TOP Format


Here's my view on the formats sound quality

1 vinyl
2 Reel to Reel tape
3 Satellite +/- external DA converter
4 CD / SACD
5 DVD - A
6 Music Server
7 MP 3
how's everyone else rate them ?
rumney510
Tvad, your comments....

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"Interesting to me how some have DVD-A so low on their lists. No confrontation intended here...I just find it interesting. Tom has DVD-A below CD. Mike has it equal to CD. Fascinating. I find DVD-A so superior to CD in my system that it's not even close. However, when I was playing DVD-A, it was on an APL Denon 3910. Perhaps the quality of the player contributed to my opinion of the format."

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my response....

my perspective about DVD-A is mostly a matter of my experience; and not anything definitive. i have limited experience with DVD-A.....and have found that many of the DVD-A's i have heard have a bit of a 'digital' signature. the DVD-A hardware is much less mature than the very best redbook.....particularly with the latest EMM Labs SE gear.

for me it comes down to the fact that i get the same level of musical experience with redbook that i have from DVD-A. i do think that 'in theory' DVD-A could be better than redbook though.
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Gregm, 'great minds think alike'.

;>)

the magic of the live broadcast of FM radio is in the fact that the source is a live mic feed and not recorded music. even though it is bandwidth limited a live mic feed is obviously the ultimate electronic music source.

these live broadcasts are not only rare but for me impossible. living in the mountains is great; but i have a 4000 foot ridge between me and the FM towers here in the Seattle area.
I agree pretty much with Mikelavigne, except I would move SACD up to rank with "other vinyl" and "other high quality analog tape", but higher than FM. The ranking at #3 and #4 is VERY dependent on the sample, i.e., differences among individual LPs and among individual SACDs are huge. I've never heard PCM masters or DVD-A.