SA-CD/DSD vs DVD-A/PCM

[xo]

I'm reading about Super Audio CD (SA-CD) and DVD Audio (DVD-A) and I'm not sure which format is better. SA-CD uses Direct Stream Digital (DSD) which is a 1 bit 2.8 MHz stream while DVD-A uses a 24 bit 192 kHz stream. There is also DSD Wide which is 8 bit 2.8 Mhz. So that means that there is a higher bitrate on the DVD-A medium. SA-CD uses lossless compression, Direct Stream Digital (DST), and I assume that DVD-A does also. Still, some say SA-CD has a more analog sound, dispite the lower bitrate.

Any oppinions as to which format is better, SA-CD or DVD-A -- or what their inherent strengths and weaknesses are? I'm just starting to delve into this subject.

I'm thinking about purchasing a SA-CD player in the not too distant future.

(Please correct me if any of these numbers are wrong.)

edit. Okay, these[1] articles make me nervous about SA-CD.

[1] http://groups-beta.google.com/group/rec ... 8&oe=UTF-8
http://sound.westhost.com/cd-sacd-dvda.htm
http://www.meridian-audio.com/ara/bitstrea.htm

[Pex `Mahoney` Tufvesson]

<sarcasm> Why do you care?

You probably won't be able to buy CDs/DVDs in any of these formats in 5 years. Well, maybe re-runs of Eric Clapton and such. And a few extremely expensive japanese recordings of classical music!
</sarcasm>

...but they look and feel nice. I'm just curious that they've been around for some years, but nobody cares. I guess that Joe Normal is happy with the sound of CDs or 128kbps mp3... Then, the other 1% of the population will have to get our boats rocking with other things...

[xo]

It would be nice if we could just all use Blu-Ray for everything and be done with all these format wars, then Joe Doh would get high-quality lossless audio for free, even if he didn't appreciate it. Bring it on!

It is also suspect that there is a multi-bit DSD variant, DSD Wide. If DSD is so great, then why not just up the sample rate?

[OT] I've also read that multi-bit DACs are not always multi-bit inside. I wonder how many PC audio solutions, internal or external, use "fake" multi-bit DACs. :/

[Waz]

Any oppinions as to which format is better, SA-CD or DVD-A -- or what their inherent strengths and weaknesses are? I'm just starting to delve into this subject.

Well, I can only go off my own experiences of DVD-Audio, owning a Pioneer DV-646 that can play them, but let me tell you this: the quality, even in straight stereo off these discs, is pretty amazing.

I've currently got four albums on DVD-A, namely:

Philip Glass - Koyaanisqatsi
REM - Reveal
Barenaked Ladies - Everything to Everyone
Fleetwood Mac - Rumours (nice and cheap too - thanks Vinyl Exchange!)

In all of them the sound quality really surpasses itself, and with full 5.1 output to my brick of a Dolby Digital amp, the high resolution audio comes across superbly. Lots of clear instruments that I often didn't hear on the CD releases (particularly the REM one)

One word of note though: due to copy protection purposes you have to use a 5.1 analogue audio out to your amp (the player does the decoding) so it'll also depend on your player.

Of course, you could always pick up a Pioneer DV-575 for around £100-150 multiregion - that'll play both formats so you can always listen and compare:

http://www.pioneer.co.uk/uk/product_det ... y_id=62-84

(they do it in black as well, btw)

Maybe contact your local decent hi-fi store and see if they can rig one up and some discs for a demonstration for you?

[xo]

Thanks for the tip. Its great that it also supports SACD; although my initial enthusiasm for the format has lessened.