Thanks Randy-- Good points. I agree with you that LA woman is probably not a good test and to be honest, I suspected as much. Its been hard to find rock music that sounds as good as most of the classical or jazz recordings I've been listening to. My DAC is capable of DSD 512 although I don't have anything above DSD 128. Further explorations are in order !
CD is the perfect format...according to Steve
- Thread starter Mike
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Randy Myers
Well-known member
Obviously you have a fantastic DAC. I can only dream 
, but I am also impressed with my T+A.
There are some good Rock recordings, but very few in higher DSD format
. I did find one that is absolutely amazing, good solid album but maybe the best pure sound quality of any rock recording that I have heard. I took a total shot in the dark with this one because I never heard of these guys, but I was rewarded with a great sounding rock album.
It is a rock album recorded in DSD256... The band is Sonic Rade and the album is called Sideways. I think it is worth the price, but that is me
...
I do have quite a few albums in DSD128 (21) and 13 in DSD256. I have never seen anything available in DSD512. Even though I up-sample everything to DSD512/48 I still try to get the highest rez I can find... I believe the better in the better out as far as sound quality, even when up-sampling all.
, but I am also impressed with my T+A.There are some good Rock recordings, but very few in higher DSD format
. I did find one that is absolutely amazing, good solid album but maybe the best pure sound quality of any rock recording that I have heard. I took a total shot in the dark with this one because I never heard of these guys, but I was rewarded with a great sounding rock album.It is a rock album recorded in DSD256... The band is Sonic Rade and the album is called Sideways. I think it is worth the price, but that is me
...I do have quite a few albums in DSD128 (21) and 13 in DSD256. I have never seen anything available in DSD512. Even though I up-sample everything to DSD512/48 I still try to get the highest rez I can find... I believe the better in the better out as far as sound quality, even when up-sampling all.
Obviously you have a fantastic DAC. I can only dream
There are some good Rock recordings, but very few in higher DSD format
It is a rock album recorded in DSD256... The band is Sonic Rade and the album is called Sideways. I think it is worth the price, but that is me
I do have quite a few albums in DSD128 (21) and 13 in DSD256. I have never seen anything available in DSD512. Even though I up-sample everything to DSD512/48 I still try to get the highest rez I can find... I believe the better in the better out as far as sound quality, even when up-sampling all.
Thank you, I'll check out Sonic Rade. Last night I purchased and downloaded several DSD256 albums from nativeDSD and they are all really good.
Kingrex
Active member
Obviously you have a fantastic DAC. I can only dream
There are some good Rock recordings, but very few in higher DSD format
It is a rock album recorded in DSD256... The band is Sonic Rade and the album is called Sideways. I think it is worth the price, but that is me
I do have quite a few albums in DSD128 (21) and 13 in DSD256. I have never seen anything available in DSD512. Even though I up-sample everything to DSD512/48 I still try to get the highest rez I can find... I believe the better in the better out as far as sound quality, even when up-sampling all.
Did you just hit on the most important issue in the great dsd debate. Are you trying to listen to your stereo or music. I'm just as guilty as many focusing too much on how my system is sounding. I have never looked, but been told dsd has little to nothing I want to listen too. For that reason I bought the Mojo Audio DAC. A great performer for $5k or so. PCM only. Mojo focused on 1 thing, a single ended pcm unit and did it very right at an affordable price. You can get ballanced for $6500 or so. I'm sure a dad file at 512 is more liquid, smooth, tactical etc, but I personally have 1800 ripped CD and very good streams with tidal through Roon with HQ.
Same here. Zero interest in DSD. Have Yggdrasil DAC which does not decode DSD, but which is amazing on PCM, for just $ 2,300. That is also my beef with DACs like MSB, which in themselves may be interesting. But why should I pay for DSD capabilities that I don't care for?
I took a different route than the one you took. I had bought several SACDs, DSD downloads and 96/24 downloads. I preferred the high resolution sound to that of a regular CD . So when I heard that using HQPlayer I could actually take any ripped CDs and convert and upsample to 384 PCM or 512 DSD I wanted to try it. I bought a DAC that has separate circuitry for PCM and DSD (T+A DAC8 DSD) and I tried it both ways. I much preferred the 512 DSD sound to that of the regular CD or upsampled PCM. So I now listen to my entire ripped collection of CDs as well as Tidal streaming in 512DSD.
A personal observation: Many high resolution albums being sold today were not originally recorded digitally or in high resolution. Rather, they were converted at a later time and packaged and sold as SACD disks or high resolution digital downloads. I feel that using HQP and a fast computer, I am able to do something similar to that without having to re-purchase my collection (not to mention that the large majority of my CDs have never been issued in high resolution format). When you add the ability to upsample and convert any track from Tidal, there is no looking back. Of course, YMMV.
If you don't get high resolution sound out of CD, something is wrong.
CD is 16/44. Any resolution higher than that is what I call high resolution.
I am getting the high resolution sound that I like from my (upsampled and converted) CDs.
AKAIK a lot of the DSD 256 downloads available from NativeDSD were originally recorded as DSD256. There is a free sampler available. I've been listening to the ones I purchased last night and they sound simply phenomenal. That said, there is so much "magic" and placebo effect in my audio perception that I would never really try and make the argument that there is an absolute improvement in sound quality from DSD. It is my wish that everyone be pleased with their audio systems !
Randy Myers
Well-known member
I was against DSD a few years ago also until Norman convinced me to try it. It was so much more musical to me that I could not get enough. At this point I hear an obvious difference in DSD that I would not want to go back. The higher DSD I have gone the better it has sounded to me. Many CD rips sound fantastic, especially when listening through HQPlayer up-sampling them to DSD512, however in my system a DSD album up-sampled to DSD512/48 sounds even better. However all formats and resolutions do have recordings which are fantastic and those that are not, for lack of better terms. I enjoy the music the most, but the better sounding the music is the more I enjoy it .
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Randy Myers
Well-known member
I listened to Sonic Rade last night. Amazing recording and really enjoyable music also. Do not judge the album by the first song. Not a good indication of the entire album. Definitely listen through a few songs and I think you will see what I mean.
If you get high resolution sound out of CD, then CD *is* high resolution. Upsampling and converting do not create new information, i.e. resolution, they can only reveal what already is there.
Kingrex
Active member
How about 24/192 pcm vs dsd. Any thoughts.
Kingrex
Active member
No new information, correct. HQPlayer oversamples the existing data and uses digital filters that better reveal what already is there. The result, to my ears, is better sounding music.
Here is an old article that explains the concept of oversampling and filtering better than I can.
http://www.earlevel.com/main/1996/10/19/oversampling/
Cd or red book is good but it's 16 but depth is the start of its limitations
24 is min for low noise floor 88.2 is ok 96 is far better then 44.1 at 24 bit depth
192 jams it has much more levels between the sounds much better than 44.1
lastly most may not know this but it's very obvious in my setup
24 is min for low noise floor 88.2 is ok 96 is far better then 44.1 at 24 bit depth
192 jams it has much more levels between the sounds much better than 44.1
lastly most may not know this but it's very obvious in my setup