Hey, I'm new here...
Am currently debating whether or not to buy a new, huge Mini HiFi system, or a DVD 5.1 Surround Sound System on which to listen to DVD Audio. Is it worht buying DVD system to listen to DVD Audio? Do you lose sound quality on the DVD system when your listening to CDs?

Any help you can give me would be much appreciated./


Josh

Isn't it as much about buying the system which will cope with what you want to play back, such as 5.1 releases which aren't available on CD?

Of course, you'll need the right speaker and amp system to give the full effect which tends to end up with cash being spread rather thinly over many components - two good speakers being better than five average ones...

I guess I could have been more specific....

I own mostly CDs but am looking to expand to DVD-audio because I listen to classical music and presume the quality is better...do you think that a Mini HiFi system would give as good playback of CDs as a $500 DVD 5.1 Surround Sound System? (Yes I'm skimping but I am a student and havent got...well...any money.) That way, I could play my CDs and my DVD-Audios. Or alternatively, would a mini HiFi system give such substantially better sound for CDs, that I should stave off buying a DVD-Audio system until I can buy a better one

I think now you've used the phrase 'presume the quality is better' you'll get some responses - probably not in quite the way you were expecting, being a new user!

CDs are stereo. the receiver (or DVD player itself) will have to interpolate to render 2 channels to 5.

[/quote]CDs are stereo. the receiver (or DVD player itself) will have to interpolate to render 2 channels to 5.
[/quote]

Is that a bad thing? Will there be a significant loss in quality?

He was talking about if you want to listen to a CD in 5.1 channels -- synthetic surround, as performed by Dolby Pro Logic II or DTS Neo, for example. Most A/V receievers offer these as an option nowadays. Whether using it results in a loss in quality, is a matter of taste. You don't *have* to use it to listen to a CD. Normal 2-channel ('stereo') listening is of course still available in such a system. In that case you're only using the front left/right speakers (or frfont L/R + subwoofer, if you have bass managment engaged)

Are you sure you know what DVD-Audio is? There aren't a *whole* lot of classical releases in that format. Far more common are concert videos , which tend to be in Dolby Digital 5.1 or DTS 5.1. A typical DVD player can play these -- they're the same format used in almost every movie DVD out there -- while you need a 'special' one to play DVD-Audio.

Hello Josh

DVD Audio is a high resolution multi-channel or stereo format which is completely different than the video DVD. I don't know of any Mini-HiFi system that plays DVD Audio. Some DVD Audio disks have Dolby Digital 5.1 tracks that will play on regular DVD players, but keep in mind you will be playing the DD tracks, not the original high resolution tracks.

Your best bet if you want to get a universal player than can handle DVD Audio and SACD (Super Audio CD, the other competing high resolution format). Contrary to what others may tell you, Univeral Players don't have to be expensive. I own a Pioneer DV-578-A with can play these new formats with good sound for only $149, and a Denon DVD-1920, which is very high quality and goes for $350. You also need to get a good component stereo and good speakers to fully appreciate the better sound. Denon and Pioneer also have good receivers. Speakers, I recomment you audition the Paradigm Atoms, the PSB, NHT and B&W 3 series. They will give you great sound for very little money. Lots of bang for the buck here. Stay away from Bose and Boston Acoustics; they will be expensive and you will grow tired of their sound after a while.

If you like classical music you need to be aware that most of it comes in SACD's not DVD Audios. Since the better high resolution sound is appreciated only in acoustic music like classical or some jazz, most mainstream stores will not carry these fomats, but there are online stores like acousticsounds.com and archivmusic.com which specialize in these formats and carry many good labels like Ondine and Telarc.

Happy listening!

Actually, that reminds me that I should have noted before, that *ALL* DVD-Audio discs also have DVD-V compatible versions of the same mix on them. That's part of the DVD-A spec. They have to contain a version that's back-compatible with 'normal' DVD players, in addition to a version that can only play on DVD-A players.





The Oppo970HD is a universal, can pass all the formats digitally via HDMI (SACD gets converted to PCM) and costs ~$160.