I'm fairly new to the subject myself. The main purpose of this guide is to provide reviews of discs I own. The reviews are based on the quality of the sound to me. Not everyone has the same opinion but there should not be many discrepencies. I will add comments and observations that some may find helpful.

  ABOUT PLAYER HOOK-UP- Hooking up the player was more confusing than I would have thought. Yua have to be very careful and make th proper connections and setting, Sometimes you have tochange the settings depending on what you want to play. At first it's frustrating but like most things once you get used to it... One problem is the manual does not always make everything clear.

ABOUT THE SOUND- Basically, these types of dics offer-Dolby Digital 5.1, (DD 5.1), Digital Theater Sound, (DTS), and high resolution stereo, (HI REZ STEREO), multi channel surround sound, (MCSS), (which is high resolution too), and some regular stereo. Some only do a couple, some do it all. Please remember that some of the recordings are over 30 years old! We need to be a little forgiving of the technology at that time. Also, the person or persons responsible for the re-mastering to DVD-Audio, SACD, etc, all have their own ways and opinions of how things should be done. Some did not do well. For an example, on the "Inside the Music Classic Rock", is Sugarloaf's "Green Eyed Lady". I don't know the exact year it came out but it's old and sounds fantastic. Even better is Canned Heat's, "On the Road Again". Compare them to Eric Clapton's, "461 Ocean Boulevard", (although old now it's relatively new to to those songs). The actual sound is fine but the re-mastering and mixing is terrible. Eric's guitar can barely be heard on sone tracks. Wings, "Venus and Mars" is bad too. The back speakers carry the main vocals and you feel like your standing backwards.

  I was surprised at how I first reacted to MCSS. I was almost disappointed. DD 5.1 and DTS sound is very forceful and booming. I like that, (although more for a movie). MCSS is not. It seems that subwoofer control is nearly lost on some tracks, (even when songs are on the same dics), but there just may be some setting I need to make somewhere. However, without the "boominess" of DTS or DD 5.1, you can turn up the volume with MCSS and get a deep, rich, bass effect. In MCSS mode, these sound better at higher volumes when your OUT of the room. If your in the kitchen, you may be close to only one speaker and you of course lose the surround sound effect. DTS and DD 5.1 come out more pronounced so you can hear more of the music but still lose the surround sound effect. Sometimes a little adjusting with individual speaker volume, delay times, and such can make a big sound difference. 

After easing into just "listening" in the MCSS mode, I realized several things. There is a certain balance or evenness of the sound. It's almost like you don't really need to adjust anything too much. The subwoofer pops here and there but never overwhelms. For comparison, listening to multi-channel hi-resolution surround sound is akin to watching HD TV. It is crystal clear, sharp but with fidelity, smooth like a fine wine. Like wine, MCSS needs to be savored, appreciated, and intentionally listened to for a complete experience. (If taking time to just sit and listen to music, this type of setup may not be what you need. I don't always just sit so I do listen to stereo CD's, radio and such.) I definately heard things I never heard before and heard familiar sounds but in a more accurate way. This is a close to "being there" as one can get. Very precise and accurate. Even though I realize more expensive equipment can enhance the effect, my Onkyo DV-SP504 SACD/DVD-Audio player and Onkyo HT-R500 A/V unit handle the job very well. My A/V unit is a few years old but to my surprise, (as well as Onkyo techs), it has the MCSS inputs which Onkyo says was unusual for an older, moderately priced unit. That saved me from having to buy a more up-to-date A/V unit. Then I would have thought about going full HD but until someone makes a 1080P, SACD, DVD-Audio HD-DVD/Blu-Ray DVD player all in one at a reasonable price, I'm happy with what I have. At least it does have an HDMI connection and upscale the resolution. I'm very impressed with Onkyo in general, (except when customer service calls go to Japan. Their bi-lingual capabilities are poor). When I was buying a whole theater system, they were about the only moderately priced systems with wood enclosed speakers all around. It's not Teakwood or anything fancy, but for me, wood adds a warmth and dimension to the sound that plastic just can't do. Also, plastic has a tendency to vibrate causing a buzzing noise. The subwoofer is awsome with a great deal of power since it does work off it's own power amp and has a deepness/intensity control that I can rarely use above the halfway mark without shaking the house apart. The neighbors know when I watch a movie. You will see many opinions about certain titles on the internet. Admittedly, I am not using the most sophisticated equipment. It has to really suck for me to give a bad review.  

TITLES- There are many out there. I'm basically stickin' with rock and roll. I'm not into collecting these to the point that I'll buy Linda Rondstat or The Blue Man Group. Most DVD-Audio titles are out of print, (one reason for the high prices).You can Goggle SACD or DVD-Audio for links to complete lists.

First let's define the terms. There is a lot of technical stuff that I don't understand, but it's not necessary as all you need are your ears to tell you if you like what you hear. 

DVD-AUDIO- a music disc that can only play in a DVD or DVD-Audio player, IT WILL NOT PLAY IN A CONVENTIONAL CD PLAYER! Basically you understand there are different formats for recording. The regular CD is made is one format, Audio-DVD is another, SACD too, and so on. The format for a regular CD can not accomodate the HI REZ sound. But if recorded in DVD format, it can. Like when you watch a movie, you have DD 5.1 sound and sometime DTS. So Audio-DVD is a DVD, that usually has a movie, but was used to be able to reproduce the HI REZ sound, hence the "audio". Also many Audio-DVD's have pctures and some have videos which you must have in DVD format. The main attraction with Audio-DVD's is the MCSS. Most will also provide DD 5.1 and HI REZ stereo. A few can provide DTS sound as well. Some have video content, lyrics, photos, bios, etc. Oddly, some stuff that should only be accessible through a DVD Audio player will play on most DVD players and then some stuff won't.

DTS Music Discs- provide the standard 5.1 Dolby Digital surround sound as well as DTS sound. No hi rez sound. These DO NOT require a DVD-Audio player but can only be used on DVD players and A/V receivers that have DD 5.1 and DTS capabilities. The front of your units should have the logos/symbols printed somewhere.

DUALDISC- a two sided music disc. One side is regular stereo, the other is MCSS. Some have video content also. To make it double sided, think of it as being two CD's glued together. It makes them thicker. Although I have not had any problems, I've read some players have trouble playing them especially Panasonic. Again, the DD 5.1 will play on any DVD player but the hi rez sound can only be reproduced on an Audio-DVD player.

SACD (Super Audio Compact Disc)- OK, there are SACDs with MCSS sound only that will only play in an SACD capable player. There is a hybrid SACD with two layers. One layer can be played on any cd player and one layer has either HI REZ stereo or MCSS that can only be accessed with an SACD capable player. I don't know if there are single layer only SACDs in HI REZ stereo or not but it would seem logical.

These types of discs have been around for years but are mostly now out of print. Because of the need for special expensive players and discs, there was a lack of consumer interest, (in the mainstream of things, many people, including me, are just NOW getting into quality sound with the advancement of HD DVD). Unfortunately the primary market has dried up. You can still find a few titles at places, like Best Buy, for the regular price, ($18-$30). For the most part you will have to go to the secondary market where prices can be reasonable or ridiculous. To be fair, even places like Tower.com sell what the few they have for a premium price. I did a lot of Goggling and found some at smaller stores for great prices. I did also but some at premium prices. Sometimes it can't be helped. Some are more rare than others. Flea markets are good places. If a dealer can't sell these specialty items they usually sell them cheap at some point or you can make a good deal.

Some people just don't want to buy a disc they can't play in the car, (although there are some DD 5.1 car players on the market but are very expensive now), or in their portable CD player. I can understand that as I felt that way once. Of course many people are into the MP3 player thing. I think that's great for carrying around but when I'm home I want the best sound. MP3's just can't reproduce that warm sound or DD 5.1/DTS. To me the MP3 sound is harsh and cold. 

As with most anything, always study, research, experience the subject as best you can. It's hard to advise you on when/how to buy. You may see a listing on e-bay, but if you wait to see if more show up, you may miss out on the one. Always compare prices. I've seen the same disc being sold for $11.95 and $35 brand new. Beware of buying used discs. Even though the seller may say it's in great condition, their idea of great condition could be different than yours. Personally, I do not want to buy scratched or dirty discs even if it does not affect playback. If it's a really, really rare one I might. Always ask a seller very specific questions. Even then though, some sellers lie.

Below is the list of discs I own. I will make comments next to each. I'm mainly a rock & roll guy but there are many genres of music to choose from. If you have any questions, e-mail me.

SACD- 

Pink Floyd/ Dark Side of the Moon- excellent MCSS! It's a hybrid so it can play stereo on any CD player.

Elton John/ Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboys- Excellent MCSS.

David Bowie/ Ziggy Stardust- Very, very good but nearly no middle channel and volume needs to be up.

Aerosmith/ O yeah Ultimate Hits/ NOT MCSS! HI REZ STEREO ONLY! Was only pretty good for me and somewhat disappointing. Good song selection though. !!!BEWARE!!! There is a packaging error. This only comes in HI REZ stereo. There is a silver plastic slipcase over the jewel case that says "stereo". However there is also a gold slipcase that is normally used for MCSS SACD's but somehow got onto this title in error.

Aerosmith/ Toys in the Attic- excellent MCSS. The difference in the MCSS and HI REZ stereo versions of "Walk This Way" is amazing.

Carol King/ Tapestry- MCSS but not as sharp as others.

3 Doors Down/ Away From the Sun- excellent MCSS. Also available in DVD-AUDIO.

The Allman Brothers/ Eat a Peach- excellent MCSS.

Layla/ Derek and the Dominos- Very good to excellent in MCSS. I've read many reviews and there is a fairly even mix of like/don't like opinions. Most of the don't likes get very technical and my equipment is not that sophisticated.

The Carpenters/ Singles 1969-1981- excellent in MCSS. Look, she has a great voice and deserves her props. It's a great loss for us even though she would have never sang with James Hetfield.

Cosmo's Factory/ Creedence Clearwater Revival- very good for an old recording. Not as sharp and in HI REZ stereo only! Great songs though on one recording.

The Rolling Stones/ Singles Collection The London Years- very good to very, very good. I know that's not much of an opionon. The one I have is strictly SACD and all are HI REZ Stereo ony, no hybrid layer showing availible. I may have spoiled myself for MCSS. Some songs sound better than others. This does span a long time period so I need to be forgiving of the techniques and limitations used 40 years ago. This also comes in a few versions. There are the UK, US, Japanese releases, and maybe even one more, (referring only to the SACD). They are basically the same but a song or two could be a different version or totally different. To demonstrate the buying part of my guide, the songs on this set are basically all the few songs most people like from Beggars Banquest and Let It Bleed. There are some from Satanic Majesties.... and Sticky Fingers, as well as some older stuff. Most or all of the songs on the "Hot Rocks" release are on the Singles Collection. So, it seems the the Singles Collection is the only set I need if all the songs I want from four-five different CD's are on it. Also to demostrate the buying part of my guide, as you usually see, Rolling Stones stuff sells well. I bought my set from an e-bay seller on 04/22/08 , (store), for under $35!. You have seen the recordings mentioned earlier selling for $30-$75 each on e-bay, Amazon.

Billy Joel/ The Stranger- Excellent. Vary sharp. Not hybrid so it only plays on an SACD capable unit.

DUALDISC- 

The Grateful Dead/ American Beauty- excellent MCSS.

AC/DC/ Back in Black- excellent although it's not MCSS, only HI REZ stereo.

Bon Jovi/ Slippery When Wet- excellent.

There are not many DualDisc rock titles out and the format seems to be fading away. 

DTS MUSIC DISC-

Inside the Music- Women on Top-(various artists)- very good-exellent. Some odd song selections. Also does DDS 5.1 and comes through of my MCCS outputs like the next two but I don't know if it's HI REZ.

Inside the Music- New Wave-(various artists)- very good-excellent. Some tracks sound better than others. Worht it just for Lunatic Fringe although I don't know why it's New Wave.

Inside the Music- Classic Rock-(various artists)- very good-excellent. J. Giles' "Centerfold" rocks! 

ALL THREE CAN BE BOUGHT ON E-BAY WITH A $10 STARTING BID!!!!!!!!!

Marvin Gaye/ Forever Yours-excellent.

Don Henley/ End of the Innocence- excellent! First track starts quickly and almost seems cut off but it's not. Still can be bought CHEAP!

The Steve Miller Band/ Fly Like an Eagle- excellent!

Eric Clapton/ 461 Ocean Boulevard- sucks like a Hoover vacuum. Eric's guitar is inexplicably the lesser instrument heard.

Santana/Abraxas- very good-excellent. I've read some reviews that comment about wierd channeling of the sound. Keep in mind the age of the recording & that you are hearing it in a way you never had before so it sounds like a different recording but it's the original.

The Moody Blues/ Seventh Sojourn- excellent! Really sharp and clean.

The Moody Blues/ Days of Future Past- excellent!

Paul McCartney & Wings/ Venus and Mars-very good. Some great songs but technically so-so. Somewhat muffled here and there. Sound is channeled in an odd way to me. Singing is coming from the back speakers making it sound like the band is behind you.

Paul McCartney & Wings/ Band on the Run- excellent. This is a tough one to find. NOTE: There are two releases of this disc. The first song is "Band on the Run". The first release was missing the first few bars of the beginning. A second release supposedly corrected it but I've been told by the owner of 5.1 Marketing, (who produced many DVD-Audio dics), that even the supposed corrected versions may not all be corrected. The corrected version has a yellow bar on the spine front. Imagine you are opening a CD case. The spine is the part on the left side the "door" is hooked into. I have a corrected version. The first few bars were missing. To be sure I was hearing it right, I used my re-play button and to my surprise, the song started from it's begining! It appears not many people know about this. I have read many reviews and such but nothing about this. The first issues could work the same way.

The Police/ Every Breath You Take The Singles- excellent. You can hear the trailing off of the Stuart's cymbals like you were sitting next to him. Get it while it's CHEAP!

Sting/ Ten Sommner's Tales- excellent although I only wanted it for a few songs.

DVD-AUDIO

I Robot/ Alan Parsons- excellent! This disc is of another type called HDAD. There are very few titles. For some reason everyone wants to dump this into the DVD-Audio catagory but it is not a DVD-Audio disc. It is HI-REZ but stereo only. Very nice. ***05/23/08 UPDATE!!! TWO ONLINE STORES HAVE THIS EYE IN THE SKY & TURN OF A FRIENDLY CARD FOR $19.99. JUST GOOGLE IT!***

Elton John/ Goodbye Yellow Brick Road- excellent. Classic recording that kicks some serious surround sound A**!

Blue Oyster Cult/ A Long Day's Night-very good. Technically the sound is great for a live performance, but to me, the performance is bad.

The Grateful Dead/ Workingman's Dead- excellent.

The Grateful Dead- American Beauty- excellent. Available in DualDisc too which was excellent. Easier to find and cheaper but they are drying up.

Chicago/ Chicago (II)- second album- excellent.

Chicago V- excellent.

Queen/ A Night at the Opera/ excellent. This also has two versions. The original is a standard DVD-Audio but this one also can produce DTS sound which is rare for a DVD-audio disc. I have read that the original has some issue with the "God Save the Queen" track. It's not channeled properly or something. I don't really listen to it so I have not. It does have a couple of cool videos in DTS sound like, "Bohemian Rhapsody". The second version has fixed "God Save the Queen" but I don't think everything can be played all three ways like the DVD-Audio.

Queen/ The Game- excellent. It's packaged like a DTS discs and it has DTS sound but it also has HI REZ MCSS, DD 5.1 and HI REZ Stereo! Get this one while you can still find it CHEAP! I'm starting to see the price on this one go up from the usual $11-$12 I see.

Deep Purple/ Machine Head- excellent! Any D P fan knows this is a must have in any format. This has a quick start beginning but seems complete compared to my stereo CD. Also available in SACD but I've not heard it and have only seen it coming from Hong Kong so BUYER BEWARE! I have also read that this is the original quadrophonic recording so it may not sound the same as the DVD-Audio.

Donald Fagan/ The Nightly- excellent. Very cool recording from half of the famed Steely Dan. Now available in a three pack box set with Morph the Cat and Kamakiriand but there may be some differences.

The Eagles/ Hotel California- excellent, although I'm sick of that song. I Used to live in L. A. and it was way overplayed. This has an interesting fact. Nowhere on the package will it say so, but this has  a DTS soundtrack! It has DD 5.1 and MCSS Hi Rez. To be honest, I think a couple of the songs sound better in HI REZ or DD 5.1 more than the DTS. "Life in the Fast Lane" is one.

Fleetwood Mac/ Rumours- excellent. Sharp & clean. However another overplayed song for me, "Go Your Own Way".

Alice Cooper- Billion Dollar Babies/ excellent MCSS.

Yes/ Fragile- excellent. Has a DTS too!

Neil Young/ Harvest- excellent. This disc has ALL the sound capabilities, MCSS, DD 5.1, DTS, HI REZ STEREO, etc. I have to say the best is the MCSS. The others sound somewhat muffled and "boomy". If you google dvd-audio Harvest and look around you can find this brand new for $13.99. 

Stone Temple Pilots- Core/ good not great. Sound really "booms" and not channeled well.

Emerson, Lake, and Palmer/ Brain Salad Surgery- excellent! It seems to be the hardest one to find, (making it the most sought after and therefore the most expensive). There are two versions of this one too but it's just in the packaging. The first is very nice with a couple of booklets and inserts. It has a brown color to it. The more common version has a blue color scheme and aside from that the only difference is it only has one booklet. I paid a good bit for a blue version but it was sealed. If you like the album and the sound, $60-$80 is a good average price for used/new. I know of a an online store picturing the brown version  for $125 sealed. Now available on SACD but the track list looks like a lot of junk and DOES NOT HAVE LUCKY MAN!

Metallica/ Metallica (the black album)- Excellent!!! "Enter Sandman" will blow your mind and windows out. Sometimes a band's website has music for sale at regular prices...(hint).

Santana/ Supernatural- excellent.

Santana/ Shaman- excellent.

T-Rex/ Electric Warrior- excellent, and for an old recording too. Barnes & Noble online has had this for $17 or so. I bought two and already had one. Also availible in SACD format but it's out of print and fairly rare.

Foreigner/ Foreigner/ excellent.

Foreigner/4- excellent.

Bonnie Raitt/ Nick of Time. Excellent sound but poor navigation tools.

Queensryche/ Empire. Excellent but only bought for Jet City Woman and Silent Lucidity.

Leon Russell/ Leon Russell- outstanding debut album. In HI REZ STEREO only but sounds great. ***05/23/08 UPDATE. TWO ONLINE STORES HAVE THIS FOR $19.99. JUST GOOGLE IT!***

A WORD ABOUT BUYING... as you scan e-bay, you can see that some titles are inexpensive but most are fetching a premium price. Since these are becoming more popular, even more than when first released, some sellers are artificially inflating their value. Although they did originally retail for $20-$30. I believe there are a few super rare titles that should command a premium price, Brain Salad Surgery, Band on the Run, I Robot for example. All the rest are abundant to fairly rare. There is no price guide I know of so the seller is determining the value. However that can be based on what others have paid for the same item. It's all supply and demand but there are some unscrupulous sellers out there.

I understand being anxious to get the one you want. Sometimes you don't see a particular title on auction for months, then five pop up in a week. That tends to cause us to pay a little more than we might want to causing the sellers to keep the prices high. Waiting and researching is the buyers best bet. Although I paid $88 for my sealed Brain Salad Surgery on e-bay, (which is about normal but still a lot for any CD), I waited several months trying to find the best deal. I just bought, (03/11/08), I Robot at an on-line retailer for $19.99. One is listed on e-bay for $75-***UPDATE 03/17/08***ODD THAT THIS WEEK THERE ARE 7-8 LISTINGS FOR THIS ITEM WHEN THERE ARE USUALLY ONE OR NONE! 

One e-bay seller has a factory sealed DVD-Audio "Inside the Music-Women on Top" for $10. It is the only listing of that title right now. Use Google as a search tool. Type in exactly what you are looking for, "dvd-audio brain salad surgery". That will bring up many listings that can be, old and lead to nothing, reviews and such, and people actually selling the disc. Be very wary of overseas stores. They usually list the item as in stock but it's really not. They are willing to process your credit card payment immediately though. Even U.S. retailers do that but at least you can usually call them and they usually can tell you if it's in of stock. You have to search every day! One popular e-bay store listed Metallica's black album, factory sealed, for $18.99. I saw it two minutes after it listed and of course bought it. The place I just bought I Robot from is a site I go back to all the time and it paid off! Of course if you are rich, some of this won't matter. UPDATE 04/11/08: I'm starting to see some of the more traditionally reasonably priced DVD-Audio discs going up in price as the demand continues and the supply dwindles. Still research the ones you want really well. I've seen The Jonas Brothers DualDisc, "Just in Time", being sold for $150 to over $200. Honestly, how many of you would want that for yourself? It's a kids band. How many of you would spend that kind of money on a CD for your kids?

On occasion you will see a listing that may describe a "cut" in the case. This is just like what was done to record albums, (remember those?). When an album was being put on clearance due to slow sales, too many in stock, discontinued item, etc, a small cut was made near a corner of the album cover. These are known as "cut-outs". It does not affect playback or decrease the value unless you are a fanatic about the case being perfect.

As you look over listings on e-bay, be careful to understand what the item is being listed. Unfortunately there are many items that are NOT Audio-DVD's. Sometimes the seller truly does not pick the right category just because they either don't realize it or think it fits. Then you have those who are trying to trick you. There is a big surge in demand for these types of discs now so some unsrupulous people are trying to capitalize on it. Audio DVD is a very specific thing. It's like calling apples oranges. Just because a DVD has audio on it does not make it an Audio-DVD.

A FINAL WORD...These discs are being re-mastered as DTS, DD 5.1, and HI REZ usually from the original studio tapes. If and when recordings are made directly in these mediums, the sound should only get better. Other notable mastering types of discs are called HDAD, K2HZ and the latest, XRCD, and of course Mobile Fidelity Original Master recordings. While none are in DD 5.1,  DTS, or officially marketed as HI REZ, they do offer remarkably high fidelity compared to their regular CD counterparts. They do also have an SACD line but most are out of print as are many non MFSL SACD's. Also up and coming is Dolby Digital True HD and HD+ sound. You will need an HD DVD player for those. I have not heard about music discs being made this way but it will likely happen. There is a lot of talk about CD's going down the tubes because people are downloading music. I doubt that they will for good or soon because you can't download Hi-Rez, DD 5.1, or DTS sound, now anyway. I believe there is still a large enough market of audiophiles to continue making CD's in these formats but they may become a specialty item. Stereo sound may soon be a thing of the past for CD's rather than their total demise.

Thanks for reading and I hope it helps some.