What is your favorite audio format?

[caupina]

I just realized that the video part of these CDs is DD format. Sorry

 

[dvda-sacd]

Voters: 231. Haven't you voted yet?

Regards.

 

[mitch57]

SACD for ease of use (works just like a CD). DVD-A for the ultimate in high res music. I actually like them both equally well in the sound department with DVD-A slightly ahead of SACD.

I have 258 titles of both DVD-A/SACD in my collection but I'm concerned about how long it will be before I won't be able to find a good quality player that plays them.

 

[wavelength]

The fact that Elliot Scheiner mixes albums in the DVD-Audio format is one of the reasons I like this format so much. That guy is brilliant. I love listening to his creations.

 

[The Chukker]

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

>snorts< he he!

 

[mech]

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

LoL that truly made me Chuckle (Mech pops in a new mini disk!)

 

[majorloser]

8-Track Tapes

You left off 8-tracks

Other than that, I end up listening to mp3's more than anything else.

Gotta go. I need to find a matchbook to shove under the corner of my 8-track tape to keep it on track.

 

[krabapple]

You left off *lossless* compressed formats like FLAC.

(Thought technically, DVD-As MLP is a lossless compressed audio format too)

 

[krabapple]

Just a question I know dvd-a and sacd is superior to cd dts or dd.

Don't assume that.

The 'technical' superiority of two-channel DVD-A and SACD over CD -- i.e., improved sampling rates or dynamic range -- has *never* been proved to make an *audible* difference, as home audio delivery formats. Multichannel, which to me is a real benefit of SACD/DVD-A , isn't relevant to a CD comparison. (DTS and DD, on the other hand, have known artifacts that may well be audible, compared to SACD/DVD-A).

Any audible difference you can really demonstrate (that is, it's not a placebo) between an SACD or DVD-A and its CD counterpart is almost certainly due to different mastering, and/or to different processing that your player/setup applies to different formats (e.g., no time alignment, or different crossover slopes, for SACD versus other formats.)

Even for DTS vs DD, to make claims for the audible superiority of one or the other as *formats*, you have to be sure that the mastering itself wasn't louder/different EQ, on one versus the other. You have to compare apples to apples. And who among us at the consumer end can be that sure? In that regard it's notable that the 'which is better' claims for DTS and DD have been going on for *years* now.

You don't necessarily have to have a TV monitor to play DVD-As; usually you can set a player to access the DVD-Audio tracks by default (some let yous et multichannel or 2-channel default) The more well-designed ones even allow you to switch between 2-ch and multichannel using the remote.

 

[dvda-sacd]

The 'technical' superiority of two-channel DVD-A and SACD over CD -- i.e., improved sampling rates or dynamic range -- has *never* been proved to make an *audible* difference, as home audio delivery formats.

I think it depends on who answers that question. For instance, I would say -of course, it's just my experience- that SACD/DSD stereo can make an audible improvement on Red Book CD.

Regards.

 

[rgriffin25]

I really like both SACD and DVD-A, I voted for SACD because I can listen to a multichannel SACD w/o having to turn on my TV to access the DVD-A menus.

 

[krabapple]

I think it depends on who answers that question. For instance, I would say -of course, it's just my experience- that SACD/DSD stereo can make an audible improvement on Red Book CD.

Regards.

Actually, it depends on what your standard of 'proof' is. In audiophile-land, the standards are pretty lax; 'I heard it' -- without any sort of controls to show that what you heard was really due to the *format* -- is considered enough. If that accords with the marketing hype, all the better.

But you're familiar with all the argument from hydrogenaudio already, aren't you?

 

[dvda-sacd]

Actually, it depends on what your standard of 'proof' is. In audiophile-land, the standards are pretty lax; 'I heard it' -- without any sort of controls to show that what you heard was really due to the *format* -- is considered enough. If that accords with the marketing hype, all the better.

But you're familiar with all the argument from hydrogenaudio already, aren't you?

I've spent lots of hours listening and making comparisons and blind tests. It's my experience and that's enough for me. You are free to think what you want.

Regards.

 

[krabapple]

I've spent lots of hours listening and making comparisons and blind tests. It's my experience and that's enough for me. You are free to think what you want.

Regards.

it's funny you should take that stance because i'm thinking of this recent post of yours on hydrogenaudio.org

http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=40134&st=200&p=427468&#entry427468

where you went to some effort to 'prove' that DSD sounds better, using square wave 'demonstrations' that were rather quickly shot down (for the gazillionth time)

..after which you adopted the safe 'it sounds better to me and that's enough' stance. Interesting that you haven't mentioned doing blind comparisons, on HA, though. Especially since blind test data would've been the *one* sort of evidence HA.org might accept without jeering at you.

 

[Sheep]

it's funny you should take that stance because i'm thinking of this recent post of yours on hydrogenaudio.org

http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=40134&st=200&p=427468&#entry427468

where you went to some effort to 'prove' that DSD sounds better, using square wave 'demonstrations' that were rather quickly shot down (for the gazillionth time)

..after which you adopted the safe 'it sounds better to me and that's enough' stance. Interesting that you haven't mentioned doing blind comparisons, on HA, though. Especially since blind test data would've been the *one* sort of evidence HA.org might accept without jeering at you.

Krabapple for supreme ruler of Earth.

Props,

SheepStar

 

[dvda-sacd]

it's funny you should take that stance because i'm thinking of this recent post of yours on hydrogenaudio.org

http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=40134&st=200&p=427468&#entry427468

where you went to some effort to 'prove' that DSD sounds better, using square wave 'demonstrations' that were rather quickly shot down (for the gazillionth time)

That kind of demonstrations is useful to show how DSD works. The personal experience has the last word.

Regards.

 

[krabapple]

That kind of demonstrations is useful to show how DSD works.

It mgiht be if it was a fair and relevant demonstration. Which that one wasn't, and never has been , all the times that audiophiles have brought it forth as 'proof'.. Its flaws are noted in that HA thread, e.g

http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?s=&showtopic=40134&view=findpost&p=427515


It simply doesn't 'show' what people like you claim it shows.

 

[dvda-sacd]

It mgiht be if it was a fair and relevant demonstration. Which that one wasn't, and never has been , all the times that audiophiles have brought it forth as 'proof'.. Its flaws are noted in that HA thread, e.g

http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?s=&showtopic=40134&view=findpost&p=427515


It simply doesn't 'show' what people like you claim it shows.

OK, that's your view. My opinion is quite diferent.

By the way, althoungh I disagree about some questions, I think the HA thread is an excellent source of information. Reading opposing ideas is an enriching experience.

Regards.

 

[captain_tinker]

Folks,
I don't really see any reason to argue about any of the formats. Everyone has their favorites, and that's ok. They all sound great. But the question was:

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

Thanks.

He asked to vote for your favorite, not prove why one format may be technologically or sonically "better". "Better" tends to be very subjective depending on how you present the arguments, how your ears perceive the sound, how your equipment makes it sound, etc, etc, etc. Unfortunately it ends up becoming almost a religious argument at that point, and not something that can anyone can "win".

I say just look at how many wonderful options we have for music listening. We all have access to them in some form or another as long as we can afford it, which I dare say probably most of us can, or we would not be discussing them to begin with.

I now own a few examples of all of the formats listed in the poll. I enjoy them all at different times, in different places, depending on what I want at the time. Some things I only have on cassette, and are not available on any other format. For example, my Chipmunk's "Munk Rock" tape is not on any other format, nor will it ever be. I Love my SACD's because it works very similar to a CD and so therefore it is convenient and I like the way it sounds on my equipment. A DVD-A is lots of fun because of how it works, and how it sounds. You can play music and go through the menus at the same time.

MP3 and other formats are nice for when I am at the gym, and don't want to take my entire HT setup with me (that would be heavy!) DTS discs are also convenient, and are somewhat of a novelty to me, as are HDCD's. But they all sound good to me.

I cannot vote for just one format, because I like them all in a different way depending on what I want at the time. So arguments like whether or not we "need" any of these formats, or if any of them have been proven to be "better" than cd or whatever are moot points. No we may not "need" it, though there are those who WANT it for whatever reason... The technology exists, we are free to choose, let's just do it and have fun with it! Why not? Cmon guys...

-capT

 

[Tod]

You left off 8-tracks

Other than that, I end up listening to mp3's more than anything else.

Gotta go. I need to find a matchbook to shove under the corner of my 8-track tape to keep it on track.

No way dude! Wax gramophone discs all the way!!! Unless, I suppose, you live in Tucson like me...