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Bob Fyfe (Robert on Sundays) is a regular forum contributor here at AVReview. He states his favourite item of AV equipment as being his multiformat DVD player but says his favourite album depends upon his mood, and his favourite film of the moment is “Hitch”. Bob has a wide range of interests and hobbies besides the obvious audio visual entertainment, including home computing (including building his own P.C.'s) and travel to reading and D.I.Y. The only trouble is (he says) that work just doesn't allow him the time to pursue his interests as much as he'd like!
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Music and films have been a passion of mine since my teens, yet due to various commitments it is only relatively recently that I have been able to explore the possibilities. A new amplifier, multi-format DVD player and 5.1 speakers introduced me to the world of “surround-sound” music. The quality and enveloping effect of 5.1 music just blew my mind - the difference is akin to that between mono and stereo. Thank you Roxy Music and War Of The Worlds! There's no comparison in my mind between a “standard” CD and multi-channel music, be it Super Audio CD or DVD-Audio and I have actively encouraged others here at AVReview in Forums just to try it and discover this amazing sound.
This amazing quality of sound is what lead to my deciding to compare SACD and DVD-A. Before I ramble on I should say that here I will only compare the 5.1 tracks of each format, as that is what I enjoy and where (for me) the biggest difference lies over “standard” stereo CD.
To compare accurately I specifically wanted the same musical album in both formats, SACD and DVD-Audio. You'd think that would be straightforward enough, yes? Wrong! Eventually - and after some persuasion from my better half - the album settled upon was Hopes And Fears by Keane. Both imports, the SACD arrived quite some time before the DualDisc version despite both being ordered at the same time which delayed the comparison considerably. (Apologies Brucie et al.) According to the packaging on both discs, the surround-sound and high-resolution mastering are identical for each format; this should in theory make for a fair comparison. If you look on the internet there are a few “techie” comparisons between SACD and DVD-A, but what about actually using these discs and - most important - listening to them?
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Before the “listening” bit, both formats have strengths and weaknesses depending upon what you want from your music. SACD is easier to use; you just put the disc in your player and press “play” - that's it. Simple. Plus you can select individual tracks as with any other CD. This SACD is (as most are) a “Hybrid”. This means it also contains a “standard” CD layer so that you can play this on any CD player in stereo, as well as the Super Audio high resolution surround sound and stereo layer. What you don't get is the ability to play surround sound on any DVD player; it MUST be a SACD player for that.
Onto the DualDisc; by it's very nature it contains a “standard” CD on one side and a DVD on the reverse or “flip-side”. It looks kind of like a CD with no label as such, just a small area to the centre of the disc with the band/album name and “DVD” or “CD” depending upon the side, and “This Way Up”. So it will also play in stereo on any CD player - well, it does in my house without any problem. The DVD side contains DVD music in surround sound and stereo which will play on any DVD player plus DVD-Audio high resolution surround sound, which seems just like pretty much every DVD-A disc I have bought. I have read in various places about compatibility of DualDiscs and the thickness of these discs but from what I have found, this is not a problem and the disc itself is not noticeably thicker than any other type of CD or DVD. Insert into your player (right way up) then you need your TV to view options in the DVD's menu and select “surround-sound” before you play your music. Also if you want to select an individual track you again need to do this through the TV from the DVD's menu. In case you're wondering, on a DVD-A player it plays the DVD-A high resolution section but on a standard DVD it plays the Dolby Surround Sound section; I tried it on different players just to see. On the positive side, this DVD includes four music videos in surround sound (but this disc is NTSC video format) if that's what rocks your boat, plus a few other “extra's” like song lyrics and photos. Overall, though not so “user-friendly” as SACD it has more on it. Whether you use these “extras” or not is another thing.
Okay, onto the “biggie”; listening.
Both myself from an “audiophile” perspective, and my “better half” from a “casual music listener's” perspective have listened and compared for many hours. We agree. Yes, it happens sometimes - and we do agree that there are differences and upon which format we prefer.
Subtle differences, and on some tracks more than others but there are definitely differences.
From the first track “Somewhere Only We Know” where you can clearly hear the singer's intake of breath, to the enveloping “seagull” introduction of “Your Eyes Open” it seems that SACD has a cleaner sound and has better separation than DVD-A. With “She Has No Time” the echo of the drums is not as distinct on the DVD-A as it is on the SACD, and the subtle vocal nuances of the singer are also less noticeable on the DVD-A. A favourite track “Sunshine”, which is absolutely amazing in surround sound. Again though, SACD shows better control in effects steering with DVD-A just lacking a little of the power or “punch” that SACD offers. The same can be said of bass effects in “Bedshaped” for example; in SACD format the bass in the chorus is stunning whereas in DVD-A format - whilst still very good - it doesn't have the same “Wow!” factor.
VERY subtle differences, but for me SACD sounds more clear and the individual channels of sound are more distinct. That is definitely NOT to say that DVD-A isn't good; it is and I would far rather have any album in DVD-Audio than as a “standard” CD. It may be that my equipment favours SACD or it may be that my perception will be different to yours, or both.
In the SACD version of “This Is The Last Time” for example, the vocals are crystal-clear and sharp. By comparison the DVD-A sounds polished and a little restrained. Not by much but the difference is there. A similar story in “Untitled 1” where the introduction surrounds you and the bass amazes, it's SACD that gives a “Wow!” where DVD-A does not. Again in “We Might As Well Be Strangers” the echo effect and the power of the vocals are much more evident coming from the SACD.
As my better, non-audiophile other half said after the first (of many) listening sessions to compare the formats; DVD-Audio is good - very good, but it lacks the crispness and clarity of SACD. Not by much admittedly, but enough to tell the difference in a real-world, side-by-side comparison.
So there you go; at long last a comparison of SACD and DVD-Audio.
For those that get this far and are still interested, I used as “test equipment” a Pioneer DV-575 player through a Denon AVR2805 amplifier with Mordaunt Short's Genie 5.1 speakers using moderate cables and interconnects.
Still sceptical or undecided about the merits of multi-channel music?
I don't blame you; so was I at first. But I had a DVD player and an amplifier and surround sound speakers with a subwoofer. All you need is an album you really like, that you can buy in DVD-A or DualDisc format. It MUST be DVD-A or DualDisc as these will also have a “standard” DVD 5.1 surround sound track; you don't need to invest in a multiformat player to sample the delights of surround-sound music. Your DVD-A or DualDisc shouldn't cost more than £15, at the most £20. Then listen and judge for yourself.
Perhaps, like me, it will be all you need to convince you that multi-channel music is great and then go on to invest in a multiformat player and be amazed at the quality of sound you can get.
Like I did. If more of us consumers buy these discs, maybe they will become more-widely available.
