Sounds
all around
Although
less commonly prevalent than the DVD-Video standard, DVD-Audio
(also called Music DVD) presents to the discerning audiophile
an acoustic experience that simply cannot be matched by today's
standard Audio CDs.
The
large amounts of data space on a DVD quite literally means
more sound. The DVD-Audio standard makes use of the extra
storage space for a higher sampling rate and sound quantization
levels and the use of 6 channel surround sound for all audio
tracks. Typically a DVD-Audio disc is encoded with a setting
for 96k samples per second and 24-bit rate per sample. It
can even go higher to 192,000 samples per second. What this
means is a fuller sound from the audio tracks from the high
to the low range of the audio spectrum. Keep in mind that
a standard Audio CD is encoded at only 44,000 samples per
second at 16-bits per sample. Audio CD tracks often ‘lose’ some
sub-sonic data in order to fit all the tracks unto a CD.
This is the reason why some audiophiles still prefer the
fuller sound from vinyl records that usually are able to
produce these extra sounds both in the treble and the bass.
This sound factor is highly evident in classical recordings
and recorded live acoustic performances, and less so on digitally
created music like hip-hop and techno.
The
surround sound option further reinforces the quality upon
which the audio tracks are recorded. This gives the listener
the illusion of being in a live performance when used with
an appropriate sound system. It is probably only a matter
of time before DVD-Audio slips into the mainstream, but its
inherent advantages over the standard Audio CD is an assurance
of great sounding moments to come.
DVD
vs. CD