DTS HD Master Audio vs. SACD

[Headspace]

Please excuse the title of the thread as it may very well be no competition at all. How much better audio quality is DTS HD Master Audio for music compared to SACD or DVD-A? I listen to both formats through my Pioneer universal player with great satisfaction but I have never been fortunate enough to hear any DTS HD Master Audio music titles yet.

I do own a Toshiba A-2 player that I believe is capable of playing DTS Master Audio (correct me if I'm wrong on that.) Of course I need to upgrade my receiver first!!

 

[Kal Rubinson]

You cannot play it on your A-2 but 2L Recordings has released a 2disc set (SACD+BluRay) which allows that and other comparisons.

Kal

 

[Headspace]

You cannot play it on your A-2 but 2L Recordings has released a 2disc set (SACD+BluRay) which allows that and other comparisons.

Kal

I will check it out Kal. Do you have any recommendations for players that are capable of DTS HD Master Audio playback? It sounds like either my A-2 or Pio DV-47Ai universal player won't decode it. Do I specifically need a Blu-Ray player for this? Thanks

Emory

 

[Kal Rubinson]

I will check it out Kal. Do you have any recommendations for players that are capable of DTS HD Master Audio playback? It sounds like either my A-2 or Pio DV-47Ai universal player won't decode it. Do I specifically need a Blu-Ray player for this? Thanks
Emory

Of course. It is a Blu-Ray disc. The DV-47 will probably do fine for the SACD, though.

Kal

 

[Headspace]

Since both formats are lossless uncompressed audio the question over what format sounds better may be splitting hairs. Still the pressure to continually upgrade gear may not lead to valhalla but straight to the halls of madness...

 

[Kal Rubinson]

Since both formats are lossless uncompressed audio the question over what format sounds better may be splitting hairs.

I agree but there are many that seem to need this exploration.

Kal

 

[filper]

Are all HDMI 1.3 version digital receivers capable of playing the full 192/24 tracks of dts-HD Master Audio BluRays ?

 

[filper]

Another BIG question...

As a PS3 now has the ability to decode and output a dts-HD Master Audio track to an HDMI (V 1.3?) enabled receiver, is it 'theoretically' possible for the music companies to issue audio-comparable releases in this format of the DVD-A's and SACD's we've come to love ?

 

[JonUrban]

Another BIG question...

As a PS3 now has the ability to decode and output a dts-HD Master Audio track to an HDMI (V 1.3?) enabled receiver, is it 'theoretically' possible for the music companies to issue audio-comparable releases in this format of the DVD-A's and SACD's we've come to love ?

"That would be something, it really would be something. That would be something!" (Even in the falling rain) @:

 

[Headspace]

But no one has answered the original question. Are dts-HD Master Audio BluRays indeed better sounding than SACD or DVD-A? I listen to both DVD-A and SACD and it's hard to imagine anything topping that. Then again I haven't heard any music recorded in DTS HD yet.

I need a logical reason to justify upgrading my receiver. Not that logic has anything to do with it....

 

[filper]

"That would be something, it really would be something. That would be something!" (Even in the falling rain) @:

Geez, I might even get a copy of 'No Secrets' yet !

 

[filper]

But no one has answered the original question. Are dts-HD Master Audio BluRays indeed better sounding than SACD or DVD-A? I listen to both DVD-A and SACD and it's hard to imagine anything topping that. Then again I haven't heard any music recorded in DTS HD yet.

I need a logical reason to justify upgrading my receiver. Not that logic has anything to do with it....

Better ? I can't imagine how expensive the gear to prove that point would be.

Equal is good.

 

[Headspace]

Understood. Sounds like DTS HD is then just replacement for a nich SACD & DVD-A format. Time will tell if enough music titles actually start showing up. Given the limited amount of SACD & DVD-A titles available I won't hold my breath.

 

[Chris Gerhard]

Are all HDMI 1.3 version digital receivers capable of playing the full 192/24 tracks of dts-HD Master Audio BluRays ?

Every HDMI 1.3 receiver I have seen claims to have DTS-HD MA decoding and 192kHz/24-Bit DAC's but there is no requirement that it be that way, so technically I suspect the correct answer is no. Not all players with HDMI 1.3 output will output DTS-HD MA bitstream either so it is a possible double got ya to look out for.

Chris

 

[filper]

Every HDMI 1.3 receiver I have seen claims to have DTS-HD MA decoding and 192kHz/24-Bit DAC's but there is no requirement that it be that way, so technically I suspect the correct answer is no. Not all players with HDMI 1.3 output will output DTS-HD MA bitstream either so it is a possible double got ya to look out for.

Chris

Forewarned is forearmed. Thanks Chris.

Cheers.

 

[Old Quad Guy]

Every HDMI 1.3 receiver I have seen claims to have DTS-HD MA decoding and 192kHz/24-Bit DAC's but there is no requirement that it be that way, so technically I suspect the correct answer is no. Not all players with HDMI 1.3 output will output DTS-HD MA bitstream either so it is a possible double got ya to look out for.

Chris

Chris, you mentioned you bought a new Yamaha receiver, what model was it again and does that model output with 192kHz/24-Bit DAC's? The price sounded right to buy. I was also considering the latest Denon basic model.
Thanks.

 

[Chris Gerhard]

Chris, you mentioned you bought a new Yamaha receiver, what model was it again and does that model output with 192kHz/24-Bit DAC's? The price sounded right to buy. I was also considering the latest Denon basic model.
Thanks.

The Yamaha RX-V663 for $320 delivered, the contract price was actually $350 delivered but the company forgot to send it to me and when I wrote and inquired a week later, I received an apology and a $30 credit, the shipping amount. It does decode DTS-HD MA but I haven't tried anything at 192kHz/24-Bit to confirm decoding. The only discs I own would be stereo DVD-A's at that rate, no Blu-ray discs in my library have it as far as I know. I like the receiver really well, it replaces a Yamaha RX-V2300. I can't tell any improvement sonically over the RX-V2300 which used analog connections for lossless audio but now I have a bunch of players connected with lossless audio handling using a single HDMI cable connection and I am really happy with that solution. For a budget receiver, I think it is really good and my experience with the RX-V2300 was good and the HTR-5490 before that was good and I still own them all and all still work perfectly so I had no reason to get something other than Yamaha.

I don't know anything really about the budget receivers from Denon, but I have read good things about the more expensive receivers. My choice came down to the Onkyo TX-SR606 or this Yamaha, my budget was really small. Right now I have a Samsung BD-P1400 and the PS3 connected and can bitstream DTS-HD MA and Dolby TrueHD with the Samsung and decode both with the PS3. I don't have a preference so far as far as bitstream or internal decoding. I also have an assortment of players for the other formats connected by various methods and everything is working as it should. I haven't yet tried the Oppo DV-980H with SACD and DVD-A over HDMI, but I will soon.

Chris

 

[ssully]

I agree but there are many that seem to need this exploration.

Kal

and they'll probably explore it the usual audio hobby way: sighted A/B, no level matching, different masterings. From that they will report specious 'conclusions' about the 'sound' of DTS DH MA vs SACD.

 

[neil wilkes]

There is absolutely no difference between 24/96 DVD-A and 24/96 DTS-HD MAS. They are both lossless, they are both PCM based.
DTS-HD MAS can go to 24/192 in 5.1, and 24/96 in 7.1
DTS-HD MAS encoder suite also includes a desktop StreamPlayer, so requires no hardware at all if you're archiving DVD-A, and it will also render the watermarking pointless too.

SACD/DSD only has noise above 23KHz - and lots of it.
(see attached Spectrum Plot)

 

[Headspace]

There is absolutely no difference between 24/96 DVD-A and 24/96 DTS-HD MAS. They are both lossless, they are both PCM based.
DTS-HD MAS can go to 24/192 in 5.1, and 24/96 in 7.1
DTS-HD MAS encoder suite also includes a desktop StreamPlayer, so requires no hardware at all if you're archiving DVD-A, and it will also render the watermarking pointless too.

SACD/DSD only has noise above 23KHz - and lots of it.
(see attached Spectrum Plot)

Thank you Neil.