Is 16/44.1 still a decent quality in 2020?

Skepticism is not a bad thing either. There have been a few cases of HDTracks being busted with phony HR files.

 

The question becomes, do the HD streaming services pay for these releases? Or is it a royalty thing?

 

Yes. Listening to my Diament mastered Zeppelin 1 as I write this and it sounds as good as anything I've ever heard! Don't fall for the hype of hi rez. As a DSP engineer, I understand the hype is all BS. Vinyl is fun but is definitely NOT technically better.

 

CD quality has not decreased simply because there are now slightly higher quality forms of digital media available today. However, whether FLACs of CDs truly sound as good as CDs when played directly on a CD player is a somewhat more controversial question.

 

Not too much controversy. Lol

 

If you feel it,. it's real.

 

Considering that the majority of people stream and that Spotify and Apple Digital Music appear to be some of the most popular streaming sites, I would say that 16/44.1 is more then enough. The average person doesn't know the difference anyway. The real question is whether or not it's enough for you.

 

Wow, it has been around longer than I would have thought.

 

I have always felt CD quality was the happy balance. Done well, it's enough for most people and conveniently storable and portable.

As others have said, Mastering and quality of the music itself is more important.

I focused on getting more out of what I already had, rather than aspiring to higher levels that are marketing urges and fads. So decent playback kit is essential.

I do think that, sometimes, people are listening on equipment that does not match the quality of what they are listening to (or these days, subscribing to).

 

With the new generation of D/S DAC's (AK4490 for example).
Yes.

Edit: provided good mastering and quality of the music.

 

Yes - in blind tests folks can rarely tell the difference. And I'm being charitable - they'd be right identifying hi-res about 50% of the time.

I really think 'hi-res' in most cases is just an excuse to re-sell something to someone again.

 

While I listen to vinyl and hi-rez a lot more than regular spec CD, I have a lot of regular spec and they sound fine and I do listen to then regularly.

Still fine.

 

Yes, 16/44.1 is a decent consumer format if you have little or no loss in all the involving stages from an analog/digital studio recording thru the analog signal hits your ears; perfect A/D and D/A conversations, perfect brick-wall filters, close to zero amount of jitter, perfect glass mastering (if a CD), and more. Sorry to say, this is not always the case.

 

So if you don’t feel it, it’s not real.

The new reality test.

 

I think a very large percentage of available music is in 16/44.1. A good DAC, a good streamer/transport, good system and you are good to go. For everyone NOT on this forum.

 

I would say just about all of the music is available in 16/44.1 if CDs are included in this scenario.

I have put on music in 16/44.1 from my JRiver music server in FLAC from CD. And was just underwhelmed at that something... that bit of extra bit of breathe of life or something was missing. It just did not dazzle me the way I want to be bedazzled. Went to the shelf, took down the EMI / Harvest U.K. original 70s LP, needle dropped it to 24/96kHz, and bingo!! That bit of extra magic is there alright coming out of my speakers from JRiver yet. I don't think it's the 24/96 that made the difference so much as that LP has the mojo that they missed on the CD issues for some odd reason.

So I guess one can state that for everyone else NOT on this forum that missing depth or breath is fine. But it really ain't is it.

 

Since SACD was first marketed, regardless of how many titles are released, and vinyl LP's come back at the same time Hi Res files started to be sold and caught on (yes, some of us buy Hi Res files despite not being a tangible physical format), I'd say CD quality is decent but it's not the most current technology has to offer. Only lossy compressed files sound worse than CD IMHO.
Just my 0.02 $.

 

There's two Morse code operators competing on how fast with the highest data density they can tap out a signal and have it translated into understandable language. First one is so fast he claims he can tap out a signal at 24/96 compared to his partner's measly 16/44.

The translator at the other end wants a raise from having to do deal with Mr. Fast and Furious for sending the same data that says the same thing as the slower and less data dense dude who just wants to go home and listen to his music CD's.

He's the cool guy in all this.

 

"192k?! ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! NOT ON MY PONO..."

 

This is true!
Beave

 

My Dac only decodes 16/44.1 so it has to be good enough for me and it is I stream both Qobuz and Tidal and love the sound I get. As said many times above the quality of the master is the biggest arbiter of quality not sampling rate.

 

It's better than decent.

 

IMO it is only decent. and a really good freeze dried version of the album in question. A great ground beef patty, but not a top sirloin steak. Nope!

 

Seems legit.