Originally Posted By: nickbuol
DD5.1 is compressed much like an .mp3 is compressed.

Indeed Nick you have described a technical difference between the formats but i was questioning more the subjective term "high definition" sound.

DD 5.1 is not unlike a mp3 at >500 kbps (DVD audio is rated for a similar bitrate although this is only one metric of quality among the formats). I doubt anyone has been able to tell the difference between the compression and non-compressed versions at such a high sampling rate.

Compression does not equate to a loss in audio quality if it can't be distinguished by the human ear anyway.
There is another similar discussion at the bluray forums which parallels this one.
http://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=159982

"Those who preach the myths of audio are ignorant of truth."