My friend, you just touched on a serious nerve.
I shall explain.
First of all question one, Will SACD (DSD) restore dynamics?
It certainly can if the engineers that were "chosen" to use the format would let go of their limitations, realise what "you Sir" have done with vinyl, and take it to the appropriate level of sonics, dynamics and vibe that only a 2,822,400hZ/SEC sampling frequency can provide.
In 1998, I was introduced to DSD (direct streme digital for those who want to know) and felt it to be the "holy grail" of digital..for the next time being.
I wrote Sony, procured underwriters to be first on-board with the format for restoring original masters back to their finest glory.
They already picked their buddys',"we talk to you soon" After 30+ phone calls to Philips and Sony..no returns. I even know who is in charge of it all. I was not part of "their loop"
Face it, imagine my dissapointment when I first heard PF's Dark Side of the Moon (aka DSOM) on compact disc.(early 1985) Not only did I have a Micro Seki Mod 20 vinyl reproduction system with van den hul ruby cartridge and many other samples of fine MC cartridges..all having their merits.(two J arms) but I had a phono pre to die for with variable capacitance and resistance pots so I could dial in the cables and dial in the sonics desired for each cutting engineer. I knew when it was right. Not just right on my systems..but "right", Like you know when it is "right". Some got it, some don't. All class "A" vaccum tube pre pre and pre. MM and MC cartridges on the two arms for comparison. The Shure M91ED is still one of my fav. MM carts, as was the V15type III and the M95ED. Had them all. Hell I think I had Stanton 681EEE and another stanton that cost (SL981?) about 4 times as much. No traceability problems with all those, along with several copies of each album (marked for certain styli)..well you get the picture. First runs or close. (the good pressings..some on 180g vinyl as well)
I practically beat the door down to be in on this..hell it was a natural for me. 23 years with the same speakers, knowing what the vinyl could sound like , knowing about CD4, QS4, etc..quad with it's 45KHZ carrier..all of that.
I knew the music and I actually had access to first run albums..(de-horned but close to the first 600, not 100K). Sorry for the repeat..I wanted emphisis on this, it matters quite a bit)
I want it, I want the work, for archives sake please let me do it..even if you don't pay..please..
Well I guess I was a voice in the wilderness.
Go listen to the SACD TOTO IV. Nasty/ It is horrible!!!!! (dynamics are OK frequency response is out of the box)
The Midrange is dominant as if RIAA to cutter was the master, could have been!
Who dun it????????? (I feel for their soul if we ever meet, Poor dude..I will just hang my head and cry for him)
I simply cannot believe that fine production mastering, (such as what Doug Sax is capable of), is not showing itself on SACD! What about what I can do!
Out of the 37 SACD's I have, two of them are close to being ball busters..they can be improved..and I have many redbook (Fourplay, Fattburger) CD's that totally devastate the SACD"S in my collection.
The mastering is inferior, the mastering speakers have too much bass and a recessed mid and a deep cut at 3K and a accentuated top.
They are making it level on super audiophile speakers designed to attract the audiophiles, which are not level in the different rooms..big time bass boost in the speaker design!!
My SACD's Mostly are an inverse of that.
Inverse you know is ..thin bass, Mids up 6 to 9 dB, Bleeding edge 3K and rolled off highs.
I bet you that the TOTO IV SACD tape was POST RIAA!!!!! It sounds that bad. Imagine after you use the RIAA to make your cut fit the record (with anticipation of post RIAA)..if the SACD was cut from a RIAA (to cutter) EQ'ed Master?
Again so their is no confusion....
To rephrase, Imagine the actual signal you have to use to lay down the cutter..Imagine that signal being used to make the SACD. It sounds that bad.
Something is terribly amiss with the sacd's have. Most of them.
Someone is incompetant. Perhaps they all are. I have masters to compare to it and my SACD player is not inferior. It must be fixed at once.
Pehaps they ONLY work on super hi fi eq'ed for the audiophiles speakers? I got them too..but damn..no resemblence to the master? The vinyl even??
Now Question two!
Will dynamic range return?
Not if the above holds true. Only the classical SACD's from Telarc approach the dynamics that SACD is capable of and even then you can hear compression in some form being used. It is not my amp or speakers, I can assure you of that.
Next, will car stereos have a compression button. They should have vari-compression settings, manuallly operated by the consumer. Not automatic. Leave it up to the user what ratio they like. Educate the public and leave it to the public if they want dynamic compression, how much, if at all, or alot. This would solve a bunch of "our" problems.
Are they going to make it?
If all CD's that are produced are hybrid multilayer SACD's from now on out, they simply will work on all machines and the public will not have a choice. You get both. This is a pipe dream. Have you seen the press-up cost of a hybrid sacd? It is only 5.5 times as much as a CD.
DVD-A
Many machines are being produced with built in DVD-A layer reading..but the consumers do not realise that this is a different format for music altogether. It is an automatic purchase..without the desire for it to be an option. Many may find nary a difference but I believe DSD and PCM can both be better formats in high rez than redbook..it is about politics and who get's to master it right now.
For reference, I have had the Sony SACD-1 The SACD-777 and the CE-775. All are great performers with the first two being built like tanks. As far as DVD-A goes, the caveat is that it does not allow true 2 channel reproduction from a multichannel DVD-A as an SACD does. It folds back to 2 channel from 6. SACD had both the 2 channel and the 6 channel tracks separate.
The other caveat is, Master multichannel full range like quad? or keep the lame single subwoofer routine as in home theater? We know the limitations of a single sub summing stereo signals. No phase cues, cone cannot move both directions at the same time. Bad deal for two channel and multi channel. Single sub is fine for theatrical film effects track below 50hZ. That is all.
Whoooo You got me started..but really I know I will never get to do any of them at this late time for the majors so I can spew it out now and let off some needed steam.
I am not angry, but terribly dissapointed..It is going on 5 years since I was introduced to a format that would be the end all to end all and it is even worse implemented than many redbook recordings and mastering.
The industry should be ashamed.
Can I do better?
For ^#$%s sake, yes I can. Hands down.
Hope you enjoyed it..I certainly did.
PS, I am up on all the formats if anyone has any questions..I am sure Don is as well.
Hope it made for intertaining reading.
Please reply..I want your thoughts as well// Again, sorry for typos..I am working..just took a 15 min break..