TOP Format

1. master tape (15 ips) under close to ideal conditions.
2. 45 rpm or DTD vinyl
3. other vinyl
4. other high quality analog tape
5. ideal FM radio live broadcasts under optimum conditions
6. SACD
7. hard drive PCM digital masters
8. DVD-A/redbook
9. uncompressed HD movie soundtracks
10. MP3--ipod nano
11. normal FM Stereo radio with perfect reception
12.XM Satelite radio

pretty much the less the original information is 'mucked with' the better the level of musical satisfaction. it's no accident the top is analog and the bottom is digital.

3 Satellite +/- external DA converter
4 CD / SACD

How can you possibly put a satellite source above CD/SACD? Correct me if wrong, but the source they are using is CD at best; the satellite receivers available are not going to match the transport of a good CDP; and last but certainly not least, satellite programming is compressed!

Interesting to me how some have DVD-A so low on their lists. No confrontation intended here...I just find it interesting. Tom has DVD-A below CD. Mike has it equal to CD. Fascinating. I find DVD-A so superior to CD in my system that it's not even close. However, when I was playing DVD-A, it was on an APL Denon 3910. Perhaps the quality of the player contributed to my opinion of the format.

I had forgotten about 45 rpm LPs. They do sound very, very good!

As per Mike (Lavigne) but with slight alterations:

1. master tape (15 ips) under close to ideal conditions.
2. 45 rpm or DTD vinyl
3. 33,3rpm vinyl
4. high quality analog tape (1st gen reel-to-reel)
5. FM radio live broadcasts under optimum conditions (for the experience -- not the freq range). VERY rare
6. DVD-A/
7. SACD
8. Hard drive PCM digital masters
8. redbook
9. uncompressed HD movie soundtracks / top quality casette
10. MP3--ipod nano
11. normal FM Stereo radio
12.XM Satelite radio

Many of these are sort of theoretical since, for example, few real dvd-a recordings exist.

Tvad, your comments....

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"Interesting to me how some have DVD-A so low on their lists. No confrontation intended here...I just find it interesting. Tom has DVD-A below CD. Mike has it equal to CD. Fascinating. I find DVD-A so superior to CD in my system that it's not even close. However, when I was playing DVD-A, it was on an APL Denon 3910. Perhaps the quality of the player contributed to my opinion of the format."

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my response....

my perspective about DVD-A is mostly a matter of my experience; and not anything definitive. i have limited experience with DVD-A.....and have found that many of the DVD-A's i have heard have a bit of a 'digital' signature. the DVD-A hardware is much less mature than the very best redbook.....particularly with the latest EMM Labs SE gear.

for me it comes down to the fact that i get the same level of musical experience with redbook that i have from DVD-A. i do think that 'in theory' DVD-A could be better than redbook though.