Best of dvd-audio and sacd discs?

Bucky Pizzarelli's "Swing Live" - DVD-A or SACD, both top notch. "Sacred Feast" (SACD) still has not been surpassed. I am realy enjoying Telarc's "Nice 'n' Easy" in Multi-Channel. In fact, I really like the multi-channel discs a great deal more than hi-res stereo.

I second the motion on Midor/Nobuko Imai (violin/viola) Mozart Sinfonia Concetante SACD Sony Classical.

As for DVD-A, so far, the spatial effects are sometimes interesting, while the audio quality is good but not stunning. Try the Bella Fleck disc.

Patricia Barber's 'Night Club' and 'Modern Cool'. Unquestionably the best sound that I have ever heard from a non-vinyl source. You will be stunned.

2nd Donald Fagen - The Nightfly

horrid DVD transfer Yes - Fragile

coming on SACD - Peter Gabriel's solo albums

Modern Cool by Particia Barber is to date the best SACD you buy.

DVD-A: Eagles "Hotel California" - light years ahead in 2-channel reproduction compared to red-book "re-mastered" (really?) cd on TEAC 500-series through pair of Verios. One caveat - track marking or chapters, highly audible pop or click between each track; otherwise very open and intimate without claustrophobia.

Fleetwood Mac "Rumours" - again compared to red-book though not in this case a remastered CD, two-channel blossoms as though you were in the studio when they created this classic; "Never going back again" seems to have been "remixed" allowing a previously unheard/buried, though tasty guitar/lute lick to be out front. One B-side extra track for completist. This has always been a favorite, and this version has given me reason to play more often, yet again.

Donald Fagan "I.G.Y." - never hearing the redbook version I can make that comparison, but knowing how precise the Steely Dan (later years) studio recordings and remaster redbook recordings have been, I would risk saying that it is what would be expected of him - a pleasure anyday of my lifetime. Enjoyable today. Enjoy today. Enjoy.

Got the Stones new editions but do not have SACD on which to audition the SACD portinos, however, the redbook layer is remarkable, refreshing the verve, vitality, aned spirit of the music - something lacking in both live performances and studio recordings from the Stones in the last 15-plus years. Mick Taylor Stones were my favorite Stones (on Virgin remaster 20-bit) but these go a long way to fatten up the space in my collection under the Rolling Stones. Most enjoyable "Beggar's banquet", "Let it Bleed" and "Get Your Ya-yas Out".

m_m

Fidelis Records Piazzola SACD Hybrid
Fidelis Records Cello SACD Hybrid
Friday Night in San Francisco SACD

These 3 stand out so far ...

Hootie and the Blowfish, Cracked Rear Window: DVD-A

Keb Mo "The Door"
"A Night In San Fransisco" DeLucia,DiMola,McGlaughlin
SACD's

DVD-Audio:
John McEuen & Jimmy Ibbotson, "Nitty Gritty Surround" on AIX Records. It's a "tribrid", although I will probably never use the DVD-Rom portion. It is two-sided, and there are almost too many choices of ways to play this thing (four), and you have to make sure that all of your settings on your source, pre/pro/receiver, and amps are set correctly to get full benefit of each choice. I am usually not very fond of the "stage" mix on multichannel in either format, but in this case it is tastefully done. Stereo and "audience" mixes are also well done, each instrument very clearly floating along on it's own, but also coming together as a coherent whole.

"Ziroq", on Silverline. Has already won several awards.

SACD:
Miles Davis, "Kind of Blue", Sony Multichannel.

Keb Mo, "The Door", Sony stereo.

Midori, Nobuko Imai, Christoph Eschenbach, "Mozart, Sinfonia Concertante, etc.". Sony Classical, Stereo/Multichannel.

Yo Yo Ma & The Silk Road Ensemble, "Silk Road Journeys", Sony Classical Stereo/MC. Incredible in MC.

The Steve Davis Project, "Quality of Silence", DMP Hybrid.

Alison Krauss & Union Station, "New Favorite". Rounder Records Hybrid. Awesome sound quality.

McCoy Tyner Quartet, "New York Reunion", Chesky Records Hybrid.

I enjoy most of these in either stereo or MC, all of the ones listed above that are MC are well mixed, and sound incredible either way. IMHO, neither one is better, just different. A lot of it is personal choice and depends on your setup (gear, settings, speaker placement, room acoustics, etc.). There are so many more variables at work here with MC, as opposed to stereo, all interacting with each other.

I'm still experimenting, all part of the fun.

As far as DVD Audio, nothing I've heard comes close to ELP Brain Salad Surgery....the album was made for multichannel!

Jeremy Monteiro's A Song for You, Karen is pretty well done on SACD, if you like this kind of stuff. Pianist Monteiro and his small jazz group cover Karen Carpenter songs with the help of Jacintha's crooning. Makes me feel like I'm in an intimate piano bar (on top of a downtown hi-rise!) having a drink with my date. Those were the days.