Steve's SACD sound quality (DSD versus Redbook layers)

Gee, in my experience on Fox News, dissenting views from the dominant network view get shouted down by the commentator... Sorry, entering political territory, but hey, Steve did start it! In the legal parlance, that's called opening the door...

 

Nonsense TSmithPage. Again.. hearing a differing opinion on a professional broadcast can be shocking to those used to hearing only a single side.

You might have a hard time arguing you're point with Alan Colmes or Greta or Mort Kondracke or Geraldo etc etc. There is more fair programming on Fox News than any other network or cable news service anywhere. How could it NOT be so when both sides are represented nightly!? This is ONE network with a centrist equal time ideology in a sea of left wing news conglomerates.

Even if Fox News existed purely to promote conservative ideas, which it does not, what's would be wrong with that? Would you prefer to take the National Socialist party ideals of stamping out dissenting views? Every other network, both cable and network, is extremely left wing in ownership, workforce and broadcast activity.

The offer still exists. I was offended by the remark I first quoted and my mental and factual gun remains loaded. My invitation is open to you TSmithPage if you wish to head to the off-topic forum.

Vedric

 

"Sony/Philips have their own reasons for devoping DSD. (Can you say "patent royalties"?). Keep in mind that the introduction of these new formats has virtually everything to do with business and little to do with pleasing the ears of audiophiles."

I have some big problems with this statement....

Let's see Sony created a great archival technology and wants to get paid for their good work? Welcome to capitalism where the consumer always wins.

Of course, if you don't like that, as we say in the South "Delta is ready when you are"

Also, there was a real motive of archiving at a higher sampling rate of master tapes during development. As such, I respectfully disagree that Sony's motive were purely financial.

I love Sony for doing this. DSD is the most natural thing I have heard besides analog tape in the recording studio. And it blows away even a $8000 Weiss DAC. You just can't beat 2.8mhz sampling for getting the transients right.

 

I'm totally committed to SACD, but I must say that the Weiss impressed the hell out of me at HE2003. Pipedreams, Lamm amps, CEC transport. The sound on my copy of Misty River "Live", which I'd been hawking around the show, was out of this world.

And now, back to our regular programme ...

Regards,
Geoff

 

"And, frankly, most of the music I listen to is analog sourced, and that's not changing as I get older (don't listen to too many new recordings, whether rock, jazz, or classical). So I won't get the benefits of high-res digital recording on most of what I listen to."

Michael and Pepzhez,

Here's one thing to keep in mind...many of the best and most loved albums reside in analog form. In audiophile land, many labels record in both PCM (or DSD or both) and analog. In the 90s, the team I worked with at Chesky made PCM and analog recordings.

So with this one can get the dynamic range and analog sound of the master tape into DSD at a higher sampling rate which essentially produces a more analog sound.

The only time that DSD will not possibly make a difference is if there is just a PCM source, but then no other hirez format (DVDA) can add any value as well.

In practice however, the newer remastering on better, more recent gear improves the sound of the album itself. Hopefully Steve is at the helm or some other engineer who is working on a proper transfer.

So I view hirez as a winning strategy in any event.

I also want to emphasize what some have said...this is a young format, we are building ever better workstations, ADCs and DACs, and learning how to get the most of the format. DSD will sound even better five years from now.

 

"I'm totally committed to SACD, but I must say that the Weiss impressed the hell out of me at HE2003."

It's one of the best sounding DACs I have heard, but it is second fiddle to the Meitner DAC-6.

By the way, check out the $850 Benchmark DAC1, I heard that in my system recently and was blown away. Bob Katz feels it is close to the Weiss in performance.

 

First, Sorry for my part in taking the thread off-course.
Second, I am still waiting for my first SACD player.
I am confused with the available players which seem to make compromises between DVD-A and SACD. Now I think I will buy an SACD player soon, one which does not compromise the playback of SACD but again it appears to me some of the better received players have already been discontinued and replaced with less liked players.

But to the point I am willing to believe when that time comes and I buy a player I should be able to discern the difference between the two formats/layers, at least on those discs Steve was involved in making. I am not so sure of the others and I am under the impression that some SACD's out there may have a poor CD layer which would skew a comparison.

In other words I expect to hear a real difference/improvement between the CD and SACD layers in my system when I finally decide on a player. Just as I can appreciate the improvement of Steve's masterings over most others but in a different way.

 

That thing is getting really great reviews (by people I respect , although I haven't heard it yet). I'm seeing them everywhere.

Also, check out the ADC1 coming out in October. Wait for the one without the mic pres in it.

 

Is it not the remastering that gives you the biggest "band for your buck" in sound improvement, even over format (SACD vs redbook)?

 

Like I posted on the "Gold DCC Ringo" thread. If all CDs sounded like that, we would not need SACD or DVD-A.

 

I think Steve is mostly right.

By this I mean, that both remastering and sampling rate (hirez) play a big role. If you have both done well, then sonic nirvana is at hand.

I can see that if given the choice of either one, better remastering may beat just the format.

Ideally you want both.

Really ideally you want the master tapes and a good tape player.

 

Yesman,

I cannot wait to mess with the ADC1 (without mic pre). That may be our next recording path upgrade for our small team.

What microphones do you like?

 

I agree. I'm not against a new format, either. As previously stated, I own a SACD player. I thought bang was spelled with a G, not with a D, though