Two select audio formats are gaining a tremendous amount of attention from audio enthusiasts.  The Super Audio CD (SACD) format and the DVD Audio format are becoming trademarks of the Hi-fi audio world, but can music and music accessory markets stay strong with these competing formats?

Both formats have vast sound quality improvements over CDs, and both offer the ability to have music that sounds just like the original copy. However, both are distinct enough that a universal, affordable solution may be far off. Some background on their differences should help reveal whether or not they are ready for today’s media market.

The DVD Audio format uses the extra space of the DVD disc (4700 Mb compared to 700Mb for CD) to record high density (HD) music, which in turn produces better sound quality.

The benefit to recording in DVD Audio format is that most DVD players on the market today are able to read the disks for playback.

However, the SACD format aims to generate better sounding music by taking an entirely different approach.  A Hybrid SACD disk contains a standard PCM layer, like that of any CD, and a SACD layer applying Direct Stream Digital (DSD) technology.  The SACD layer provides a means of transferring music with lossless compression.  This allows for an SACD to sound just like the master-recording.

The dual layer format of the SACD allows the disk to be played in any standard CD player.  When played in a standard CD player, only the PCM layer of the disk will be read.  However, when played in an SACD compatible player, the SACD layer will be read, producing the higher quality sound.

So which audio format is better suited for today’s market?  The SACD requires an expensive player to experience its high density sound, but has the advantage of being able to play on all CD players.  The DVD Audio format will not play on standard CD players, but most DVD players on the market can play them at high quality.

Abkco senior VP Jody Klein, who oversaw the Rolling Stones SACD release, stated that he chose the SACD format because he wanted to avoid having to issue separate CD and high-resolution versions of each title (Verna, Paul).

“Because the marketplace is confused right now with all of these different mediums, the consumers have to be doubly confused,” Klein remarks. “They’ve had a lot of things thrown at them – MD, DCC, DAT,CD ripping, MP3, etc… what’s important is that it fits in your player, and it sounds incredible.”

As past media formats have shown, the market will typically move in favor of only one of new disc formats.