Porsche Bose system..... Growing on me - Plays DVD-Audio in real surround!!!
05-02-2013, 11:11 AM
#1
RL Community Team
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Porsche Bose system..... Growing on me - Plays DVD-Audio in real surround!!!
Comments? 2009 C2S
I just found out this crazy Bose PCM system plays DVD Audio and decodes the surround!!! Not the fake, processed in Bose surround crap, but the real deal on the disc.
For those who don't know what this is, DVD-A was supposed to be a super high-fidelity standard. This was the next, highest quality storage and playback system. It failed (or is it still alive?) due to many reasons, one of which was a competing format called SACD, or Super Audio CD. Other reasons it failed included lack of hardware, lack of titles, and poor sounding titles - some releases were poorly mastered so the potential was not realized. I never moved to it, despite being an audiophile, as it seemed a big money commitment for what I saw as a halfhearted attempt by industry. Then it faded away.
You can also drop in a standard DVD movie, and it will play the audio tracks in surround (if encoded that way). I dropped in my recently remastered DVD movie of West Side Story and WOW!!! The sound was fantastic. Unfortunately the "chapters" are not aligned to the music so I had to fast forward through tons of insipid dialog "Tony.... Maria..Tony...Go Daddy O!.....", but the music was fantastic. So now I am in pursuit of DVD-A discs.
Through Amazon, I am finding some inexpensive used DVD-A discs out there but of course, the ones I really want are out of print and stupidly expensive... like over $150 per disc (someone is buying this stuff).
So far (comment is on sound quality, not artistry):
- ELP Brain Salad Surgery - wow.... I had to laugh at how good this one sounds
- Sting Brand New Day - very good
- Blasters Live - in my possession but haven't listened to it yet
- Moody Blues Seventh Sojourn - in my possession but haven't listened to it yet
- The Doors - All records - Listened to LA Woman and Soft Parade... very very good
- West Side Story - just wow!
- Tull Thick as a Brick - not that good, OK I guess
- Beach Boys Pet Sounds - OK, a bit of a disappointment as my expectations were so high
- De Lovely movie - haven't played it yet
- Neil Young Prairie Wind.. CD had a DVD movie disc of the recording sessions - very good - Neil is a well known audiophile
- Talking Heads Stop Making Sense movie disc - poor... just not good
Still on order:
- Beatles Love
- Who Tommy
- Moody Blues Days of Future Passed
So, I am interested in hearing from others who tried out this "feature" in their Bose system. If you don't have a DVD-A disc, pop in a DVD movie of a musical or music event and hear how it sounds. I have some questions about the disc mastering if anyone understands it... some discs have multiple folders with PCM 2.0 sound or 5.1... I get the differences but why different folders? Some folders seem to be complete duplicates and some have "extra tracks". Navigation around these discs is odd. Some folders will have "option" of two sound formats found under the Bose "Option" menu and if I didn't go there to select 5.1, I would get 2.0....Then I think I saw Dolby surround and DTS 5.1 in the menus..... sheesh! Comments?
By the way, I turned off all of that Bose fake surround processing and "Linear" for all listening.... that stuff literally give me a headache with all its phasy.... whatever it is doing to "make it sound better". The less fake processing the better.
So do I now think Bose is good? No.... the amps are "tinky", "hard", and the system overall lacks a lush soul that good systems have. I will admit that this system sounds much better than most car options, but I don't consider it audiophile and the aftermarket still does way better. But I have to say, I am loving this whole DVD-A thing!
Comments? Any advice as to trading DVD-As around? PM me if you are FTP savvy.
Peace
Bruce in Philly
I just found out this crazy Bose PCM system plays DVD Audio and decodes the surround!!! Not the fake, processed in Bose surround crap, but the real deal on the disc.
For those who don't know what this is, DVD-A was supposed to be a super high-fidelity standard. This was the next, highest quality storage and playback system. It failed (or is it still alive?) due to many reasons, one of which was a competing format called SACD, or Super Audio CD. Other reasons it failed included lack of hardware, lack of titles, and poor sounding titles - some releases were poorly mastered so the potential was not realized. I never moved to it, despite being an audiophile, as it seemed a big money commitment for what I saw as a halfhearted attempt by industry. Then it faded away.
You can also drop in a standard DVD movie, and it will play the audio tracks in surround (if encoded that way). I dropped in my recently remastered DVD movie of West Side Story and WOW!!! The sound was fantastic. Unfortunately the "chapters" are not aligned to the music so I had to fast forward through tons of insipid dialog "Tony.... Maria..Tony...Go Daddy O!.....", but the music was fantastic. So now I am in pursuit of DVD-A discs.
Through Amazon, I am finding some inexpensive used DVD-A discs out there but of course, the ones I really want are out of print and stupidly expensive... like over $150 per disc (someone is buying this stuff).
So far (comment is on sound quality, not artistry):
- ELP Brain Salad Surgery - wow.... I had to laugh at how good this one sounds
- Sting Brand New Day - very good
- Blasters Live - in my possession but haven't listened to it yet
- Moody Blues Seventh Sojourn - in my possession but haven't listened to it yet
- The Doors - All records - Listened to LA Woman and Soft Parade... very very good
- West Side Story - just wow!
- Tull Thick as a Brick - not that good, OK I guess
- Beach Boys Pet Sounds - OK, a bit of a disappointment as my expectations were so high
- De Lovely movie - haven't played it yet
- Neil Young Prairie Wind.. CD had a DVD movie disc of the recording sessions - very good - Neil is a well known audiophile
- Talking Heads Stop Making Sense movie disc - poor... just not good
Still on order:
- Beatles Love
- Who Tommy
- Moody Blues Days of Future Passed
So, I am interested in hearing from others who tried out this "feature" in their Bose system. If you don't have a DVD-A disc, pop in a DVD movie of a musical or music event and hear how it sounds. I have some questions about the disc mastering if anyone understands it... some discs have multiple folders with PCM 2.0 sound or 5.1... I get the differences but why different folders? Some folders seem to be complete duplicates and some have "extra tracks". Navigation around these discs is odd. Some folders will have "option" of two sound formats found under the Bose "Option" menu and if I didn't go there to select 5.1, I would get 2.0....Then I think I saw Dolby surround and DTS 5.1 in the menus..... sheesh! Comments?
By the way, I turned off all of that Bose fake surround processing and "Linear" for all listening.... that stuff literally give me a headache with all its phasy.... whatever it is doing to "make it sound better". The less fake processing the better.
So do I now think Bose is good? No.... the amps are "tinky", "hard", and the system overall lacks a lush soul that good systems have. I will admit that this system sounds much better than most car options, but I don't consider it audiophile and the aftermarket still does way better. But I have to say, I am loving this whole DVD-A thing!
Comments? Any advice as to trading DVD-As around? PM me if you are FTP savvy.
Peace
Bruce in Philly
05-02-2013, 02:56 PM
#3
Racer
Thanks Bruce for the insight. I do not know my system that well. I will try the Praire Wind DVD to make sure my system will do the same. I have the Rock and Roll hall of Fame DVD from a few years ago, that I hope plays in the system too.
05-02-2013, 05:01 PM
#4
Yep, I found it. Had it in a prior car as well. Have a few DVD-A discs including Sting (Brand New Day), JT (Aqualung), Blue Man Group, Crosby Stills Nash. I love the format, but it is not easy to find tunes.
