DVD-Audio and Super Audio CD (SACD) are digital music formats that are a major advance in audio reproduction by providing the listener with full-resolution multi-channel music. You could say they are the evolutionary descendants to quadraphonic sound from the '70's and a perfect match with the prevalence of today's 5.1 home theater systems.
Unlike the CD, these formats allow the artist and producer to offer the listener a playback experience that is completely faithful to the master recording in addition to conveying the artist vision of the music. It is an unparalleled sense of depth and realism not possible with any two-channel stereo recording.
Although DVD-Audio is not intended as a video delivery format, these discs may also contain visual content such as artist biographies, lyrics, photo galleries and even video clips that can be accessed from their on-screen menus. SACD's do not have such features.
Unfortunately, the format war between DVD-Audio and SACD has taken it's toll. While there are universal DVD players still available that can play both discs, neither was able to dominate the consumer market with their proprietary components. The battle between the formats and a failed promotion campaign may have doomed their survival. However, for those of us who call ourselves audiophiles, they can still be found in the obscure corners of the Internet. Additionally, some labels continue to produce discs that incorporate a Dolby Digital or DTS encoded layer - just like video DVD - that can be played in any standard DVD player. These discs truly reflect the multi-channel music experience but do lack full resolution due to necessary encoding compression. Nonetheless, they are just as impressive as any action-packed movie soundtrack so don't be discouraged.
Blu-Ray discs, with the emerging presence, could be the logical extension for multi-channel music since they contain the capacity for full-resolution multi-channel audio. However, as of this writing, no record labels have capitalized on this potential ability. I'll keep you posted.
On a side note, never listen to stereo music in Pro-Logic Movie or DTS Cinema mode. The decoding used for these modes will direct the majority of content to the center channel speaker resulting in disappointing audio fidelity. Instead, many surround sound receivers provide a variety of sound fields for stereo reproduction. I’m sure you’ve seen them - Arena, Stadium, Club, etc - the choice is yours. However, in addition to these selections, you might locate one titled ‘5-channel stereo’ or something similar to that. In my opinion, this is the preferred choice for stereo music playback no matter the source. Simply put, it will send the stereo signal to the front and back speakers simultaneously without any processing - just like having two sets of speakers in the same room.
Unlike the CD, these formats allow the artist and producer to offer the listener a playback experience that is completely faithful to the master recording in addition to conveying the artist vision of the music. It is an unparalleled sense of depth and realism not possible with any two-channel stereo recording.
Although DVD-Audio is not intended as a video delivery format, these discs may also contain visual content such as artist biographies, lyrics, photo galleries and even video clips that can be accessed from their on-screen menus. SACD's do not have such features.
Unfortunately, the format war between DVD-Audio and SACD has taken it's toll. While there are universal DVD players still available that can play both discs, neither was able to dominate the consumer market with their proprietary components. The battle between the formats and a failed promotion campaign may have doomed their survival. However, for those of us who call ourselves audiophiles, they can still be found in the obscure corners of the Internet. Additionally, some labels continue to produce discs that incorporate a Dolby Digital or DTS encoded layer - just like video DVD - that can be played in any standard DVD player. These discs truly reflect the multi-channel music experience but do lack full resolution due to necessary encoding compression. Nonetheless, they are just as impressive as any action-packed movie soundtrack so don't be discouraged.
Blu-Ray discs, with the emerging presence, could be the logical extension for multi-channel music since they contain the capacity for full-resolution multi-channel audio. However, as of this writing, no record labels have capitalized on this potential ability. I'll keep you posted.
On a side note, never listen to stereo music in Pro-Logic Movie or DTS Cinema mode. The decoding used for these modes will direct the majority of content to the center channel speaker resulting in disappointing audio fidelity. Instead, many surround sound receivers provide a variety of sound fields for stereo reproduction. I’m sure you’ve seen them - Arena, Stadium, Club, etc - the choice is yours. However, in addition to these selections, you might locate one titled ‘5-channel stereo’ or something similar to that. In my opinion, this is the preferred choice for stereo music playback no matter the source. Simply put, it will send the stereo signal to the front and back speakers simultaneously without any processing - just like having two sets of speakers in the same room.
MULTI-CHANNAL MUSIC - SACD & DVD-AUDIO
By Patrick Duffy
