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CD Redbook versus DVD Audio

Being an 'insider' in the industry keeps one busy enough not to read some of the(even though basic) information, which one should read.
Recently a friend brought over the Chris Botti album, recorded on both sides--one CD the other DVD Audio.
Well, after extolling the virtues of CD Redbook, in recent years, with the newer players, I would have to admit freely that (even though I own the Exemplar DVD which plays, I think, all platforms available including DVD Audio) I had never 'gone over to the dark side.'
Good Lord, this is better in virtually every way possible.
What struck me (about this limited experience)was the way that the staging improved,with blackness within the soundstage, taking it to an almost holgraphic experience--- with BASS just rolling, very naturally, out of the speakers like never before!!
This bordered, to me, on the same level of experience that I had when I first discovered Tubes,(not the Bass, but Staging part) at the dawn of civilization. Really, it was that kind of 'new found experince' and yes,was that good.
The bass took on an almost surreal quality, with tonality I had not experienced, except with the great tonearms, and Koetsu cartridgess, from waaaay back in the days of those round black things....the one's that have ticks and pops but sound great if done correctly.
This is as close as I have been to that kind of, and level of, both musical experience and what I perceive to be, accuracy of sound.
Anybody else out there with similar kind of experience with DVD Audio? I know, given the breadth of 'terrible recordings' that some must sound horrible, as usual, but when done close to right, wow.
If more are good than bad, and assuming that when done correctly that it excels, which it may not, given this caveat--why is this platform not more popular?. I know the arguments about too many choices, and too few audiophiles, but this is 'remarkably better' in my limited, and more important, IMHO.
Larry
lrsky
lrsky OP
1,118 posts
 
Some players don't support this, so again another thought on this platform. Not everyone can even order this--uh, well they can order, but not play.... TVAD let me know what YOU think of it, beyond the recording, and into the 'sound' of DVDA. Addressing RWWEAR, again, as I mentioned above, lesser engineers can make recordings that NOTHING can save--but this medium has the most promise I have heard for a step forward.
Larry
Post removed 
lrsky OP
1,118 posts
 
Also,
From the 'look' that Botti has adopted, he and Sting use the same people for all facets of personal fulfillment.
Dress, hair, (dare I say makeup)etc.
Also, and I forget his name, the Guitarist is a solo artist in his own right, with credits of his own.
I think Sting, as do many successful performers, mentors up and comming artists, to his credit.
Larry
rex
245 posts
 

It's a shame that audiophiles were taken in by Sony hype about DSD, and felt obligated to criticise DVDA without really listening. SACD is OK, but DVDA offers so much more.

I don't think that's quite what happened. What happened, IMO, is that that the home theater/video-oriented nature of DVD-Audio, lack of standardized labelling, wildly varying features (or lack thereof), and dearth of quality material, made DVD-Audio difficult for nearly everyone to adopt. From a useability and consistency standpoint, it's probably the worst music format ever invented next to the DualDisc (which carried forward all of the flaws of DVD-Audio and added several of its own).

SACD, by comparison, is much more straightforward. The main reason CD became popular was due to convenience and ease of use. SACD was essentially a continuation of that paradigm. DVD-Audio was a major step backward in convenience and ease of use, and it has paid the price for its designers' short-sightedness.
eldartford
4,262 posts
 
Rex...I really don't see what your problem is with DVDA. I just put them in and push the PLAY button...no different from a SACD or a CD.

However, IF you are interested you CAN select the MENU and then other features. For example, the DVDA of Emmylou Harris, "Producer's Cut" has a very interesting interview (audio and video) with Brian Ahern explaining, in good technical detail, how and why the multichannel mix was accomplished. For people whose DVD players don't do DVDA, there is Dolby Digital and DTS multichannel programs, and a stereo option for those who are only two channel. There is a photo gallery, and the text of the Lyrics. Oh, and lest I forget, the audio quality is first rate. A disc like this, and there are many, makes SACD look primitive.
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