[gloco]

http://www.msnbc.com/news/810537.asp?pne=msn

Looks like the reviewer prefers SACD's over DVD-A. What are your thoughts on his opinions? I'm really starting to ponder the idea of going out on a mass RS buying spree (thanks to some unofficial releases that have turned me on to the Stones recently).

 

[dparrish]

I think he's right on. The ability of hybrid SACDs (which we will soon see almost exclusively with the coming online of some SACD hybrid pressing plants) to be played at home, in the car, in your portable and at work (in the p.c., assuming copyright protection allows) makes it's advantages pretty great over DVD-A.

Yes, DVD-A sometimes offers video to go along, but the soundtracks are not going to be at the full bandwidth possible.

All SACD tracks, stereo AND multichannel, come at the full bandwidth of the format. So if you can hear/appreciate the differences in high quality, you're more likely to get it with SACD.

I am not opposed to either format, but it seems that the DVD-A guys weren't thinking too well when they were desiging the ergonomics/versitility of the format. Having to go through a video menu just to choose the song I want to hear can't be much fun (although I hear there are ways to get around this on newer units).

I have a Sony XA777ES SACD player and 25 or so SACDs--I LOVE the format--a significant upgrade in sound quality in most cases from CD playback.