What's the worst DVD-A or SACD that you purchased?

Foghat "From The Front Row Live" on Silverline is hands-down THE worst DVD-A I have ever heard. A shrill, compressed abomination and a horrid performance 2 boot. I was able to use the jewel case as a replacement for a damaged one, so it wasn't a total loss. I have had a couple of good experiences with Silverline, however. The Ziroq disc sounds quite good. My SACD cellar dweller must be Journey's Greatest Hits - sounds like a regular CD to me.

I'm (slightly) surprised to read that quite a few people list some of my favorites (Metallica DVDA, Pet Sounds DVDA,) as their worst. Maybe these recordings just sound worse on higher-end equipment.

 

David Bowie's "Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)". Maybe it always sounded sucky. I never had it before in any format.

 

The worst DVD-A I ever bought was probably the Silverline (the clear winners in this category ) "Fleetwood Mac - Live at the BBC". I say probably since I never actually unsealed it - after reading so many negative comments about it on this forum I returned it and bought the CD issue instead!

As for SACD - I guess it must be "Let's Dance". I love the DSD stereo on [pedant]"The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars"[/pedant] and find it sounds better than any other stereo digital release (yes - I've heard them all!). However, the DSD "Let's Dance" doesn't sound as good as the original (Japanese pressed) CD to my ears. It's not an atrocious disc by any means but I got rid of it since I have a better sounding CD - I can't think of another example of this situation in my experience with hi-res (although I dare say the Silverline disc would have been another example had I actually listened to it ).

 

I was just lisening to this one a couple of days ago and noted that it wasn't very "involving".

I was also wondering when the subway conductor was going to come past and ask to see my ticket to ride.

Can anyone recommend a really good Rhapsody In Blue SACD from a sonic and performance perspective?

 

They can't be that bad my love.

Man, you're really making this a harsh first experienc for me doll!

 

I really like Earl Wild with Arthur Fiedler/Boston Pops on RCA Living Stereo SACD. It's a 3-channel recording.
Martin

 

The original vinyl and RCA cd of this album are a real treat to listen to; that's how much you lost by not buying it until now!

 

That doesn't sound bad in my system. I have a Japanese RCA CD to compare it to and grew up with the LP.

 

So far I've only owned one DVD-A and it's Alice Cooper's Billion Dollar Babies. When I heard this for the first time I thought "what a lousy format" and decided never to buy another DVD-A. It was the weekest thing I've ever heard. I didn't even know the format actually still exisits til I came here.

If there are some good DVD-As can anyone please tell me what could sell me into thinking this is a promising format?

 

Hmmm. I like this one a lot...just played the MC last night. Sure looks like one man's ceiling is another's floor when it comes to a lot of these hirez titles!

 

I've got a Sony 775 and a Pioneer 578. The Pioneer is great with Redbook, near-SACD quality for DVD-A and not as good as Redbook with SACD. The Sony is great with DVD-V (video-wise, the audio for DVD-A isn't as good as the Pioneer) and awesome with SACD.
My most disappointing SACD purchase so far is this Naxos disc I just got of Vaughan Williams. The performances are pretty good---James Judd/New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, and the pieces are great but there's a nasty quality to the string sound---too bright, close and harsh. The recording venue sounds like one of those multi-purpose auditoriums that sound like drywall. Still looking for the ultimate recording of "Fantasia on a Theme of Thomas Tallis". I'd love to find Neville Marriner's/ASMF Argo recording on SACD. Small group, georgeous hall sound, great recording job and a wonderful performance. Doesn't come out quite as fine on CD.

 

What he said. Maybe not as "Broadway" a "Rhapsody in Blue" as Lenny's, but a real good performance with great sound.

 

I have the Maurice Abravanel - Utah Symphony Orchestra (Vanguard VSD 505) SACD and it's very nice, though Marriner with the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields is the LP version I have and love. The Vanguard has some nice pieces though including Fantasia on "Greensleeves". The sound is very good on the original Vanguard SACD but it's out of print - I think Artemis reissued it.

 

The most disappointing SACD for me so far has got to be Deep Purple Machine Head. Obnoxious right out of the case. To aggressive, too hard, painfully bright, no breath of life. At least the master tape is still good by the definition I heard. The regular non-remastered WB redbook blows it out of the water for mastering quality. Roxy Music Avalon isn't that much better and is easily bettered by the W. Germany Target pressing.

 

If you bit into an apple for the first time and it was rotten, would you never buy another again?
ANY format can suck if the original was recorded poorly or the mastering was bad. I have plenty of DVD-A's that sound great. Graham Nash's Songs for Survivors. Steely Dan's Everything Must Go and of course Porcupine Tree's In Absentia, to name a few.

 

Is that not an actual NYC subway running in the background? Likely you hear it because they ran the analog master unfiltered.

Richard.

 

Dave are you referring to the stereo or MC mixes on these two titles (I have the DVD-A for MACHINE HEAD).

 

No not at all. I'm just saying I never even heard of the format till I bought that disc. I thought it was a one time novelty idea that wasn't going to catch on. I used to love the sound of that album and there was nothing from this disc that even offered a small resemblance of its past glory.

BUT...After coming to this forum I feel like I need to give a couple more apples a chance.

If only Apple would release something (yeah right).

 

If I remember correctly it actually is a passing train in that recording. Still, I don't really get "drawn into" the performance. I'll keep trying 'till I find one (on SACD) I really like.

 

I never said they were bad. I was agreeing with the original poster who stated that sounded just like the redbook which they do. I would've been happier with something different (i.e. multichannel), JMHO.

 

I guess we're talking about the Gabriel stereo SACD's?
Bad? no, and no one ever said that (although Shaking The Tree is supposed to suck, but so did the redbook). Just not that big of an improvement. To be honest, I have 3 and Security and kinda wish I had never bought them.

 

No kidding! I just picked up Billion Dollar Babies last night an it sounds fine.

 

What machine did you use to play this?

 

I am stunned by some of the choices on this thread.