I`m with Mark_H on this one

The analogy I would use is DVD-A versus CD

With CD, I think Meridian is capable of truly impressive results when utilizing Player Upsampling and RE of 16/44 material to 24/88 and then using MHR and Jitter Minimization along the rest of the chain (all the way to the speakers in some cases)

However, after listening to just a few High Res discs (first DVD-V 24/96 and then DVD-A) I quickly realised that the extra Resolution, Headroom and Detail available from High Res material resulted in a more enjoyable listening experience.

I then bought as many High Res discs as I could find, and compared many of the 2-channel High Res Tracks with their CD Equivalents. In perhaps 15-20% of cases, the High Res Tracks did not optimize the format and only sounded a little better than their CD equivalents. However, in most cases (80%+), the differences between the 2-channel High Res track and the CD was Profound and easily superior. The result: A far more enjoyable listening experience

Likewise, with Bluray. In any back to back comparison of a Bluray disc with its DVD equivalent that I have done, the video performance from the Bluray was again easy to differentiate. On the screen, there is typically much more detail and depth (of field and colour) and this, along with far less artefacts and noise than from its DVD equivalent, makes a Bluray disc easy to differentiate from DVD

As regards Bluray Audio, is it any wonder that the 24bit/48 (4,096+ kbps) Lossless Track on many Bluray`s will sound noticeably superior to the 16bit/48 (448kbps) Lossy Track available on DVD??? I mean is that even a discussion??? That`s akin to saying that 128kbps MP3 sounds the same as 24/96 DVD-A material?? Just not the case IMHO.

Personally, I can still listen to CD`s and watch DVD`s as their CONTENT is always king, (and I have not been able to buy their Higher Res equivalent.) However, I would never say that they Sound or Look the “same” as e.g. DVD-A or Bluray, as that simply isn`t the case for the vast majority of discs

The Economics and Available Catalog issues of Bluray are valid, but are not relevant to the issue of performance IMHO. If my 10-year old can see a difference with Bluray (and Sky HD channels), then I strongly suspect that most here can.

Last edited by Ronnie Hurley; 2009-06-10 14:03.
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