The result imaged, in fact BETTER than a near-top-of-the-line matched Klipch pair I had here before. I even tried something freaky: I connected a 170se as the left channel and a Sierra on the right, and listened to some stereo music.
If you close your eyes you can't pick out individual speakers at all, you just picture a full band, layed out very precisely around the room, like a sonic hologram. On 5.1 mixes, it really is like sound is floating in front of you, around you, through you, creating a perfect, extremely detailed soundscape. I thought that a tall claim indeed, that is, until I heard 5 Ascend speakers working together. The DVD-As that Classic Records and Chesky put out DO include a 96/24 PCM track on the video layer, and the tracks that I've heard thus far sound very nice, and I don't own a DVD-A player yet either.Dave has stated that Ascend speakers vary less from perfect neutrality than most brands of paired speakers vary from each other. The major labels did not embrace this as an audio format because they wanted any high res format to have copy protection built in, which DVD-A includes. Even before the DVD-A format was finalized, the DVD format has always had provisions built in for 96/24 resolution audio on the video layer, and a few labels like Chesky and Classic Records have put out audio-only two-channel DVDs in 96/24 resolution. Because of copy protection and space concerns, most DVD-As only include the high res two-channel tracks (even if only encoded to 96/24 or lower resolution) on the audio layer. Keep in mind that 96/24 PCM is the SAME resolution as the channels on a 5.1 DVD-A track (two-channel DVD-A tracks can go up to 192/24 resolution). Some of them have a 2.0 DD track, while others include an uncompressed PCM track that can range from 44.1/16 CD resolution all the way up to 96/24 resolution. The video layer is what can be read by any DVD player, and they typically contain at least a 5.1 DD track and another two-channel track, but the format for that depends on the disc. The DVD-A is compatible with all players because they all include separate video and audio layers. Maybe I'm way off because I don't own a player or DVD-A's yet, but I thought most DVD-A's had a hi rez 2-channel track in addition to DD, DTS, and the the 96/24 PCM or whatever.am I wrong? Ironically, many rock artists, including Yes were deeply influenced by classical music. I find that surround music, particularly classical music, raises the bar a bit. One thing that SACD has helped me with quite a bit is setting up my surround system apropriately for movies. Sometimes I wonder if I get more kicks out of AC/DC's For Those About to Rock, but it's a whole different mindset for me to get into. I also have several versions of Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture, including the new one from Telarc with the real cannons (which is the one that's in most stores), and I must confess that apart from the cannon fire from my sub, it's not really that impressive. For example, on a James Taylor SACD, there are fewer instruments to pick out. I just wouldn't be able to do this with rock, jazz, or pop music, although I do use other music to audition equipment. Marcel Dupre, Magnificat VI: Gloria finaleĪmong others, that I have come to know very well and know what to expect from. Respighi's Pines of Rome, second movement Beethoven's Symphony #5, fourth movement Over the years I have collected several versions (CD and SACD) of the familiar recordings such as: I also look for the detail and clarity of the instrument and the richness of the bass (Cello and Organ are good measurements for that). The better I can localize the instruments, the better the equipment or piece. Each time a new instrument starts to play in a symphony, I try to visualize exactly where in front or around me it is located. I close my eyes and pretend I'm in a concert hall, sitting front-row center. I've used classical music to audition equipment, especially speakers, for years and they provide a very good measure to my ears. Hersh, I can't compare DVD-A to SACD, but what you are hearing on Yes's Fragile is typically more subtle in classical music. I was expecting fireworks and visions of an entire orchestra in my room, and for my ears only- I'm not a classical music buff but I like the stuff I mentioned, it wasn't 1/4 as spectacular as Yes's fragile.