I ran across this and found it interesting:
"Creative have announced a $130 PC soundcard that?ll bring DVD-Audio playback to all DVD-ROM drives. The Audigy 2 includes THX certification, 24-bit 192kHz D/A converters and Dolby Digital EX processing. .....
Although the Audigy 2 boasts a signal-to-noise ratio of 106dB, based on previous Creative cards performance is unlikely to be on a par with an ?audiophile? stand-alone DVD-Audio player (although we?ll reserve final judgement until hearing a sample). It will however, be superior to the lossy DVD-Video layer formats, Dolby Digital and DTS.
It?s worth stressing that this is an important development for DVD-Audio, the Audigy 2 introduces affordable playback compatibility to all DVD-ROM drives and in the competitive computer peripheral market, other manufacturers are sure to follow. Given the huge explosion in PC-based audio, thanks largely to formats such as MP3, the importance of computer compatibility to the success of a format cannot be underestimated, regardless of whether or not that playback is considered to be of ?audiophile? status.
The comparison cannot be avoided: SACD remains alarmingly absent in the world of computer audio outside of two-channel 44.1kHz CD-ROM compatibility, largely because most DVD-ROM drives fitted in contemporary PCs are totally incompatible with the DSD layer and cannot even reliably play the Red-book CD-DA layer. This might not be thought of as an issue by SACD proponents who believe (rightly or wrongly) that their format of choice is taking the ?higher ground?, but like it or not, it is the mass-market consumer who makes or breaks a format. There is currently no way to replay a multi-channel SACD in a PC, and it doesn?t look like there will be for some time?
From: highfidelityreview
I have a feeling SACD might be headed down the road of the 8-track player.
WebDude😛
"Creative have announced a $130 PC soundcard that?ll bring DVD-Audio playback to all DVD-ROM drives. The Audigy 2 includes THX certification, 24-bit 192kHz D/A converters and Dolby Digital EX processing. .....
Although the Audigy 2 boasts a signal-to-noise ratio of 106dB, based on previous Creative cards performance is unlikely to be on a par with an ?audiophile? stand-alone DVD-Audio player (although we?ll reserve final judgement until hearing a sample). It will however, be superior to the lossy DVD-Video layer formats, Dolby Digital and DTS.
It?s worth stressing that this is an important development for DVD-Audio, the Audigy 2 introduces affordable playback compatibility to all DVD-ROM drives and in the competitive computer peripheral market, other manufacturers are sure to follow. Given the huge explosion in PC-based audio, thanks largely to formats such as MP3, the importance of computer compatibility to the success of a format cannot be underestimated, regardless of whether or not that playback is considered to be of ?audiophile? status.
The comparison cannot be avoided: SACD remains alarmingly absent in the world of computer audio outside of two-channel 44.1kHz CD-ROM compatibility, largely because most DVD-ROM drives fitted in contemporary PCs are totally incompatible with the DSD layer and cannot even reliably play the Red-book CD-DA layer. This might not be thought of as an issue by SACD proponents who believe (rightly or wrongly) that their format of choice is taking the ?higher ground?, but like it or not, it is the mass-market consumer who makes or breaks a format. There is currently no way to replay a multi-channel SACD in a PC, and it doesn?t look like there will be for some time?
From: highfidelityreview
I have a feeling SACD might be headed down the road of the 8-track player.
WebDude😛
