Illustration: Edwin FotheringhamThe other day I was sitting in a high-end audio store, having what can only be described as a religious experience. Jon, my stereo spirit guide, popped a Super Audio Compact Disc into a machine, folded his arms, and waited.
In a few moments, I felt the throbbing of a heart that was not my own. A pocket watch was ticking in my right ear while a cash register rang in my left. I could hear two old duffers cursing while a third laughed maniacally behind me. Then the first unmistakable chords of Pink Floyd's "Breathe" washed over me, and I began to hallucinate.
Once I heard SACD, I knew I could never go back to regular CDs. But then I test-drove a 2004 Acura outfitted with DVD-Audio, another high-density music format, and the salesman had to pry me out of the car afterward. I didn't know which of the competing new formats to choose.
Hearing Is Believing
SACD and DVD-A make normal CDs sound like AM radio. Both provide six channels of surround sound--so vocals may come from the center channel, a guitar from the left, drums from the rear, and so on. More important, because both store 4.7 gigabytes of data, they can capture much more of the original recording. Naturally, the formats are incompatible, and each one's creators say theirs is the best.
"We finally have a format where nothing is left on the recording studio floor," says Craig Eggers, marketing director for Dolby, which licenses the compression technology used to create DVD-A.
Jeroen Keunen, a general manager for Philips Semiconductor (which partnered with Sony to develop SACD), counters that SACD's proprietary technology "more accurately captures the nuance and atmosphere" of the original than either DVD-A or typical CDs.
Both formats sound great, if you have the right gear. While DVD-A discs will work in any DVD player (and some contain extras such as photos or videos you can watch on your TV), you get the brain-melting sonic experience only with a player that supports DVD-A (and a set of kickin' speakers). Likewise, SACD requires dedicated hardware, though most discs contain a second set of CD-quality tracks so you can play them on any machine but without the amazing sound.
Universal Play
Unfortunately, most record companies release albums in just one high-density format. So Dark Side of the Moon is only on SACD, while Queen's A Night at the Opera is strictly DVD-A. The good news is, universal DVD-A/SACD players start at less than $200, though Jon recommended the Pioneer Elite DV-45A ($700). The bad news is, dual players often do a better job with one format than the other, and no car stereo or portable player handles both.
After I emerged from my stupor, I pointed to the RBH T2 speakers in front of me and asked Jon what they cost. "Oh, about $9300," he said, "plus $4400 for the other three." When I started choking, he quickly added I could get a $1000 speaker set that would sound just fine. DVD-A and SACD add-ons for your car should be cheaper, but won't be out before summer.
Factoring in the player, the $14K speakers, the cost of remodeling my house to fit a home theater, and, of course, a divorce, I estimate moving to high-density audio would cost me about half a million.
I'm still thinking about it.
Onkyo's TX-NR1000 stereo receiver has overt personal computer tendencies. It has a FireWire port for routing Super Audio CD and DVD-Audio streams. Its ethernet port lets you play digital audio stored on a PC and Internet radio. Onkyo claims it's the first receiver with expansion ports, which will eventually permit upgrading the unit. You may not need to, since the $4000 receiver pumps 150 watts through 7.1 channels. But if you're worried that surround sound won't stop at 7.1 channels, this is the receiver for you.Contributing Editor Dan Tynan is just kidding about the divorce.
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