My DVD player is hooked up via the optical out to a D/A convertor>XLR’s>2 monoblocks>speakers. All the
components are stereophile class B or A and since I have used this setup (whose rational is to use the
shortest pathway for the signal) I get superb sound from CD’s, but opera and concert DVD’s sound shrill,
metallic and constricted, colored with emphasis on the mid-highs. Not all DVD’s sound equally bad – newer
ones, particularly from the Universal group with an LPCM sound track may sound a little better, but they
still never sound as good as CD’s. I have just assumed that DVD’s’ sound sucks and that’s the way it is.
Here is where things get complicated. I use Schoeps mk4's/mks'2S's>lemosax>SONY PCM D1 and get superb results
burning them to CD’s. Another member of this board (Jeff) is using every imaginable high-end mic
and other high-end gear in high resolution 24bit/96Hz or 192Hz and gets superb results burning them to
sampled down CD’s or to DVD-A’s using DiscWelder Steel software. They all sound sensational on my system (my
player does DVD-A’s.) I lately went on the 24bit/96Hz wagon and burn the results to sampled down CD’s or to
audio-DVD’s (NOT DVD-A’s) using a program called Audio DVD Creator. These are basically video DVD’s with just
still images or black background and a soundtrack that can be as high as 24bit/96Hz and can play on any DVD player.
The problem is that my sampled down CD versions sound superb, but the DVD ones sound like most DVD’s on AC3
– shrill, boxy, thin bass, artificially bright mid-highs, even though the DVD is LPCM, and high resolution at that.
Why? In most DVD players the higher sampling rate is often down-converted to the 16 bitrate in the digital
optical/coaxial outputs. Many players only output a 24 bitrate from the analogue connections. Yet my player
is set up NOT to do that and the sound quality I get cannot be explained be sampling down from 24 to 16
bitrate. It can only be explained if my player is outputting an AC3 signal or some form of mpeg from the
digital out!
I cannot use the analog connections because the player is outputting to a D/A convertor (which serves in
effect as a pre-amp), obviously with no analog in. I tried playing with the settings on my player and it makes no
difference.
Any idea?
Happy New Year
Noam