Arcam DVD-A at Bristol Show

Posted by: Eddie Pugh on 01 March 2003

I see from some posts here that some of you made it to the Bristol show. I went along to experience the new DVD-A format

Did anyone experience the Arcam demo in the little room next to their main area where someone was trying to show off the merits of their new DVD-A player against one of their highish end CD Players.

It was played through presumably an Arcam Amplifier and the speakers were some sort of triangular tombstone type things. I'm sorry I didn't enquire as to what they were.

Anyone care to express an opinion. Personally I thought it was a waste of time. I could tell a difference but it was hardly earthshattering a bit more bass on the DVD-A was about it. I'm not even sure I liked it any better. In my view one is far better getting a decent Naim CD Player for the time being.

The Meridian demo was also very unconvincing. With a roomful of high end kit they demoed a Dolby Digital sountrack of some pianist. It didn't do it for me and the REM track was weird with bits flying from every corner of the room.
Why would you demo all that kit using a lossy Dolby Digital CODEC when you have MLP??

Did anyone experience a decent DVD-A two channel high resolution demo that got close to a CDX-XPS level of quality. I certainly didn't.

Eddie
Posted on: 02 March 2003 by Chris Metcalfe
Surely the whole point of a new format is tht it shows the way things could eventually be once someone like Naim comes along and sorts them out. Arcam, on the other hand, have a history of jumping on the bandwagon too early (or in the case of their cassette player, too late), to give an indication of what might happen - sort of a stalking horse.

I thought this DVD-A demo pointed the way towards DVD-A rather than SACD as a future system. To me, SACD sounds like a nicer-than-cd version of cd, sort of HDCD-plus-bitstream-etc etc. DVD-A, though, was obviously higher resolution at base. Remember what CD sounded like before Naim produced the CDS?

There were also a few albums, like 'Rumours', which to date have not been remastered beyond the old CD issues, which souded great in comparison. So give it time....