[Jeff]

My new SDI DVD player, a Denon 1600 happens to have DVD-A support. What is a really good demo disc to try out?

Jeff

[steve1056]

Depends on your taste in music, but the following are good

Fleetwood Mac - Rumours
The Doors - LA Woman
Metallica - Metallica (The Black Album)
Deep Purple - Machine Head

One the the best sites to get them from is www.ezydvd.com.au

Hope this helps.

Cheers,
Steve

[Jeff]

Cheers Steve I'll have a look, I'd love to see some Dire Straits or Pink Floyd on DVD-A but I guess that I might have to wait a while.

Jeff

[PaulBoy]

Jeff - I agree that the dvd-a's listed are good but if you really want to get your system warmed up try the following ...
Hotel California - Eagles
Night at The Opera - Queen
Just got the latter from Future Entertainment (futureent.com) & I cant stop playing it - Bohemian Rhapsody is awesome but there's stuff that equally gobsmacking
Paul & BTW my favourite dvd-a is still ELP - Brain Salad Surgery

PaulBoy - I agree with you. "Hotel California" has a superb mix !!Much better than "Rumours", which, IMO, has too much of the instruments in the rear speakers, and not enough in the front. I got the feeling that there is an empty gap between the front and the rear speakers. This is mainly true of the first 5 or 6 songs; the rest is better.

I'm glad to hear the "A Night at the Opera" is as good as I'm expecting it to be . Still waiting for it to be delivered ...

[steve1056]

On the Eagles Hotel California disc, have any of you noticed that at the end of track 7, the sound drops out for a second or so at the final fade just before track 8 begins?

Happens to me on both the DD5.1 and DTS tracks.

Cheers,

Steve

[gringottsdirect]

Originally posted by steve1056
On the Eagles Hotel California disc, have any of you noticed that at the end of track 7, the sound drops out for a second or so at the final fade just before track 8 begins?
Happens to me on both the DD5.1 and DTS tracks.

Weird, my Denon DVD-3800 plays this disc perfectly.
My Philips DVD-963SA missed the first second or two at the beginning of each track, and had the drop out you mention when playing both DD and DTS, but now after a good few discs have played through perfectly, it now plays this disc fine repeatedly with none of the drop-outs.
Try these too :
Billion Dollar Babies by Alice Cooper
The Captain And Me by The Doobie Brothers
Automatic For The People by REM

[Sick Note]

As I mentioned in a previous thread:
Alannis Morissette-Under rug swept
Blue Man Group-Audio(best multichannel mix ever!! )
REM- Reveal+Automatic for the people

[CJROSS]

dudes are you the right dudesters to ask this ? :

DVD Audio PCM digital output via SPDIF? from 24/96 surround mixes ?

Cheers for any input.

Originally posted by steve1056
Depends on your taste in music, but the following are good

Fleetwood Mac - Rumours
The Doors - LA Woman
Metallica - Metallica (The Black Album)
Deep Purple - Machine Head

One the the best sites to get them from is www.ezydvd.com.au

Hope this helps.

Cheers,
Steve

Yes I must agree with your recommendations.
I find www.ezydvd.com to be a good source but I would also suggest www.redtrumpet.com in the US.

Originally posted by Jeff
Cheers Steve I'll have a look, I'd love to see some Dire Straits or Pink Floyd on DVD-A but I guess that I might have to wait a while.

Jeff

Dark Side Of The Moon is being released on SACD rather than DVD-A as was originally planned ... (it is rumoured that Sony paid EMI to do this)

[steve1056]

I can now also vouch for the following:

Eagles - Hotel California
Queen - Night At The Opera
R.E.M. - Automatic For The People

All are superb. DVD-A is definitely getting better.

Steve

[robncarrie]

Holy thread revival, Batman...

Ive just recieved my Doors - Perception Boxset. How thrilled was I?!

However... can i buggery get it work in surround sound... Annoyed isnt the word.

I have a Marantz DV6600 plugged into a Marantz SR4400 via a Coaxial Digital cable. Now whether I set the DV6600 to "Bitstream output" (correct I believe) or "PCM output" (incorrect I believe) the SR4400 refuses to recognise the signal as being anything other than Stereo PCM.

The options that the disc brings up in the Setup menu are either "Advanced Resolution Surround Sound" or "Advanced Resolution Stereo". So, obviously I opt for the surround option. But no, it simply sees a PCM signal and outputs what sounds like just the 2 stereo front speakers of a surround signal, if that makes sense. It sounds better in Enhanced Stereo, but I want the surround sound.

Any thoughts on what the problem might be? Im ready to throw the whole lot out of the window right now...

As a sidenote - shouldnt I also have the option of either DTS or DD too? Starting to think Ive been sold a very convincing rip-off. The only other DVD-A I own is The Beatles - Love album, and that works just fine, very fine in fact in either DTS or DD 5.1. I need Jim to sound that clear!

Please... anyone?

[unique]

you usually have to connect dvda players via RCA jacks to output 5.1 sound. thus there are 6 phono sockets on the back of the player that should match with the analoge 5.1 input on your amp, so you need 3 sets of standard stereo phono cables (or 2x3 or 1x6 channel) to make it work

you can't sent 5.1 MPL dvda lossless uncompressed audio via standard optical or coaxil cables as they can't handle the high bandwidth. in other words, the 5.1 sound those cables normally handle is compressed DTS or dolby digital

the only way of sending uncompressed 5.1 sound digitally for sacd and dvda is via hdmi, your played and amp needs to support this. i don't think your player does (but i'm not an expert on this)

thus my 2 dvda/sacd players are connected via digital cable for watching movies in 5.1 and also via 3 sets of stereo RCA jacks to the amps to allow me to listen to SACD and DVDa in multi channel

[robncarrie]

Understood.

I also have the DVD player plugged into the SR4400 via some pretty cheap 5.1 phono cables, but the Beatles album really does sound so, so much better via Co-ax than the 5.1 phonos. So I was hoping to use it that way with the Doors too. I dont understand why I cant to be honest, but if thats the way it is, then bummer, but it cant be helped I guess.

Ill try some better quality phono cables on the 5.1 output/input, and see if that keeps me happy. Only other option is upgrading the admittedly entry level DV6600 DVD/A player. Unless Im missing something?

It soundss to me that the old SR4400 decoder is a lot better than the DV6600s. That or Ive really got my wires crossed somewhere.

Very disapointed overall though after being blown away by that Beatles effort.

Edit: should have mentioned that the Beatles album I have is a copy, albeit an image file copy to try out the DVD-A in the first place... naughty, yes, I know. But the amp picks up either DTS or DD accordingly, as set in the disc menu. Confused.

There is an option for the DVD player to send audio via HDMI, not sure if that includes DVD-A audio though, besides, the SR4400 doesnt support HDMI, so Im stuck there.

[brian s]

My favourite disc is Basket Of Light by Pentangle but I'd say the best sound quality has to be the stereo mix of You're The One by Paul Simon. Shame it's a terrible album.

Regards
Bri

[unique]

Originally Posted by robncarrie

Understood.

I also have the DVD player plugged into the SR4400 via some pretty cheap 5.1 phono cables, but the Beatles album really does sound so, so much AVForums.com - Reply to Topicbetter via Co-ax than the 5.1 phonos. So I was hoping to use it that way with the Doors too. I dont understand why I cant to be honest, but if thats the way it is, then bummer, but it cant be helped I guess.

Ill try some better quality phono cables on the 5.1 output/input, and see if that keeps me happy. Only other option is upgrading the admittedly entry level DV6600 DVD/A player. Unless Im missing something?

It soundss to me that the old SR4400 decoder is a lot better than the DV6600s. That or Ive really got my wires crossed somewhere.

Very disapointed overall though after being blown away by that Beatles effort.

Edit: should have mentioned that the Beatles album I have is a copy, albeit an image file copy to try out the DVD-A in the first place... naughty, yes, I know. But the amp picks up either DTS or DD accordingly, as set in the disc menu. Confused.

There is an option for the DVD player to send audio via HDMI, not sure if that includes DVD-A audio though, besides, the SR4400 doesnt support HDMI, so Im stuck there.

proper full dvda isn't DTS or DD, it's MLP. dts and dd are compressed formats like mp3 and MLP is lossless like cd or flac. you can play dts and dd on a standard dvd player, dvda disc usually include that so people without dvda players can still hear the 5.1 mix, but to hear the lossless MLP audio you have to set the disc to the right setting and your amp/dvd player to the analogue channels

all dvd players with hmdi will carry audio, but most will only carry stereo audio, it's the later hdmi standard (1.1 or 1.2 i think) that allows sacd via hdmi and then 1.3 or something that allows dvda carried by hdmi. neither of my players output 5.1 by hdmi

you can't output the 5.1 MLP digitally by optical or coaxil simply because the lossless format involves a much higher bitrate as it's lossless and either 48k or 96k, the hardware capabilities of amps and dvd players weren't designed to need to carry that much higher bitrate. DTS and DD have a much lower bitrate that can be carried by optical and coax

if your disc is a copy, it might not have the MLP audio track. usually when people copy discs they remove certain things like extras and foriegn audio tracks to fit on a single layer disc. as MLP takes up a lot of space it's maybe been removed

it sounds like you are listening to the DD or DTS tracks and switching between digital and analogue and that's the difference you are hearing. if you did the same by comparing DTS digitally compared to MLP by analogue you should hear the difference in a similar way to comparing a DD track to DTS

[overkill]

Originally Posted by unique

proper full dvda isn't DTS or DD, it's MLP. dts and dd are compressed formats like mp3 and MLP is lossless like cd or flac. you can play dts and dd on a standard dvd player, dvda disc usually include that so people without dvda players can still hear the 5.1 mix, but to hear the lossless MLP audio you have to set the disc to the right setting and your amp/dvd player to the analogue channels

all dvd players with hmdi will carry audio, but most will only carry stereo audio, it's the later hdmi standard (1.1 or 1.2 i think) that allows sacd via hdmi and then 1.3 or something that allows dvda carried by hdmi. neither of my players output 5.1 by hdmi

you can't output the 5.1 MLP digitally by optical or coaxil simply because the lossless format involves a much higher bitrate as it's lossless and either 48k or 96k, the hardware capabilities of amps and dvd players weren't designed to need to carry that much higher bitrate. DTS and DD have a much lower bitrate that can be carried by optical and coax

if your disc is a copy, it might not have the MLP audio track. usually when people copy discs they remove certain things like extras and foriegn audio tracks to fit on a single layer disc. as MLP takes up a lot of space it's maybe been removed

it sounds like you are listening to the DD or DTS tracks and switching between digital and analogue and that's the difference you are hearing. if you did the same by comparing DTS digitally compared to MLP by analogue you should hear the difference in a similar way to comparing a DD track to DTS

This all sounds a bit fishy to me. As far as I am aware there is no way of making a copy of a DVD-A. All the supposed 'crack's were found to be only 'half way houses' as a true copy could not be made. Under any copying system.

I'm wondering if he doesn't have a garage version of the disc that someone has upsampled, copied and burnt using the DVD-A freeware. On the DTS etc side, that is pretty easily done by someone with the right software and a reasonable PC.

That would also explain the problems.

[robncarrie]

Unique and Overkill - Many thanks for spelling that out in laymans terms, appreciated and understood.

It looks like Ive just got too used to compressed and over processed audio, something I thought would never happen.

Perhaps a newer SACD/DVD-A player is in order to teach me a stiff lesson. Maybe a newer surround amplifier would be an idea too. This wont be cheap, I can feel it.

Would you guys have any advice as to what player would suit my aging Marantz PM7200 stereo amp and the little Mordaunt Short MS902s in the mean time and also work well with a better amp & speakers when the time and cash comes?

Im not really a What HI-Fi person, would rather hear advice from the people who have to pay for their toys.

[epicdream]

"Yoshimi Battles The Robots" - The Flaming Lips

Sensational sounding multi-channel DVD-A and my favourite!!!

It always produces dropped jaws from noobie listeners!!!

I have to say that I wasn't that impressed with The Doors "Perception" collection...

[Theo Maxtible]

Originally Posted by robncarrie

Unique and Overkill - Many thanks for spelling that out in laymans terms, appreciated and understood.

It looks like Ive just got too used to compressed and over processed audio, something I thought would never happen.

Perhaps a newer SACD/DVD-A player is in order to teach me a stiff lesson. Maybe a newer surround amplifier would be an idea too. This wont be cheap, I can feel it.

Would you guys have any advice as to what player would suit my aging Marantz PM7200 stereo amp and the little Mordaunt Short MS902s in the mean time and also work well with a better amp & speakers when the time and cash comes?

Im not really a What HI-Fi person, would rather hear advice from the people who have to pay for their toys.

This has been an interesting thread!

With regard to your comments about compressed/over processed audio, I think you may have arrived at the stage I was nearly two years ago. I made the decision in November 2006 to invest in an Arcam DV137 player and Arcam AVR350 multi channel amplifier. This was done because I'd made the decision to move over to DVD-A and SACD wherever possible. In fact, I have bought only one CD in the last four years!

It's possibly not always an easy or simple decision for someone to make, upgrading to better equipment. There are all sorts of questions going around inside ones head - apart from the cost! Before I moved over to my Arcam equipment, I was using just an ordinary Sony DVD video player, with a Yamaha RX-V800 multi channel amplier (which I'm still trying to sell). I was extremely happy with the set-up, and it served me well over the years.
Like you, I'm also not a "What Hi-Fi" person.

I'm not familiar with the equipment you have, so I'm unable to pass judgement. Yes, an upgrade can be very expensive, but it might depend where you're coming from.

There are some very well priced universal disc players out there, from mainstream Japanese brands. You might also be lucky to pick up a bargain from one of the specialist hi-fi shops - the names Audio-T, Sevenoaks, Musical Images spring to mind, although there are a lot more.

I've heard that the Arcam DV137 and AVR350 are being sold now for GBP 600.00 each at the moment. At that price, they are a real bargain. Your music listening experience is likely to be transformed beyond what you might think possible. My old Yamaha amplifier was bought ex-demo for a lot less than a new one would have cost. As always, if you can demo something, that's the way forward.

P.S. Although I've given up on CDs for a while, the Arcam extracts an extraordinary amount of info from them. I don't have any bad DVD-As or SACDs, although I don't doubt that they might exist, just like well-recorded CDs and bad ones.

[SpaceChimp]

Originally Posted by Jeff

Cheers Steve I'll have a look, I'd love to see some Dire Straits or Pink Floyd on DVD-A but I guess that I might have to wait a while.

Jeff

There's a bootleg DVD Audio version of Dark Side of the Moon available on bit torrent. It's a very high quality recording from the 4 channel master tapes originally for the quad vinyl release. Well worth downloading; in my opinion the way it's meant to be heard.

[SpaceChimp]

Only just realised how old this thread is. Oh well, looks like your waits over Jeff.

[Theo Maxtible]

Originally Posted by SpaceChimp

Only just realised how old this thread is. Oh well, looks like your waits over Jeff.

Yeah - seems like you got the same surprise that I did when I started posting on this thread! Does this thread hold a record?!

Anyway, in respect of the original poster - and subject - I can fully recommend the following newly bought DVD-As:-


Kitaro - The Best of Silk Road
Buena Vista Social Club

Not so newly bought, but highly recommended albums (either SACD or DVD-A) are the following:-

Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon SACD
Dire Straits - Brothers in Arms - SACD
Deep Purple - Machine Head - DVD-A
The Beach Boys - Pet Sounds - DVD-A
Kitaro - The Sacred Journey of Ku-Kai - SACD
Bach - Brandenburg Concertos (Silverline) - DVD-A
Haendel - Water Music & The Royal Fireworks (Naxos) - DVD-A
Mike Oldfield - Tubular Bells 2003 - DVD-A
Tomita - The Planets 2003 - DVD-A

I'd better stop now - I could go on and on!

[YooEntSinMe]

Queen - The Game

[Drongo]

Originally Posted by Steve Whitton

I'd better stop now - I could go on and on!

Please do!

Any more suggestions would be gratefully welcomed!

[Theo Maxtible]

Originally Posted by Drongo

Please do!

Any more suggestions would be gratefully welcomed!

Oh alright then!

My absolute latest DVD-A is The Doors "Perception" album. I really hesitated about ordering this, as I have no interest in the CDs, and wasn't even sure I wanted everything they'd ever done. Well I did go ahead and order it - had it for one week so far - and it's absolutely amazing. I have no regrets about ordering it, and have discovered some more of their music. This is The Doors as you've never heard them before - quite literally!

I have just over 30 DVD-A albums so far, and my collection is still growing (as with SACD also). Let's see what others I can come up with.

[Theo Maxtible]

Originally Posted by Steve Whitton

Let's see what others I can come up with.

Emerson Lake & Palmer - Brain Salad Surgery DVD-A
Metallica - The Black Album DVD-A
Vivaldi - The Four Seasons (Naxos) DVD-A
Dvorak - Symphony No.9 / The Water Goblin (Teldec) DVD-A
Mozart - Flute Concertos (Naxos) DVD-A
Elvis Presley - 30 #1 Hits DVD-A
Tchaikovsky - Swan Lake (Naxos) DVD-A
Wagner - Preludes & Overtures (Arts) DVD-A


As mentioned before (or possibly somewhere else), I don't feel I have any bad DVD-As or SACDs. There are a few DVD-As and a couple of SACDs that don't quite "shine" like the others though, and they are as follows:-

Holst - The Planets (Naxos) DVD-A
Cantaloube - Songs of the Auvergne (Naxos) DVD-A
Brienner - A Christmas Choral Spectacular (Naxos) DVD-A

Little Richard - Here's Little Richard SACD
The Rolling Stones - Hot Rocks 1964-1971 SACD

Apart from the Cantaloube DVD-A (which just isn't to my taste), I don't feel any of the above are bad. There are definate benefits though with hi-res tracks over the CD layer with the Little Richard SACD, much more depth and clarity - e.g. you can hear more of the "metal" of the trombones. This is a mono only SACD, and the Rolling Stones is stereo only.

[overkill]

Neil Young - On the Beach. A true hi-res at 24bit 175mhz. The sound is almost on a par with the original vinyl, which is saying something!
Eagles - Hotel Calif. I read some reviews of this, and the received opinion is that this another great DVD-A well worth having. I agree.
Porcupine Tree - Deadwing. Not a 'great' DVD-A, but still worth having. The production is still excellent and makes up for the low hz rate (48).

It's rather sad that my favourite Hi-Res digital medium has effectively been shunted off onto the sidings.

[Theo Maxtible]

Originally Posted by overkill

Neil Young - On the Beach. A true hi-res at 24bit 175mhz. The sound is almost on a par with the original vinyl, which is saying something!
Eagles - Hotel Calif. I read some reviews of this, and the received opinion is that this another great DVD-A well worth having. I agree.
Porcupine Tree - Deadwing. Not a 'great' DVD-A, but still worth having. The production is still excellent and makes up for the low hz rate (48).

It's rather sad that my favourite Hi-Res digital medium has effectively been shunted off onto the sidings.

I'm always on the lookout for new music to widen (particularly my hi-res) repertoire, so it's interesting to hear your thoughts on two albums I don't yet own. I'd be really happy to hear your feedback on some of the albums I already own - not that it'll change my views, though!

I can't say that I have a preference of DVD-A over SACD (each to their own), and I really don't see why both formats couldn't just go on together. Perhaps I'm naiive - I certainly don't understand the workings of the recorded music industry. Like you, I also find it a bit sad that DVD-A seems a bit sidelined, but it certainly isn't dead. I don't know what your tastes in music are, but Aix Music are still releasing music in this format. I haven't bought anything of their's yet, but they have a few titles I've an interest in. This label was recently brought to my attention by John Dawson of Arcam - on the Arcam owners site. You might like to have a look at the website - let me know if you'd like a link.

I discovered hi-res multi-channel music by chance a few years ago, and it has revolutionised my listening experience no end. I'm not anti-CD, but this is definately the way forward in my opinion.