A Guide to High Definition Audio Formats
DVD-Audio Disc and Super Audio CD

The DVD-Audio disc (DVD-A) and its Super Audio CD (SACD) counterpart, are capable of delivering higher quality multi-channel sound for 'audio-only' music listening, than that possible with an Audio CD. Both of these high definition formats use lossless encoding techniques, yet DVD-Audio and SACD are fundamentally different.  More in this guide... 

High Definition Audio for Music Listening

One may think that audio CDs (CD-DA) provide the perfect sound.

Yet many audiophiles would soon tell you that in comparison to high quality analog audio recordings on LPs, CD sound is relatively cold and harsh especially when it comes to handling the upper most frequencies.

Partly, the popularity of the CD-DA format arises out of its ease of use - which also explains the incredible large market that this 20-year old medium still holds today. Nevertheless, its substantial limitations such as occasional frequency clipping, limited dynamic range, spectrum limitations, and the development of new digital interconnects that are capable of supporting the transfer of high definition multi-channel audio and video in digital form among devices in the playback chain, is leading to a shift among music lovers towards DVD-Audio discs and SACDs.

At the same time, one has to acknowledge the fact that though the Super Audio CD and the DVD-Audio disc have been around since 1999 and 2000 respectively, yet the shift towards these two high definition audio formats has been slow - especially in the first few years of their existence.

The reason was that universal players capable of playing both formats were initially selling at around $1,000 - too expensive for these formats to gain popularity. In fact, it was not before 2003 that we started to see the first combined DVD-Audio disc/SACD players at under the $200 price tag. It was also at around this same time that DVD-Audio and SACDs were being priced at CD levels.

Today, you can get a good quality universal DVD player capable of handling DVD-Video, DVD-Audio, SACD, and CD, at around $150. A case in point is the OPPO DV-970HD Up-Converting Universal DVD Player which can produce excellent image quality when playing DVD-Video, supports SACD, DVD-Audio, and CD among others, and is also capable of upconverting to 1080i via its HDMI. Ok, built quality may feel a bit too plastic and not up to the same standard as high-end players, but at this price bracket, the OPPO DV-970HD delivers some of the best value for your money.

DVD-Audio, SACD and other High Definition Formats

DVD-Audio discs and SACDs are capable of delivering up to six full-range channels of high resolution audio. These are not the only high definition audio formats; both Dolby and DTS have a full lineup of high definition formats that are capable of delivering high resolution multi-channel sound using either lossy or lossless encoding techniques.

But these Dolby and DTS formats are mainly audio-for-video formats, thus supporting full motion video in addition to the high quality audio on the same optical disc. In contrast, DVD-Audio and SACD are music-delivery formats, and though both support 'limited' visual content, yet neither is intended for movie viewing.

DVD-Audio Discs and SACD - a format war?

It is an undeniable fact that the main players behind DVD-Audio and SACD are in a format war with each other. Yet it is our opinion that the availability of inexpensive universal media players like the OPPO referred to above, and with optical media selling at rock bottom prices, will not only guarantee the co-existence of both formats, it will even render this format dispute between these two major players, rather transparent to the end user.

This is being stated as DVD-Audio discs and Super Audio CDs are both capable of delivering practically the same level of high fidelity audio, where the end quality is mainly dependent on the playback setup rather than the audio format. And this, despite the fact that as we will soon see in this series of articles, DVD-Audio and SACD use fundamentally different processes to achieve the same end result.

High Definition Audio formats for Music Listening

Section Index:

		The DVD-Audio Disc This is a rather lengthy but easy-to-follow article that takes a look at the various aspects from DVD-Audio specs to sound quality, backward compatibility, content protection, playback setup, and even DVD-Audio and DualDisc releases. Part 1: The DVD-Audio Disc - an Overview DVD-A specs, backward compatibility with DVD-Video, MLP lossless encoding, and sound quality with respect to CD-DA. Part 2: DVD-Audio Player Connectivity Requirements Covering also Content Protection issues and audio playback setup for DVD-Audio listening Part 3: DVD-Audio Releases, CD/DVD packages and the DualDisc Discussing the availability of DVD-Audio disc releases, and the present trend in shift towards CD/DVD packages and DualDisc releases.
		The Super Audio CD Another detailed article - this time covering the Super Audio CD and the Hybrid SACD. Issues discussed include format specs, Direct Stream Digital, playback requirements and SACD Music releases. Part 1: The Super Audio CD - An Introduction Covering disc specifications, format variations and the Hybrid SACD Part 2: Direct Stream Digital - the Technology behind SACD Direct Stream Digital or DSD, is fundamentally different than the PCM encoding used in DVD-Audio. It has its pros and cons but is it better? Part 3: SACD Playback Requirements Covering also Content Protection issues and audio playback setup for SACD music listening Part 4: SACD Music Releases Discussing current trends in SACD music titles and available SACD/Hybrid SACD content
		'Practical Home Theater Guide' Music Store: DVD-Audio Releases DualDisc Titles Super Audio CDs and Hybrid SACDs

More on DVD-Audio Discs and SACDs will follow soon.	Last updated on: 4th March 2007
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