dts cd vs. sacd

[Dan]

I will avoid the technical issue for the largely. It is clear that theoretically SACD should be slightly better than DVD-A and rather better than DTS. Just how much difference depends upon many things including the rest of the system and your ears. I think it mostly depends upon the source material. Most older sources have not been remastered all that well and there is little difference to me. Newer material recorded with SACD and DVD-A in mind can be truly superb when well done. Chessky and Telarc in particular tend to do a good job.

 

[Ron Temple]

I think a lot of it still comes down to the quality of the recording/mixing. IMO, Alan Parsons "On Air" in DTS sounds as good or better than many of the DVD-A and SACD's I own.

I don't have a DVD A/SACD player, but "On Air" is wonderful.

 

[rgriffin25]

Didnt say better,said sounds best to me. DTS music like 5 channel stereo? You can say that about DVD-A and SACD to,for sure. All those formats are using all the speakers. I still say alot of this has to do with bass management and the mixing of the disc.

I am curious as to what some of your DVD-A / SACD discs are. I do have a few that leave me wanting more in the bass dept. For the most part I am very satisfied with the amount of bass in all of the mentioned formats. (I am a classical bass player so it is very important to me too)

I realize all formats use all 5 channels, to me several of the dts cds I own don't sound any different than a CD being played back in 5ch stereo. I am quite aware that the mastering of the disc is to blame for this. It just seems to me it is more common for dts discs to be mastered this way.

I will say one think I don't like about dts cds, they cost $25 on average. A bit steep if you ask me.

 

[mwheelerk]

DTS Confusion "purposely"

I am curious as to what some of your DVD-A / SACD discs are. I do have a few that leave me wanting more in the bass dept. For the most part I am very satisfied with the amount of bass in all of the mentioned formats. (I am a classical bass player so it is very important to me too)

I realize all formats use all 5 channels, to me several of the dts cds I own don't sound any different than a CD being played back in 5ch stereo. I am quite aware that the mastering of the disc is to blame for this. It just seems to me it is more common for dts discs to be mastered this way.

I will say one think I don't like about dts cds, they cost $25 on average. A bit steep if you ask me.

Most DTS discs should in fact sound inferior to standard CD disc because they use a much higher compression ratio (almost twice that of CD). Their only advantage is that it is in surround. I continue to have a "bone to pick" with DTS in the packaging of their product where it is not easy to differentiate between the few truly high resolution DVD-Audio that they reproduce, "standard" DTS and the newer DTS 96/24. My opinion is they just try to suck in the masses who don't have enough information to tell exactly what they are getting. I wouldn't buy any DTS products due to their misrepresentation even if it is a "sin of ommission".

 

[mfabien]

Most DTS discs should in fact sound inferior to standard CD disc because they use a much higher compression ratio (almost twice that of CD). Their only advantage is that it is in surround. I continue to have a "bone to pick" with DTS in the packaging of their product where it is not easy to differentiate between the few truly high resolution DVD-Audio that they reproduce, "standard" DTS and the newer DTS 96/24. My opinion is they just try to suck in the masses who don't have enough information to tell exactly what they are getting. I wouldn't buy any DTS products due to their misrepresentation even if it is a "sin of ommission".

I have a contrary opinion on the quality of DTS music disc (I guess you have not heard the Eagles' "Hell Freezes Over" in DTS music disc). In fact, I am so pleased with DTS 5.1 that I have decided not to get a Universal DVD player for DVD-A and SACD playback. My collection will be DTS music disc.

Presently waiting for: "Uncommon Bach-Organ Works" by Johann Sebastian Bach.

 

[mwheelerk]

We Agree (To Disagree)

I have a contrary opinion on the quality of DTS music disc (I guess you have not heard the Eagles' "Hell Freezes Over" in DTS music disc). In fact, I am so pleased with DTS 5.1 that I have decided not to get a Universal DVD player for DVD-A and SACD playback. My collection will be DTS music disc.

Presently waiting for: "Uncommon Bach-Organ Works" by Johann Sebastian Bach.

Well I don't know what you are hearing but it sure is not high resolution sound. Hell Freezes Over is a fine DTS disc but it is in now way the equivalent to DVD-A or SACD.

 

[shokhead]

No they are not,not on paper but i sure like my DTS music disc's. Not as good as cd's? Come on now. My Don Henley DTS might be the best sounding disc i have. Again i think alot of it has to do with better bass management in recievers over players,imo. I just consider DTS another format to have choices from seeing as SACD is still limited to music i like.

 

[mwheelerk]

All I Know

No they are not,not on paper but i sure like my DTS music disc's. Not as good as cd's? Come on now. My Don Henley DTS might be the best sounding disc i have. Again i think alot of it has to do with better bass management in recievers over players,imo. I just consider DTS another format to have choices from seeing as SACD is still limited to music i like.

All I know is the compression scheme used for both Dolby Digital and DTS for surround uses half the information used on a standard CD. There may be more information to listen to in 5.1 speaker set up but it is less detailed. Let's just say they paint with broader strokes.

By the way I am not saying they are not enjoyable at all. I do object to the way DTS markets their discs but that has nothing to do with musical performance.

My points regarding the music quality are more of observation than criticism. Seriously, enjoy the music that's the most important thing no matter what the forum, live, cd, dvd, whatever, just enjoy

Regards

 

[rgriffin25]

I have a contrary opinion on the quality of DTS music disc (I guess you have not heard the Eagles' "Hell Freezes Over" in DTS music disc). In fact, I am so pleased with DTS 5.1 that I have decided not to get a Universal DVD player for DVD-A and SACD playback. My collection will be DTS music disc.

Presently waiting for: "Uncommon Bach-Organ Works" by Johann Sebastian Bach.

I hate to tell you, but I think you are selling yourself short. Especially since you can buy a cheap universal player that will play all 3 formats w/o breaking the bank. If you were to do enough research you would find out that I am not the only one who will say DTS does not compare to these other formats. In fact, here is a quote from the recent Marantz dvd player review.

Found here The comparison of DTS to DVD-A multi-channel is a very important one. Some people may think “why bother getting a DVD-A player when they could just play the disc on a regular DVD player.” The reason to bother is huge. The difference between the compressed DTS and the high resolution DVD-A is one of detail, sound stage, imaging, channel separation and overall ambience.

Just because these other formats are superior, does not mean we can't enjoy dts cds as well.

I also disagree with the comment on bass management. Not all players are created equal, but I am quite sure with time and a little effort you can get the sound you want from these hi rez formats.

 

[Hawkeye]

I hate to tell you, but I think you are selling yourself short. Especially since you can buy a cheap universal player that will play all 3 formats w/o breaking the bank. If you were to do enough research you would find out that I am not the only one who will say DTS does not compare to these other formats.

I would agree with this completely. The Parsons disc I referenced in an earlier post sounds pretty damn good. Better than *some* of the DVD-As and SACDs I own, but not all of them. To me, most DVD-As and SACDs sound better, warmer, richer, more like the analog sound of LPs than DTS discs do. Plus an inexpensive combo player can be found for around $100, unless of course you're holding off for Blu-Ray.

 

[mfabien]

With my regular DVD player and digital connection,

- I can play a DVD-A selecting DD surround, for instance, Steely Dan's "Everything Must Go" and the sound mix around my listening position puts me in the middle of the band.

- I can play DTS 5.1 music discs with amazing results (for me, that is).

Now, my Front Towers cost me $700 CDA, I know there are better ones at $2,000 or more.
My Yamaha receiver cost me a lowly $650 CDA, I know the RX-V2500 is better.
My SVS PB-12 ISD sub is powerful enough at less than half the Gain setting for my liking. I know that for my size room, some would select a PB-12 ISD/2 or Ultra.

The point is that there is always something better. I am now 68 years old and I have perhaps 5 or 10 years at best to enjoy my system. In all things one must put a limit. In this case, I will remain with digital sound and leave analog multichannel to others. And I suspect that in 5 years from now, there will be less analog multichannel users than there are today. Perhaps the key to DTS music discs is good sound engineering as done for Parsons and the Eagles.

 

[shokhead]

I hate to tell you, but I think you are selling yourself short. Especially since you can buy a cheap universal player that will play all 3 formats w/o breaking the bank. If you were to do enough research you would find out that I am not the only one who will say DTS does not compare to these other formats. In fact, here is a quote from the recent Marantz dvd player review.



Just because these other formats are superior, does not mean we can't enjoy dts cds as well.

I also disagree with the comment on bass management. Not all players are created equal, but I am quite sure with time and a little effort you can get the sound you want from these hi rez formats.

Good bass management like you have in the mid-priced recievers are still not in the mid-priced and down players. That was the big deal when multi-channel audio was being talked about and first came out. As far as i'm concerned,the players bass management hasnt keep up. Its really only in the high priced units still.
I agree that you can get a player like the yamaha c750 for 300 bucks that plays everything and thats the best way to go,more formats,more to listen to. But i have to say,i'm just not very impressed with DVD-A and SACD as i hoped i would be. Its written about better then it sounds but its just like everything things else, mixing.

 

[rgriffin25]

Good bass management like you have in the mid-priced recievers are still not in the mid-priced and down players. That was the big deal when multi-channel audio was being talked about and first came out. As far as i'm concerned,the players bass management hasnt keep up. Its really only in the high priced units still.
I agree that you can get a player like the yamaha c750 for 300 bucks that plays everything and thats the best way to go,more formats,more to listen to. But i have to say,i'm just not very impressed with DVD-A and SACD as i hoped i would be. Its written about better then it sounds but its just like everything things else, mixing.

What discs have you heard / own in either of these formats? I have a couple of discs that I think sound like crap. One of them is a SACD and one of them is a DVD-A. If I were to base my opinion on a few discs I probably would have to agree with you guys.

 

[mfabien]

Henry33,

Thanks for your post and the link.

 

[rgriffin25]

Well I have waited a while for a response on which DVD-A or SACDs aren't giving you the bass you had hoped for. So here is a couple of recommendations that might help.

Steely Dan - Gaucho (Real tight punchy bass throughout)
Dave Sanborn - Time Again (Track 7 is a redone version of Tequilla huge amounts of bass)
The versions I am refering to are DVD-A

A couple that I would be suprised to hear any complaints from.