Who has actually listened to DVD audio?

It's like I've said before. DVD-A has been around for a while in the DAD format and from Chesky. The DVD-A spec allows for it. Not a very efficient method of packing 24/96 data onto a disk but it's there and it works....beautifully too. It's just that the multi-channel format has not popped out due to endless haggling over encryption. Now let's see if the encryption camp can shoot off the other foot.

Personaly for me, SACD or DVD-A or what ever else comes out, is not a concern for me. I have put together a very good sounding system using CD as the main music source. Guess its a forgiving sound because all material sounds good with no digital fatigue and very smooth and dyanamic sound that sounds very analog in sound. This was not true before i upgraded every component and speakers and cable incl PC's. The sound was digital and fatiguing making many CD's unlistenable. Making intelligent choices in equipment, placement, etc has resulted in great sound with all material. I have owned 24/96 and software and gave it up putting together a much better sounding conventional setup and will let the mass market be the ginney pigs for a new format that will take years to perfect including avail software. In the meantime i am enjoying terrific sound and don't care for any new format in the near future.

I have and it is awesome. We got in the new Rotel RDV-1080 and I just received the new Beethoven Symphonies by Barenboim. The sound is very smooth and spacious. The surround field is not agressive but enveloping. This has been worth waiting for. (Note: for true DVD-A, you must have an analog six channel input on your pre-amp. The decoder is only found in the machines).

I bought two DVD-A players and returned both--the Panasonic A7 and JVC723GD. I then tried the S9000ES, and kept it. It's CD, DVD-V audio, and SACD play was superior to anything I ever brought.

DVD-A is a step forward from 16/44 CDs. I suspect that SACD will always be judged as "slightly" better than DVD-A, but the difference is so small that it's not important outside of the studio. There are some concerns/questions about stereo playback with DVD-A.

Some people state that software availability should be the judge. If so, SACD wins hands down. I saw a note the other day that by the end of February there will be 400 available SACD titles worldwide That compares with about 30 DVD-a titles.

I have both, so can compare. True, little s/w is out there in DVD-A... Natalie Merchant's "Tiger Lily" being the best DVD-A I've heard. "San Andreas Fault" sounds so spooky in 5.1 channels it literally makes the hairs on the back of your neck jump up! Haven't had that happen listening to SACD yet. (Don't have multi channel SACD. Yet. Then it's "Tubular Bells" for chills & thrills man!)