mav238

Finally, ordered the Celine Dion classic DVD-audio to try out in my RDX's 5.1 suuround system. Got it from CD universe.
Tried to look for similar product in Canada, can't find it at the more popular websites.
Not crazy about listening to just any classical album, so settle for somethiing I know and enjoy, to start off the collection.

Hope to get it in 5 days. Will report back on what I think about the DVD-audio system in the RDX.

Psychobroker

It's awesome -- didn't yours come with a DVD-A demo disc? It does a great job of displaying DVD-A capabilities.

catnippants

What? You have a chance to really get a feel for how good this system sounds, and you buy...........Celine Dion? There's no accounting for taste I guess. If I had to listen to her through my stereo, after I got done poking out my eardrums with ice picks, I'd rip out the stereo and drive over it with my RDX to make sure that nobody else would have to endure that pain.

What do I really think? I don't really care for her.

Mike

mickie

No question, you have to buy on line with poor selection elsewhere... I get the "DVD-A what??" from salesmen everywhere. I purchased 4 discs from Music Direct (there was a thread on this earlier) anyway, I placed an online order and they sent me thus far 3 out of four. I'm still waiting for Hootie and The Blowfish but they didn't bill me until they sent them. Three months and still waiting for the last Disc. I don't mind though, cause I found they have the best selection I've seen (and that's not great either) The discs they sent sound stupendous. No $ lost on me waiting, but the discs are generally $17 a piece.

SolidState

I don't know, I wasn't a Celine Dion fan until I was forced see her in concert. Her first concert since having a baby. And I must say she's a very down to earth person and her voice live was amazing. I was impressed with her singing, and I mostly listen to Gangta rap, NIN, Marilyn Manson and Prince. Oh yeah, and f*** Justin Timberlake and Britney, there will never be a classic song with their name on it.

turboted

Celine Dion....ehhhhhh! She sings (or trys to) other peoples music. For good DVD-A 5.1 surrond sound pick an artist who "is" a musician and / or producer of music. I find that anything in DVD-A by Steely Dan/ Donald Fagen is awesome! Niles and George Martin did an excellent job with the mixing of The Beatles music in the "LOVE" DVD-A. The Talking Heads "Brick" collection of their entire studio albums in DVD-A is also excellent. Jerry Harrison of Talking Heads produced the mix for the DVD-A's of the albums and tested the mixes in an Acura TL with the DVD-A sound system (the same as in our RDX) for the final mix. The Zappa family has also done an excellent job with Frank Zappa's two DVD-A releases "Halloween" and "Quaudiophiliac"

I may also add that after three weeks with my RDX, I have spent over $300 on DVD-A's to play in it and I can't get enough. I find that I'm so spolied with the surperior sound quality of DVD-A, that my ears can no longer tolerate regular CD's, FM, or XM stereo, all sound flat compared to DVD-A.

oblio98

Are you sure the Celine Dion is a DVD-Audio disc and not a DVD music disc? If it's a DVD-V, it won't play.

I don't recall there being a Celine Dion DVD-A. If it really is, let me know and I'll add it to my list at http://www.quadraphonicquad.com/dvdalist.htm

gomboy60

ElusiveDisc has very good selection with reasonable price. I like albums of Eagles and Steely Dan..
cy

mav238

Yup, it is DVD-Audio.

johnny99

The stereo in the RDX is fantastic. I was stopped at a red light this afternoon blasting a Carlos Santana DVD-A and almost didn't hear an ambulance coming up behind me. This is the first car I've ever owned that sounded good at that volume, and this is the stock stereo.

I ordered a few more DVD-A disks. Hope these sound as nice:
Sting - Brand New Day
Jackson Browne - Running on Empty
Eagles - Hotel California
Stone Temple Pilots - Core
Hootie & The Blowfish - Cracked Rear View
Sheryl Crow - The Globe Sessions

Pacer

You can also find DVD-As on Amazon. I ordered REM's Automatic for the People from them. It doesn't sound much different than the original. Kind of a letdown. Don't know if I'll order any more. I read on an audiophile board that this is a failed format (see note above on sales help not knowing what they are) and that DVD-As are no longer being mfd. Don't know if that was accurate or not.

johnny99, if you think of it, shoot me a PM and tell me how Sting's BND sounds. That is in my collection only on CD, so I'm interested to hear if the DVD-A is worth it.

RDX Jockey

I just do not get the hype? 5.1 surround is meant for movies not music. I purchased a Police 5.1 disc for my high end home system and I was not impressed. I have never been at a concert where the music was circling around me except maybe RUSH (I hope you Canadians are supporting your own this tour) or Pink Floyd but then again it was just effects. At least to me music is presented in a 2 channel format and not surround. For those of you interested in these types of discussions go to audiogon.com.

MikeRDXNJ

Meant for movies and not music? This seems to contradict all the work Elliot Scheiner and Acura have done together.on the ELS system. Did you listen to the 5.1 disc in your RDX and still have the same opinion? I'm just curious because I just ordered a Metallica DVD-A to test out the ELS for myself.

RDX Jockey

Yeah exactly, that is why the format (SACD, DVDA) has never really caught on in the audiophile world. Even when SACD players can be had for under $200 as compared to $2000+ five years ago they still are not overtaking the world. If one chooses high end (not the Best Buy stuff) home stereo equipment one can achieve beautiful separation of instruments while maintaining a 3-D soundstage in two channel. In a movie format 5.1 surround or 7.1 surround all the way! Enjoy watching that DVD in your RDX. In my opinion this is all a marketing scheme as 5.1 DTS sounds cool. If you enjoy it then great and enjoy upgrading all of your cds. I would be more excited if it was a higher resolution format in 2-channel. Like I wrote earlier check out www.audiogon.com and maybe it will be more clear on what I am saying.

mav238

See your point... speaking like a true audiophile...

I agree that if you listen to a well recorded and compiled Classical CD, through a high-end Amplifier pumping through a set of 3 way speakers like the Paradigm or Energy's, it would still sound awesome.

But I think the goal of ELS designer (and yes, a little reason coming from a marketing standpoint) is to provide a concert hall sound "surrounding the driver" and passengers. And you are right, if you listen to a live concert, sound comes from the front only, but remember also that the acoustics in the auditorium or concert hall play some role in creating a "concert hall" effect.

Some people enjoy this kind of "surround" effect from the ELS system (I do), and some don't.

oblio98

.....and if you LIKE surround music, check out www.quadraphonicquad.com

It's really what you prefer, but mostly people prefer what you are used to. The "the music must be in front of me" attitude is derived from people sitting in front of a movie screen at a theater, a radio, then a TV at home, a concert.

Unfortunately, at a concert, they have to put the audience somewhere. If it were a private concert, you could sit on stage. Who would not want to be on stage? EVERYBODY can't be, so the concert goes on in front of you.

That's what we're all used to. Folks who like surround music like to hear the music spread out so that each instrument or vocal gets it's own "space".

Again, it's not the 5.1 aspect that stopped SACD and DVD-A from becoming more popular, it was the dawning of the iPod and MP3 players, which mostly take audio to a convenient, albeit lower, standard.

The entire disc based medium, SACD, DVD-A, and CD, are all failing to the ability to download music commercially. Only the songs you want. It's sad really, as the concept of listening to an entire album (thus learning new songs and "getting into" a new artist) is about done.

But I'm deviating. I think it's great that we have 5.1 sound in the car. In fact, it's so great, I've got TWO Acuras!!

RDX_Dood

Here's a good source for what's available on DVD-A:

http://soundblaster.com/resources/re...id=53904&cat=1

There's Blue Oyster Cult for those who enjoy cowbell.

rdxsteverino

Gotta Have More Cowbell!

lilfeat

The advantage of the DVD audio is not necessarily in the "surround" effects as used in film sountracks. A good DVDA mix creates an ambiance, and enhances the spacial quailty of the playback. The real trick that I have noticed in this format, is finding a disk that was created carefully.
A good example would be Tommy, or the Beatles Love disk. A bad example being The Doors LA Woman. They use some sort of ping pong mix ( I guess it is really ping pong ping pong ping ) that sound un natural.
The shame is that the format is failing, and little new misic has come out on DVDA since I started buying them in 05.

Another benefit of the 5.1 comes from the ability to get a very satisfying effect from lesser quality components. Just play a well mixed DVD Video concert on a mid quality surround sound receiver. Such as James Taylor at the Beacon. Compare it to even a sacd playing through the same system. The SACD format is terrific, I have a player on my top end stereo, and it is the best source I have found so far.

Finally, the failure of SACD and DVD-Audio is more likely due to the success of the IPOD and downloadable music. HiFi has long been fueled by young people spending big bucks for equipment. Now, downloadable content with its poorer quality sound is much bigger than any invation towards increased quality of reproduction with this group.

Just think about how many good stereo stores there were in the 70s and 80s and compare with today.

The equipment keeps getting better on the high end, and that market is still fairly good. However, the mid range equipment that used to be the bulk of the hifi market has been replaced by a market of surround sound receivers, smaller speakers, and people listening to IPODS for music and playing movies through the receivers.

This is all just an opinion, but my son is 19 years old, living in one of the nicest suburbs in the US and none of his friends has a decent stereo at home. When I was 19, almost everybody had started buying some sort of stereo, and most of my friends had already started moving up from receives to seperates. (but we were engineering students)

Finally,
I have found these disks to sound very good in this medium.
Tommy
Blue Man Group - Complex
REM Greatest Hits
Steely Dan - Gaucho
Metallica - Metallica
Natile Merchant - Tigerlily

Tonia

My husband bought me this one shortly after I got my RDX. I'm not really an audiophile, but even I can tell how much better the sounds is than my other reg CDs.