good sounding SACD/DVD Audio - rock, classic rock, country???

[Jim85IROC]

I just bought a combo DVD Audio/SACD player and want to buy some music for it. I'm mainly into rock, metal, classic rock and country, although I intend to buy some classical and jazz titles too.

Anyway... I wanted to know what titles people would suggest. I want well recorded stuff. I just bought Pet Sounds on DVD Audio and in 5.1 it's rubbish. 80% of the content is coming out of my surrounds. It sounds like I'm listening to it with headphones. In 2 channel it's ok.

I'm used to listening to my music in 2 channel anyway, so as long as that sounds good I'll be happy. I just don't want to pay a premium for the DVD Audio or SACD if it's a lousy sounding recording in the first place.

Any suggestions?

[Dusty Chalk]

SACDs:
Dredg, El Cielo -- the stereo mix is outstanding, don't know about the surround mix (but then again, I'm a two channel headphones guy). Hard rock, along the lines of A Perfect Circle.

Mike Oldfield's Tubular Bells is excellent, as well. Again, as with all of these, am more familiar with the stereo mix than I am with the surround.

Holst - The Planets/Britten - 4 Sea Interludes by Bernstein/NYPO is easily the best sounding SACD I own, so far.

Try to get some Piazzolla, not the orchestral works, but something with Bandoneon. SACD was made for bandoneon and violin.

DVD-As:
Queen, A Night at the Opera -- even has a DTS-24/96 mix, if you have it. The PCM stereo 24/96 is available even if you didn't have a DVD-A player, which is nice.

Koyaanisqatsi

Blue Man Group's Audio is completely silly in the surround mix (drums everywhere -- OMG, you're in the center of the drum section, which is like 90% of the band), but on those few occasions where that's what you want -- they will feed your goat.

[Slosh]

Death Cab For Cutie - Transatlanticism (stereo SACD)
Grateful Dead - American Beauty (DVD-A) I think the surround mix is over-the-top but the stereo mix sounds superb
Pink Floyd - Dark Side Of The Moon (multi-channel SACD)
Rolling Stones - Beggars Banquet (stereo SACD)
REM - Document (DVD-A) I like both the stereo track (192 kHz/24-bit) and the surround mix on this one
Porcupine Tree - In Absentia (DVD-A) The stereo track is only 48 kHz/16-bit (although it still sounds good) but the reason to get this one is for the hi-rez 5.1 mix


...and...

not a hi-rez format but I highly recommend Super Furry Animals - Rings Around The World DVD. Its DTS mix is stellar. Easily as good as most of my SACD/DVD-As and music simply doesn't get any better to these ears. Think Beatles-esque sensibilities, hooks, vocal harmonies, and large scale productions mixed with Animals-era Pink Floyd-like ambiance and even a bit of techno here and there just to keep things interesting. Hell, McCartney himself even shows up on (at least) one of the songs ("Recepticle For The Respectable").

[Slosh]

Queen, A Night at the Opera -- even has a DTS-24/96 mix, if you have it. The PCM stereo 24/96 is available even if you didn't have a DVD-A player, which is nice.

IMO I don't think this disc sounds all that good and suspect the master-tape just wasn't well recorded. It does sound better than the CD (at least the couple of songs from this album I have on a homemade Best Of CDR) but that ain't saying much.

Never heard it on LP so I can't say for sure if it's a so-so recording or not, FWIW.

[Dusty Chalk]

IMO I don't think this disc sounds all that good and suspect the master-tape just wasn't well recorded. It does sound better than the CD (at least the couple of songs from this album I have on a homemade Best Of CDR) but that ain't saying much.

Never heard it on LP so I can't say for sure if it's a so-so recording or not, FWIW.

Well, you'd be wrong, IMO, FWIW, YMMV, WTF, LOL, ROTFLMAO, MSU, QWERTYUIOP... I think it sounds "stellar".

[Javier]

I just bought a combo DVD Audio/SACD player and want to buy some music for it. I'm mainly into rock, metal, classic rock and country, although I intend to buy some classical and jazz titles too.

Anyway... I wanted to know what titles people would suggest. I want well recorded stuff. I just bought Pet Sounds on DVD Audio and in 5.1 it's rubbish. 80% of the content is coming out of my surrounds. It sounds like I'm listening to it with headphones. In 2 channel it's ok.

I'm used to listening to my music in 2 channel anyway, so as long as that sounds good I'll be happy. I just don't want to pay a premium for the DVD Audio or SACD if it's a lousy sounding recording in the first place.

Any suggestions?

Yes Fragile DVD audio
Bjork Vespertine. DVD audio.
David Bowie Ziggy Stardust SACD.
Second that was said about Pink Floyd DSOTM and Mike Oldfield Tubular bells
And i'm dying toe let my ears listen to that porcupine tree dvd audio.

[newtrix1]

I just bought a combo DVD Audio/SACD player and want to buy some music for it. I'm mainly into rock, metal, classic rock and country, although I intend to buy some classical and jazz titles too.

Anyway... I wanted to know what titles people would suggest. I want well recorded stuff. I just bought Pet Sounds on DVD Audio and in 5.1 it's rubbish. 80% of the content is coming out of my surrounds. It sounds like I'm listening to it with headphones. In 2 channel it's ok.

I'm used to listening to my music in 2 channel anyway, so as long as that sounds good I'll be happy. I just don't want to pay a premium for the DVD Audio or SACD if it's a lousy sounding recording in the first place.

Any suggestions?

You picked up the Pioneer DV-563 from Best Buy, right?? I've had my eye on that unit for a long time, but could never justify the purchase. When the price dropped to a buck fifty last weeek, my wallet twitched, but I still held back. Then this week they threw a free hi-res disc into the deal and I couldn't resist any longer.

Unfortunately, as far as titles go, I only own the free one that came with it, so I'm in the same boat as you. I chose Elton Johns Goodbye Yellowbrick Road but I've only spun 2 tracks off it so far. I guess it sounded pretty good, but I wasn't in a position to really sonically evaluate it. I was bummed after realizing that the Pioneer lacks a headphone plug.

Anyhow, thanks for starting this thread, from what's been posted thus far I can see 3 or 4 discs in my near future. I've also heard good things about The Flaming Lips Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, but the review I read was praising the 5 channel mix.

[jasn]

$150 for for the DV-563 with a free selection?

Must...resist[arrg]...must not...use[gulp]...credit...card.....

[newtrix1]

$150 for for the DV-563 with a free selection?

Must...resist[arrg]...must not...use[gulp]...credit...card.....

They will get to you eventually. Well, you can always use the "no headphone plug" as an excuse to put off the purchase. That is, until next week when they throw in a free headphone amp

Good luck!

[Over50revisited]

Very good DVDA

[Jim85IROC]

$150 for for the DV-563 with a free selection?

Must...resist[arrg]...must not...use[gulp]...credit...card.....

The best buy I went to didn't have the free disk option... but the unit was on sale for $135. How could I say no to that???

[stratman672001]

CCR - "Bayou Country" and "Cosmo's Factory" (2.0 Analogue Productions SACD) sound fantastic.

Boston - s/t (2.0 SACD) is the best version out there.

Santana - "Abraxas" (2.0 SACD) is much better than the most recent remaster.

Only have SACD (for now) so I can't reccomend any DVD-A's