Perfect Sound For Never
DVD-Audio discs fare slightly better, with some limited software that will at least play discs on Windows-loaded computers. But DVD-Audio suffers from an altogether more insiduous problem, called watermark distortion. On top of the digital encryption, similar to that used in DVD video discs, which is designed to prevent easy copying to a computer hard-drive, for instance, the record industry agreed that an analogue protection system would be necessary too. The Verance watermark system comprises a low-level signal that is added to the pure high-resolution music, embedding coded information from the record label on the music within, along with other unpublished tracking data. Despite assurances to the contrary from its inventor and the vested interests in the record and DVD industry, this watermark is now believed to impare the fidelity of the music, potentially bringing it back to CD quality, or below. The watermark is an optional addition to the music track, but with the largest and strongest supporter of DVD-A, Warner Music, applying it automatically to all its releases, the chances of receiving an unsullied music recording is becoming increasingly low.
SACD has its own set of problems, though. At least one of its supporters has dishonestly advertised the format with technical descriptions of its performance that are short on fact, such as an unrealistically extended bandwidth and low signal-to-noise level, perhaps in a bid to match the better spec of DVD-A at ‘24/192’ (24-bit word, 192kHz sampling frequency). The truth is that SACD has an inherent level of ultrasonic noise so high that most players feature overkill filters to reduce the chance of all that mush from impairing fidelity, or even damaging amplifiers and loudspeakers.And the winner is...

Which of the two new high-resolution formats deserves to become the new ‘standard’? Well, neither has obvious superiority to the other for some of the reasons already cited.
But imagine a scenario where one — or indeed both — of the new high-res formats replaces the familiar CD. This would result in the record industry reasserting its control over its product, to the point where its music discs can only be played on players it expressly authorises. The traditional audiophile approach of upgrading a player by adding a higher grade digital converter to the player, for example, is closed off, at least until a music industry sanctioned means to take data out of the player finally arrives.

For the moment, incredible fidelity can still be had with both the legacy hi-fi formats of vinyl and CD. Unless you need surround-sound music, right now there may be little reason to embrace the new copy-controlled and questionable-fidelity SACD and DVD-A formats.

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