DVD-A vs. SACD


I'm afraid of getting a bunch of "We've already talked about this" rotten tomatoes thrown at me, but there isn't a search function here and I hate scrolling back through old pages.

I have read two slightly contradictory articles on the issue. The first one, here http://www.audiorevolution.com/equip/dvdavssacd/

says SACD is better but only under the circumstance that no DSP is done to the material after recording, which means almost never.
To fill in what he says with a few more facts. Originally DVD-A was going to be 3 channels 24/96 and 3 channels 16/48 in surround mode and 2 channels 24/192 in stereo. The sampling rate of stereo was set so high to keep the bit rate constant. Meridian Lossless Compression came in and made it so all 5 of the main channels could be recorded 24/96. He is right that 24/192 does not increase perceptual sound quality.

The other article
http://sound.westhost.com/cd-sacd-dvda.htm
is scathing towards SACD. But there are a few questions I have.
One, he talks as if the only kind of DACs on the market are bitstream and "multibit." If you look at Burr-brown's product sheets you will see 3 types: DSD (bitstream), delta-sigma (the most common type on middle and high end consumer products), and "advanced segment" which are right in the price range he talks about for "true multibit" DACs.
Similarly, I once read a passing comment on the laserdisc newsgroup that a tech was disappointed when he opened up a MLD-7020 and saw that McIntosh did not replace Pioneer's "bitstream" DACs with true audiophile DACs. Elsewhere I have learned that delta-sigma DACs typically have an internal resolution of 4 bits (from someone who had not studied conumer audio products in many years, however).

Thinking in terms of my own theory, if you take 24/96 and change it into 1 bit oversampled 24 times, I'm not quite sure why that wouldn't work. I see 2 problems. Problem 1 is that SACD is oversampled 29 and 5/30 times. I don't know a theoretical model where that gets you anywhere.

And, I can see how reconstructing a DSD waveform would produce more of a triangle wave rather than a sine wave, since you'd have a bunch of extra data points between the critical points. But I really don't know squat about the hardware implementation of DAC design, so I don't know if it really works like that. And my vision of filling in the gaps with extra data points only works for integer multiple oversampling, so there are some things I am not seeing.
dnewhous
That's ok cyber tomato’s don't hurt.

I don't think there is an argument about it - vinyl is the best. (not including open reel tape)

I've heard that DVD-A is better, what’s the point when the software is so rare. I've heard both and can't tell much difference. Definitely not enough of a difference to make any major decisions on which way to go.
Neither will give you what they are capable with most stock machines.....bad op-amps, bad wiring, bad RCA outs...etc.

Go to this site...and decide which machine you want SCD-C555Es if you don't want DVD-A and the Denon 3910...if you want both, then have it modified.

link:http://www.sacdmods.com/index.html
If Vinyl is so perfect, why does reel to reel tape sound better? An analog medium has imperfections and imprecision as well. Vinyl is better than CD, but not DVD-A. And even on moderately priced gear (like my PC) DVD-A makes a difference.

And if I ever get audiophile grade electronic equipment, it will be Meridian.