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Music on DVD vs CD or SACD - any difference?

Hi, I'm new here and just getting into audio and music (jazz / vocals mostly).

This may be a dumb question but is there any difference in the music quality between different media formats?

Let's say that Diana Krall's "Live in Paris" is available on video DVD (or Blu-ray), CD and SACD. Would the music quality be the same between all formats (assuming 2 ch playback) -- would one be relatively indifferent?

I'd probably pick up the DVD / Blu-ray to get the video aspects of a performance unless the CD / SACD version would be noticeably better.
saru
eldartford
4,262 posts
 
Saru...
DVDA is not DSD. Just straightforward 24/96 for multichannel and 24/192 for stereo. (IMHO DSD is all Sony hype).

The bandwidth provided by DVDA can be used in different ways. Many DVDA include a lot of video... discussion of the music etc.

The audio mix can be selected at playback... "Stage" or "Audience".

I have both SACD and SACD and both can sound much better than a CD depending, as always, on the mix. However, my very best discs happen to be DVDA.
achilles
135 posts
 
I have yet to be impressed with SACD, but DVD-A is brilliant. I'd say CD and DVD-Video are on par. I know DVD-Video has the extra word length and sample rate, but DVDs never sound much if any better than CDs to me. Maybe it's the material.
I'm not sure I can tell the diff between SACD and CD.
I'd put DVD-A up there with vinyl. Maybe above.
audioholik
90 posts
 
"I have yet to be impressed with SACD, but DVD-A is brilliant."

I would suggest starting from these Nat King Cole SACD titles mastered by Steve Hoffman
achilles
135 posts
 
OK, I'll give them a shot!
nickjn
111 posts
 
I've been quite impressed by DVD-A discs. It takes music to another level.
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