Reply
post #372 of 436
2/14/13 at 4:26am
Quote:
Originally Posted by bass addict View Post

Sadly yes. I really enjoy the format and am saddened to see it die. What's worse is I sold one of my DVDA players with my Porcupine Tree In Absentia disc in it. Looks likes it's going to cost me about $75.00 to replace it. mad.gif



Ouch! I've looked hard online to come up with more SACD discs and it looks like a company in Japan is bringing them back. They are releasing new material, like the whole Doors collection will be out March 5th. I've heard a lot of them over the years but I might invest in one. At 60 bucks a disc it won't come cheap.
Reply
Reply
post #373 of 436
2/14/13 at 5:16am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by comfynumb View Post

Ouch! I've looked hard online to come up with more SACD discs and it looks like a company in Japan is bringing them back. They are releasing new material, like the whole Doors collection will be out March 5th. I've heard a lot of them over the years but I might invest in one. At 60 bucks a disc it won't come cheap.

It really depends on what genre of music you are interested in when it comes to SACDs. The titles for rock and pop are not as plentiful as jazz and classical. I only listened to to classic rock for years but now I enjoy jazz as much if not more since collecting SACDs and DVD-As. If you search hard enough at places like ebay and Amazon as well as online retailers such as importcds, Acoustic Sounds, Music Direct and cdjapan you will find many titles available. I use www.sa-cd.net as a guide for SACD titles, reviews and availability.

You really need to do your homework before spending big money on SACDs and DVD-As. I recently found a used copy of Jennifer Warnes The Well SACD at a local music store for $14.97. This title normally goes for over $100 at places like ebay and Amazon. So there are good buys out there you just need to know where to look. Some of these places to look are closely guarded secrets wink.gif. The list at the start of this thread shows a number of excellent SACDs and DVD-As that can be found at good prices. The Doors SACDs will be released by Analogue Productions and have a price of $30 each. When you mention SACDs from Japan I assume you are talking about SHM-SACDs. I have a few SHM-SACDs but I believe the $60 retail cost is way too high. I would own many more if the retail prices were $45 and under.

Bill
Reply
Reply
post #374 of 436
2/14/13 at 5:51am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bill Mac View Post

It really depends on what genre of music you are interested in when it comes to SACDs. The titles for rock and pop are not as plentiful as jazz and classical. I only listened to to classic rock for years but now I enjoy jazz as much if not more since collecting SACDs and DVD-As. If you search hard enough at places like ebay and Amazon as well as online retailers such as importcds, Acoustic Sounds, Music Direct and cdjapan you will find many titles available. I use www.sa-cd.net as a guide for SACD titles, reviews and availability.

You really need to do your homework before spending big money on SACDs and DVD-As. I recently found a used copy of Jennifer Warnes The Well SACD at a local music store for $14.97. This title normally goes for over $100 at places like ebay and Amazon. So there are good buys out there you just need to know where to look. Some of these places to look are closely guarded secrets wink.gif. The list at the start of this thread shows a number of excellent SACDs and DVD-As that can be found at good prices. The Doors SACDs will be released by Analogue Productions and have a price of $30 each. When you mention SACDs from Japan I assume you are talking about SHM-SACDs. I have a few SHM-SACDs but I believe the $60 retail cost is way too high. I would own many more if the retail prices were $45 and under.

Bill



Oh I like this, your giving me a good lesson on SACD's! In your opinion, how does the sound of the Japanese version compare to traditional ones that have been available here? And yes the price is too for them.

Thanks,
John.
Reply
Reply
post #375 of 436
2/14/13 at 6:27am
Listen to Bill, he knows what he's talking about. Just as Bill says, you have to look around for titles and there are still many of them available for very reasonable or even cheap prices, ie: Steely Dan's "Gaucho" on amazon.com, others are very hard to find and/or very expensive but if you browse around at some music stores in your area you'll be surprised at the gems you might be able to find.
Reply
Reply
post #376 of 436
2/14/13 at 7:42am
Quote:
Originally Posted by caupina View Post

Listen to Bill, he knows what he's talking about. Just as Bill says, you have to look around for titles and there are still many of them available for very reasonable or even cheap prices, ie: Steely Dan's "Gaucho" on amazon.com, others are very hard to find and/or very expensive but if you browse around at some music stores in your area you'll be surprised at the gems you might be able to find.



Good advice, thanks.
Reply
Reply
post #377 of 436
2/14/13 at 8:48am
Just found this thread- some nice info, but many missing items. I don't have a big mch collection, but many of my faves are not here. I'll try to fill in, a few at a time. I'll start at the top (Yes has long been my fave band, even though the current band is rapidly sinking and seem to be doing their best to tarnish the legacy of an amazing act).

Yes: Magnification DVD-A stereo and 5.1
SQ: 10 Music: 9

The last album put out by the real Yes (i.e. not with a singer taken from a tribute band), it was disappointing sales-wise and has been vastly under-rated imho. There is one forgettable track, Don't Go, their unwise stab at a radio single, but the rest range from very good to sublime. The band was w/o keyboard wizard Rick Wakeman, so they chose to replace him with a symphony orchestra. Yes has always aspired to a symphonic sound- they first used an orchestra on their 2nd album, with some pleasing, but less-than stellar results- so this concept is very relevant. But on Mag, the orchestra blends very nicely and adds a lot of color, emotion and atmosphere. Standout tracks include Dreamtime, Spirit of Survival, Give Love Each Day and Can You Imagine (w/ lead vocals by bassist Chris Squire).

The surround mix is somewhat aggressive, with backup vocals, orchestra and some band instruments occasionally found in the surrounds. The 5.1 mix really allows the music to open up. Bass is strong and solid, with punch when called for and nice and round. The music really hovers and soars, when called for, but imaging is clear and precise when necessary. There is a bonus track of In the Presence of (live) and a bonus video of the tilte track, both sourced from the dvd of the tour supporting this release (now available in bluray) Yessymphonic. I loved seeing Yes live w/ an orchestra- really added a lot to the classic songs they played; just wished they had supported Mag better (only title track, ITPo and Don't Go were played). Lyrics for all songs were included (something more-recent dvd-a's don't seem to offer, which I really miss- one of dvd-a's advantages over sacd) as well as photos.

If you like prog at all, this is highly recommended.

I'll do Fragile next, but also will tackle some much-loved mch recordings in the future, e.g. Talking Heads brick, Genesis box set (the Gabriel years), as well as TotT and WaW, PG's Up, some Grateful Dead, Door's Perception box, Elp's BSS, s/t and Tarkus, Tull's Aqualung and more. If there's any of the above anyone esp. wants info on, let me know and I'll prioritize it.
Reply
Reply
post #378 of 436
2/14/13 at 12:48pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by JimWinVA View Post

Yes: Magnification DVD-A stereo and 5.1
SQ: 10 Music: 9

The last album put out by the real Yes (i.e. not with a singer taken from a tribute band), it was disappointing sales-wise and has been vastly under-rated imho. There is one forgettable track, Don't Go, their unwise stab at a radio single, but the rest range from very good to sublime. The band was w/o keyboard wizard Rick Wakeman, so they chose to replace him with a symphony orchestra. Yes has always aspired to a symphonic sound- they first used an orchestra on their 2nd album, with some pleasing, but less-than stellar results- so this concept is very relevant. But on Mag, the orchestra blends very nicely and adds a lot of color, emotion and atmosphere. Standout tracks include Dreamtime, Spirit of Survival, Give Love Each Day and Can You Imagine (w/ lead vocals by bassist Chris Squire).

The surround mix is somewhat aggressive, with backup vocals, orchestra and some band instruments occasionally found in the surrounds. The 5.1 mix really allows the music to open up. Bass is strong and solid, with punch when called for and nice and round. The music really hovers and soars, when called for, but imaging is clear and precise when necessary. There is a bonus track of In the Presence of (live) and a bonus video of the tilte track, both sourced from the dvd of the tour supporting this release (now available in bluray) Yessymphonic. I loved seeing Yes live w/ an orchestra- really added a lot to the classic songs they played; just wished they had supported Mag better (only title track, ITPo and Don't Go were played). Lyrics for all songs were included (something more-recent dvd-a's don't seem to offer, which I really miss- one of dvd-a's advantages over sacd) as well as photos.

If you like prog at all, this is highly recommended.

Jim,

Thanks for posting your review smile.gif! I'll add it to the other reviews in the second post, keep them coming!

Edit: I tried to add the review to the existing ones it ended up in the middle of another review. Has anyone noticed that when adding links and emoticons that the text gets all screwed up?

Bill
Edited by Bill Mac - 2/14/13 at 12:58pm
Reply
Reply
post #379 of 436
2/15/13 at 4:30am
Hi guys, as a fan of SACD and DVD-A I'm really happy I found this thread. I'm set up in 5.1 just for this reason, and with the addition of new Revel front speakers yesterday I couldn't wait to try these formats out. It was really a treat to hear the realism in my setup now. Thanks for the great reviews.
Reply
Reply
post #380 of 436
2/15/13 at 7:52am
Quote:
Originally Posted by comfynumb View Post

Hi guys, as a fan of SACD and DVD-A I'm really happy I found this thread. I'm set up in 5.1 just for this reason, and with the addition of new Revel front speakers yesterday I couldn't wait to try these formats out. It was really a treat to hear the realism in my setup now. Thanks for the great reviews.

hi-rez surround is great. i was just listening to brothers in arms (speaking of the song in particular) and just amazed at the separation that can be achieved. i've been lusting after revel speakers for a long time. which ones did you get?
Reply
Reply
post #381 of 436
2/15/13 at 8:33am
I just got into DVD audio. Rem's Document and Beatles Love are astounding. Dylan Blonde on Blonde also great
Reply
Reply
post #382 of 436
2/15/13 at 8:41am
Quote:
Originally Posted by grubadub View Post

hi-rez surround is great. i was just listening to brothers in arms (speaking of the song in particular) and just amazed at the separation that can be achieved. i've been lusting after revel speakers for a long time. which ones did you get?



Oh cool, I want that SACD and haven't heard it in years. I got the F52's they sang praises about them for years and I got such a great deal. I'll never need anything else. I just got them yesterday and I'm amazed.
Edited by comfynumb - 2/16/13 at 3:33am
Reply
Reply
post #383 of 436
2/16/13 at 3:37am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Wildgift View Post

I just got into DVD audio. Rem's Document and Beatles Love are astounding. Dylan Blonde on Blonde also great



Years ago I was amazed by my brothers quad stereo setup that played the special LP's. Man I got hooked on 4 speakers basically doing 4 different things. So for me I was hooked again when I heard that Pink Floyd SACD years ago. It's different than quad but it has the same effect on me. The only downside is not enough of it out there so the search continues.
Reply
Reply
post #384 of 436
2/16/13 at 6:21am
Greetings,

I just picked an Oppo 103 player.
Since it plays SACD's I peeked in here.
Recently i have been hearing all about Vinyl being better than Digital.
I have been contemplating a new turntable and pulling my LP's out of storage.

But you guys seem to be digging on the SACD's.
I suppose i'll just go ahead and purchase something to hear for myself- but as a rule- SACD is vast improvement over standard CD?
Reply
Reply
post #385 of 436
2/16/13 at 6:46am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mojogypson View Post

Greetings,

I just picked an Oppo 103 player.
Since it plays SACD's I peeked in here.
Recently i have been hearing all about Vinyl being better than Digital.
I have been contemplating a new turntable and pulling my LP's out of storage.

But you guys seem to be digging on the SACD's.
I suppose i'll just go ahead and purchase something to hear for myself- but as a rule- SACD is vast improvement over standard CD?



Hi, the ones that know more than i do will probably answer this too, there are some knowledgeable and great guys on here. IMO most SACD's will sound better if your system is set up correctly. I have regular red book cd's that sound good but when you get a good one,the SACD or DVD-A IMO is very hard to beat. I have the Oppo 93 and wouldn't even consider giving it up for another year or two, it's all about the music for me.
Edited by comfynumb - 2/16/13 at 6:53am
Reply
Reply
post #386 of 436
2/16/13 at 7:57pm
I've been listening to lots of sacd/dvd-a of lately and always think about this thread so I guess I have a soft spot for it, and the cometary that fallows, so once I get some free time will lay down some reviews. I love t read them too so guys if you're not too shy please participate as well.


Dan
Reply
Reply
post #387 of 436
2/19/13 at 4:03pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bill Mac View Post

I When you mention SACDs from Japan I assume you are talking about SHM-SACDs. I have a few SHM-SACDs but I believe the $60 retail cost is way too high. I would own many more if the retail prices were $45 and under.

Bill

I would own more if they were $30 dollars or under.

I think over pricing and price gouging is really finishing off the hi-res genre I have seen some SACD's and DVD-A's going for $100+ some near $300, just crazy!
Reply
Reply
post #388 of 436
2/19/13 at 4:54pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Socio View Post

I would own more if they were $30 dollars or under.

I think over pricing and price gouging is really finishing off the hi-res genre I have seen some SACD's and DVD-A's going for $100+ some near $300, just crazy!



Hi, that's true, but I've paid some ridiculous prices willingly to get the disc I want. I just paid $100 for Pink Floyd the wall on MSFL and $50 for an MSFL DSOTM. But they were everything I heard they were and more. My Revel fronts are very revealing and to me its worth it to get the dynamics out of a disc, when most of the red book ones are average at best. I find $30 a bargain for a good SACD or DVD-A that surrounds me with IMO is some of the best sound ever made. My two penny's.
Reply
Reply
post #389 of 436
2/19/13 at 4:57pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Djoel View Post

I've been listening to lots of sacd/dvd-a of lately and always think about this thread so I guess I have a soft spot for it, and the cometary that fallows, so once I get some free time will lay down some reviews. I love t read them too so guys if you're not too shy please participate as well.



The ones I have probably are ones that everyone has, but I about to seriously hunt for some new ones. Rock is my music of choice. Sometimes I wish I listened to jazz or others genre's, it looks like there better choices.


Dan
Reply
Reply
post #390 of 436
2/19/13 at 7:08pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by comfynumb View Post

Sometimes I wish I listened to jazz or others genre's, it looks like there better choices.

I listened to mostly classic rock for years. Then I started buying SACDs and DVD-As and bought a few jazz titles. Now I'm a huge jazz fan and listen to mostly jazz especially at home. So give a few jazz titles a shot as you might enjoy them.

Bill
Reply
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: Surround Music Formats

AVS Top Picks

AVS › AVS Forum › Audio › Surround Music Formats › Sound Quality/Music Reviews and Comments on SACD/DVD-A