Search - Beethoven - Symphonies 1 and 2 (DVD Audio) on DVD Audio

I found the elixir of life!!...

taitapop | Florida, Buenos Aires Argentina | 04/19/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This was my first DVD AUDIO, I have many DVDS but I never knew about DVD audio untill I met this one and bought it with a bit of doubt. Now, after listening every day to this marvelous collection (I bought the other symphonies too!!!) I decided I will buy DVD audio of my favourite cds (when available...).
If you like Beethoven, you should have this...."

Hi resolution beauty

NYer | New York, NY United States | 02/08/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I was a classical musician who spent almost a decade at Juilliard. I have been an audiophile for most of my adult life and have had countless systems.

This DVD-audio on my latest system (B&W 801D, Classe CAM-400, CDP102, CP500) represents the pinnacle of two channel audio. The performances are solid, but it's the sound that really impresses me. It's hard for me to say whether it's just good sound engineering or something special about the DVD-audio medium, but I have never heard an orchestra captured with such realism before. One major caveat -- this is my first foray into high resolution sound (e.g., DVD-A or SACD). I have been skeptical about whether DVD-A or SACD offered any genuine improvements over redbook CD, but if this recording is representative of the technology, then I'm sold.

The sound of the orchestra is captured effortlessly. The imaging is quite good but it's the timbre of the various intruments that is so ear-catching. The sound is effortless, smooth, grain-free. I find myself turning the volume higher and higher because it is so non-irritating. Having spent many hours in my prior life rehearsing with a real orchestra, I know what it should sound like, and this comes closer than anything I've heard before. The sound is so transparent that I find myself listening to the music and forgetting the sound reproduction part -- isn't that what it's all about anyway?

I just wish the record companies would wake up and smell the roses. High-resolution DVD-A and SACDs are their way back to profitability. People who care about high fidelity will pay more for DVD-A (and SACD). They should be strongly promoting these two mediums (media?)."