Who has actually listened to DVD audio?

Yeah and also the last issue of Hi-fi Choice Mag in the UK has one of their resident experts discovering a flaw in existing DVD-A discs(the few there is) apparantly and I haven't read the article in detail the conversion in the sampling rate has been done wrong so it is not "true" 24/96...doh. Ben

Wow, are they ever going to get digital to dound like good vinyl? there is so much more information available to the DVD format, you would think this would be a great format to do so since the technology is in place for the movies? I would love to have true analog sound in digital simplicity.

Having SACD in my system, my feeling is that it is getting closer to analog than I thought digital ever could get. It will probably not replace my vinyl, which still is warmer sounding, but it does have the ease and openness you get from vinyl. Someone said that SACD doesn't sound like analog, it sounds like the master tape, and that's probably right. Be careful, though, because you may not like what is on the master tape. As far as DVD-A, I haven't heard it yet, and I doubt that there will be players for a while which can take full advantage of that format, since the manufacturers are not letting a 24/96 signal out of the digital out on those players so you're going to be stuck with what will likely for the immediate future be mid-fi analog stages and power supplies. I imagine if it matures it will sound very good, as the 24/96 discs I have heard from Classic and Chesky in my system are stunningly good with a good 24/96 DAC, on the same playing field with SACD. I'd prefer more of the Classic and Chesky DADs, which can be played through a good DAC now, but I fear that DVD-A may have put an end to those discs.

It's like I've said before. DVD-A has been around for a while in the DAD format and from Chesky. The DVD-A spec allows for it. Not a very efficient method of packing 24/96 data onto a disk but it's there and it works....beautifully too. It's just that the multi-channel format has not popped out due to endless haggling over encryption. Now let's see if the encryption camp can shoot off the other foot.

Personaly for me, SACD or DVD-A or what ever else comes out, is not a concern for me. I have put together a very good sounding system using CD as the main music source. Guess its a forgiving sound because all material sounds good with no digital fatigue and very smooth and dyanamic sound that sounds very analog in sound. This was not true before i upgraded every component and speakers and cable incl PC's. The sound was digital and fatiguing making many CD's unlistenable. Making intelligent choices in equipment, placement, etc has resulted in great sound with all material. I have owned 24/96 and software and gave it up putting together a much better sounding conventional setup and will let the mass market be the ginney pigs for a new format that will take years to perfect including avail software. In the meantime i am enjoying terrific sound and don't care for any new format in the near future.

I have and it is awesome. We got in the new Rotel RDV-1080 and I just received the new Beethoven Symphonies by Barenboim. The sound is very smooth and spacious. The surround field is not agressive but enveloping. This has been worth waiting for. (Note: for true DVD-A, you must have an analog six channel input on your pre-amp. The decoder is only found in the machines).

I bought two DVD-A players and returned both--the Panasonic A7 and JVC723GD. I then tried the S9000ES, and kept it. It's CD, DVD-V audio, and SACD play was superior to anything I ever brought.

DVD-A is a step forward from 16/44 CDs. I suspect that SACD will always be judged as "slightly" better than DVD-A, but the difference is so small that it's not important outside of the studio. There are some concerns/questions about stereo playback with DVD-A.

Some people state that software availability should be the judge. If so, SACD wins hands down. I saw a note the other day that by the end of February there will be 400 available SACD titles worldwide That compares with about 30 DVD-a titles.

I have both, so can compare. True, little s/w is out there in DVD-A... Natalie Merchant's "Tiger Lily" being the best DVD-A I've heard. "San Andreas Fault" sounds so spooky in 5.1 channels it literally makes the hairs on the back of your neck jump up! Haven't had that happen listening to SACD yet. (Don't have multi channel SACD. Yet. Then it's "Tubular Bells" for chills & thrills man!)

There's exceptions, but SACD appears to stress accuracy. SACD engineers want a piano to sound like a piano, guitar like a guitar, etc. They want to develop a sound stage which one could visualize.

DVD-A has mainly stressed the mid-fi market with lower prices and gimicky sound--where accuracy takes a back seat. I own Aaron Nevelle Devotion DVD-A. Cymbals and backup singers usually come from the rear, while the lead singer and drums come from the front. At times bass is too strong. Many DVD-As give the "I'm in the middle of the band effect." However, while not accurate, they do sound "neat" at times.

There are some "accurate" DVD-A's and someday there'll be gimicky SACDs.

I actually bought my Pioneer dv 09 thinking of buying some "dads"...but at least getting a good dvd player.So far not mentioned here. Well,I still haven't found one dad, I wanted to buy in 15 months. With dvd players having the universal appeal and the #s of units in service,I don't know why they had to introduce 2 more formats. My rack is full now. The sacd sw is starting to look atractive;but where to put the payer/and will another format take away from this format also? At least when the cd came out,there were no new formats. The LP was 30 years old the cassette was 10/12 years old. Now you can measure in months,instead of years,how long before a new format is introduced.Ok, I'm off the soap box......NEXT?

To respond to the original question, and maintain a brevity is beautiful approach, after quite a bit of listening to all 3 formats, in my opinion: Vinyl sounds best, SACD is close on CERTAIN DSD recorded discs, and DVD-A follows up the rear.

I would agree with Mes: vinyl, then SACD, then DVD-A in order of personal preference. Not forgetting CD can still perform well with a good transport/player. Regards, Richard.