SACD Player--Finally

S7horton, I only own two DVD-A discs at the moment, but I'm looking to add more to the collection. Both discs that I own have stereo and multi channel tracks, just like SACD discs.

I have to believe this is true for all DVD-A discs, but I could be mistaken.

One reason some might believe DVD-A is geared toward multi channel is because DVD-A players default to a multi channel setting upon insertion of a DVD-A disc, but pressing a couple buttons on the remote switches the audio to stereo. These added steps take away from the user friendliness of DVD-A, but IMO the format is worth the extra effort since the sound, to my taste, is clearly superior to SACD and redbook.

I personally like DVDA and SACD for different reasons. SACD is more refined and analog like. DVDA is more robust and seems more digital but kicks.

Two SACD's I think are standouts are Beck, "Sea Change" and The Dave Brubeck Quartet, "Time Out."

Warren: If you ordered Donald Fagen's "The Nightfly" why not also try "Kamakiriad". I like it even more... Maybe you will too.

Also, I believe Fagen's new release, later this month, entitled "Morph the Cat" will also be released on DVD-Audio.

Most recent DVD-A's have an independent stereo track which is generally (always?) found in a separate "Group" in DVD-A-ese. Switching "Groups" can require hook-up to a TV screen. My Panasonic lets me do it without a television; my Pioneer requires the TV to navigate. As a pure audiophile, I find it annoying to have to turn on a TV to listen to music.

For discs that do not have a dedicated stereo track the player will do its own mixdown into two channels.

I consider SACDs and DVD-As to be of similar quality. Any difference is dwarfed by differences in the recording/engineering/mastering from one disc to the next.

My SACD collection is much greater than my DVD-A collection, as I listen primarily to classical and jazz.

In jazz, I would try to track down Mingus Ah-Um. There's some great Bill Evans with Scot LeFaro, Chet Baker - Chet. And "Time Out." Lots of Miles, although by this point there have been so many reissues of "Kind of Blue" and some of the other classics I don't think you can ever get any consensus on which sounds best.

Classical is the mother lode. Try some of the Red Seal releases They're almost all good - and budget priced. The new favorite is the Morton Gould/Aaron Copland disk, but don't miss the Reiner /Bartok Concerto for Orchesta and Scheherezade (sp?).

And speaking of new favories, the Alison Krauss disks are spectacular, especially the live one.