What is your favorite audio format?

[dvda-sacd]

Please, could you vote for your favorite format for music?

Thanks.

 

[Geno]

With the SACDs and DVD-As I own, the sound quality is, IMHO, excellent for both. I like the video features on DVD-A, but the number of titles for SACD, if you like classical & jazz, is vastly superior.

 

[MACCA350]

I love both the Hi-res formats, but I pick DVD-A over SACD purely for the ability to include video content on the one medium.

cheers

 

[supervij]

I'd say SACD is my favourite, based on its flexibility. You've got the hi-res multi-channel, which is what I really like, and can play in my system. And you've got the CD area of the disc, which I can play in a car stereo, my discman, my computer. And I can rip the contents of the CD area to mp3 to play on my iPod when I'm out and about in the big, bad city.

I have come to appreciate vinyl, though. My dad just recently gave me his old turntable, which he rarely used, and it's got a really nice, full sound. And (this may sound silly, but I'm okay with that), I kinda like the ritual of it all. Take the record out of it's sleeve, place it on the turntable, lift and move the arm to get the disc spinning, brush off the dust, carefully position the needle, close the cover, step gingerly to my seat, carefully sit down, and enjoy the full, warm sound.

cheers,
supervij

 

[Sheep]

CD, because I don't like to invest in dead formats.

Now if you'll escuse me, I am going to watch a PSP movie.

SheepStar

 

[Matt34]

SACD followed by DVD-A

 

[BostonMark]

I love DVD-Audio

the surround sound formats are my favorite. One thing I like about DVD-Audio is that most have a DD or DTS version of the surround track so that my non DVD audio player owning friends can listen to what a surround sound mix sounds like. Second would be SACD, but of course I am mad at both formats for completely screwing up the marketing, it seems that both formats are destined for the same fate as betamax, lazer discs and mini discs.

 

[j_garcia]

CD due to availability of titles, SACD/DVD-A a close second, and then vinyl. You left off Reel to Reel and DAT

 

[billy p]

Just a question I know dvd-a and sacd is superior to cd dts or dd.The fact is I haven't connected analog 5.1 on dvd my player, so can I listen to cd dts or cd dd with either cd or dvd player in coax?

 

[MACCA350]

Just a question I know dvd-a and sacd is superior to cd dts or dd.The fact is I haven't connected analog 5.1 on dvd my player, so can I listen to cd dts or cd dd with either cd or dvd player in coax?

CDplayer will do CD over coax
DVD Player will do CD, DTS and DD over coax

Oh you mean DTS on CD and DD on CD, OK, I havn't tried it but I think they will work in through both CD and DVD players coax connection

cheers

 

[billy p]

Thanks: Looking to but some high end cd' just to see how much better the sound quailty is.Only problems just like the other two formats its hard to find ones I'm willing to pay $30.00 to own.

 

[captain_tinker]

CDplayer will do CD over coax
DVD Player will do CD, DTS and DD over coax

Oh you mean DTS on CD and DD on CD, OK, I havn't tried it but I think they will work in through both CD and DVD players coax connection

cheers

billy p and MACCA350,
I have two DVD players, one of which I am using Solely as a cd player, and have them both connected to my receiver via coax. My Pioneer I also have connected via the analog 5.1 channel outs, for the SACD and DVD-A output. I believe that that is all that those are used for, correct me if I am wrong.

I have used Dolby Digital CD's, DTS cd's, HDCD CD's, and regular PCM CD's in both players, all over the digital coax out to the receiver. This works fine for me. Basically, the player is simply reading the signal and pushing it out unprocessed (if I understand this correctly that is) and the receiver is the one that does the sound processing and pushes it out over the speakers. That is why if your receiver can handle the DD, DTS, HDCD etc signals, that you can hear each of these formats.

If you want to try it out, burn some DTS and Dolby Digital wav files to a cd as an audio cd, and try it out. You should be able to see the DTS and DD led's on your receiver turn on. If you want some free wav files to mess with, here is where I found some:

http://www.sr.se/cgi-bin/mall/index.asp?ProgramID=2446

My favorites are:

The Run - Just a simple surround test of a guy running all over the place, the sounds are incredibly realistic, and it's actually quite funny the story that it tells, just with the sounds of footsteps.

There are four classical songs - Night on Bald Mountain by Mussorgski, Something from Strauss, and two from Mendelssohn, one of which is the Midsummer's night dream overture, I don't remember which ones the other two were... Anyway, they sound great!

The Saga - If this is the one I think it is, it is really very funny.

Here is an interesting site if you like trance like stuff, it wasn't my favorite, but was interesting to listen to for a few minutes and does a good job of showing off the DTS and DD CD playing ability of your player:

http://www.diatonis.com/downloads_dts_ac3.html

Let me know what you think.

-capT

 

[j_garcia]

CDplayer will do CD over coax
DVD Player will do CD, DTS and DD over coax

Oh you mean DTS on CD and DD on CD, OK, I havn't tried it but I think they will work in through both CD and DVD players coax connection

cheers

A CD player with a digital output (doesn't matter optical or coax) can play DTS CDs. Not all DVD players can read DTS tracks, but that was mostly first and some second generation players; I'd expect nearly all of them can handle DTS these days.

 

[Pyrrho]

I prefer SACD over DVD-A because of the way it is handled in my changer, and because it is possible to have a hybrid SACD with a CD layer, that makes it compatible with virtually everyone's system. A hybrid SACD is my first choice when purchasing music.

(With SACD, it plays like a CD, but with DVD-A, it plays like a DVD - that is, it loads up a menu, and when finished, loads up a menu rather than proceeds to the next disc. The format does not seem to have been designed for a changer to play music continuously, though I suppose a player could be designed to ignore the menu and proceed straight to the music, and then proceed to the next disc when finished, but most players are not built to ignore such things with regular DVDs, so I expect that such a player would be very rare.)

 

[billy p]

Thanks Captain Tinker!!

billy p and MACCA350,
I have two DVD players, one of which I am using Solely as a cd player, and have them both connected to my receiver via coax. My Pioneer I also have connected via the analog 5.1 channel outs, for the SACD and DVD-A output. I believe that that is all that those are used for, correct me if I am wrong.

I have used Dolby Digital CD's, DTS cd's, HDCD CD's, and regular PCM CD's in both players, all over the digital coax out to the receiver. This works fine for me. Basically, the player is simply reading the signal and pushing it out unprocessed (if I understand this correctly that is) and the receiver is the one that does the sound processing and pushes it out over the speakers. That is why if your receiver can handle the DD, DTS, HDCD etc signals, that you can hear each of these formats.

If you want to try it out, burn some DTS and Dolby Digital wav files to a cd as an audio cd, and try it out. You should be able to see the DTS and DD led's on your receiver turn on. If you want some free wav files to mess with, here is where I found some:

http://www.sr.se/cgi-bin/mall/index.asp?ProgramID=2446

My favorites are:

The Run - Just a simple surround test of a guy running all over the place, the sounds are incredibly realistic, and it's actually quite funny the story that it tells, just with the sounds of footsteps.

There are four classical songs - Night on Bald Mountain by Mussorgski, Something from Strauss, and two from Mendelssohn, one of which is the Midsummer's night dream overture, I don't remember which ones the other two were... Anyway, they sound great!

The Saga - If this is the one I think it is, it is really very funny.

Here is an interesting site if you like trance like stuff, it wasn't my favorite, but was interesting to listen to for a few minutes and does a good job of showing off the DTS and DD CD playing ability of your player:

http://www.diatonis.com/downloads_dts_ac3.html

Let me know what you think.

-capT

I TRIED THE LINKS BUT FOR SOME SOME REASON I WAS UNABLE TO COMPLETE THE DOWNLOADS.I DON'T HAVE WIN ZIP TO UNLOCK THEM IF THIS MAKES SENSE!!
I WILL ENDEAVOR TO BUY A COUPLE JUST HOPE I CAN FIND MY BANDS(LED ZEP,FLOYD OR ACDC...)

 

[captain_tinker]

I TRIED THE LINKS BUT FOR SOME SOME REASON I WAS UNABLE TO COMPLETE THE DOWNLOADS.I DON'T HAVE WIN ZIP TO UNLOCK THEM IF THIS MAKES SENSE!!
I WILL ENDEAVOR TO BUY A COUPLE JUST HOPE I CAN FIND MY BANDS(LED ZEP,FLOYD OR ACDC...)

billy_p,
Well, the files are pretty good sized, so maybe the download is timing out? You will probably want to use a fast connection to the internet. I don't know if you have a fast internet connection or not, I use 56k at home still, so I download somewhere else, put it on my usb memory stick, and bring it home. You do need winzip, or something comparable to unzip them with. WinXP has something similar built in, it comes up as a zipped folder, you can double click it and the file is inside. If you are not using WinXP, you can try the eval version of Winzip:

http://www.winzip.com/downwzeval.htm

You may also be able to Google for some free winzip alternatives. Hope this helps.

-capT

 

[sonofjack]

What is your favorite audio format

I like all 3 digital music formats, CD, DVD-Audio and SACD but choose SACD as my favorite because of it's excellent sound quality, I like DVD-audio's sound quality equally but the fact that you have to have a Television monitor in order to play DVD-audio makes SACD my favorite.

 

[fudog]

mp3 ofc cause they are small and I love my mp3 player. and I don't like cd's cause u have to make em mp3's before having em on the comupter. I dun wanna switch between cd's cause that's lame.

 

[Martymilton]

I also voted for SACD, but sadly this format is probably in its last days.

 

[caupina]

I also voted for SACD, they sound pretty good, too bad there are not that many choices. DVD-A sounds great too.
I have a question: I recently bought a pair of SEAL CDs "SEAL" and "SEAL IV" that are supposed to be DD and DTS. I've played them both on my Onkyo DVD-A player but I can't get the DD or DTS indicator to light up, so my receiver just indicates that is PCM. When I press the Audio on the remote of the player it displays PPCM 5.1 96Khz/24bit but no DD o DTS. I'm playing them now using the Multi Channel and they sound great, but why the DD and DTS mention on the covers of the CDs???? Anybody heard of the Advance Resolution Surround Sound????