Rhapsody is now a MSB dealer

rvisinta said:

Hi Audiocrack. Thx for the Challenge Classics lead, will pursue it.

My tape and Vinyl setup really sound good to me. BUT and I am hesitant about saying this, but I was NEVER as "wowed" with either the vinyl or the tape sound as I was hearing the native 128 dsd tracks. These native dsd tracks sound as good as anything that I have ever heard, period. The tape and vinyl, although both different may have some "softer", more organic sound overall, but the soundstaging on the dsd stuff is "out of control", in a good way and in a league of it's own with respect to my system that I am playing it through.

Just having started with the dsd stuff on Friday, it's possible that because it's so new and so "WOW" that I am "over experiencing" it at the moment. I will know better after a few weeks and then some back and forth with the exact same recordings.

Overall I now think of the dsd, tape, vinyl, cd and even Tidal channels all having their own virtues and depending on mood I might choose one or the other. BUT if I want to WOW someone I would, without a doubt put on a native dsd file, no question about it.

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rvisinta said:

Hi Audiocrack. Thx for the Challenge Classics lead, will pursue it.

My tape and Vinyl setup really sound good to me. BUT and I am hesitant about saying this, but I was NEVER as "wowed" with either the vinyl or the tape sound as I was hearing the native 128 dsd tracks. These native dsd tracks sound as good as anything that I have ever heard, period. The tape and vinyl, although both different may have some "softer", more organic sound overall, but the soundstaging on the dsd stuff is "out of control", in a good way and in a league of it's own with respect to my system that I am playing it through.

Just having started with the dsd stuff on Friday, it's possible that because it's so new and so "WOW" that I am "over experiencing" it at the moment. I will know better after a few weeks and then some back and forth with the exact same recordings.

Overall I now think of the dsd, tape, vinyl, cd and even Tidal channels all having their own virtues and depending on mood I might choose one or the other. BUT if I want to WOW someone I would, without a doubt put on a native dsd file, no question about it.

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wisnon said:

Welcome to the party. Been inviting you for years. Its called DSD done right. Fake DSD reproduction does not cut it.

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rvisinta said:

Norman, I've thought of you a hundred times in the last week. I know you were telling me that several years ago. Honestly I tried certain files in the past, but the Dac's I were using and the files just ended up sounding good, but nothing that kept my interest. I just did not have the "right combination".....I sure do now.

You are right native DSD is quite something....I'm a believer. I'm one of those guys I guess that has to experience it for himself to understand

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witchdoctor said:

Hi, I am new to the party and want to try DSD. My Marantz 7702 processor can play DSD files and I can use my PC to play them. Is there another way to proceed to "do it right"? I don't have an SACD player but can get one if needed. I can even store DSD files on a thumb drive and just plug it right into the unit. My PC has HDMI out as well. FYI:

The extremely versatile AV7702, perfectly and expertly handles any kind of high-resolution multichannel audio format. It also offers an extended network package including audio streaming, internet radio, Pandora®, SiriusXMTM, Spotify Connect®, and AirPlay®. It even includes built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth capabilities. However, to get the best of the latest high-resolution DSD and FLAC HD format, we recommend hard-wiring the units.

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rvisinta said:

Norman, on this one you were WAY OVER THE TOP CORRECT, I should have pursued it when you visited and "showed me the light", which unfortunately I did not see at the time. Thx for all of your efforts and advice, it's appreciated.

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wisnon said:

Doc, please first understand that this is only my opinion (though shared by a few). DSD done right for me is basically some form of 1 bit processing (in the DAC), example like with Lampizator chipless, or T&A Dac 8 DSD (best playback upsampled to DSD512 as sweetspot), discrete filter board. ifi IDsd is pretty good, as the BB chip has a DSD bypass pathway and the expensive guys like MSB, Playback Designs and dCS have proprietary DSD tech as well.

Personally, I like Lampi DSD the best from what I have heard so far and the new Atlantic line is big value for money (DSD256 included). You can also pick up a used DSD only lampi (topping at DSD128) for about $2,500 or even less. Great at native rate playback.

So its not just how the Dac is fed, but how the Dac handles the delicate DSD stream that matters. Just playing back a DSD file does not guarantee the stunning quality we look for, as many ready chip solutions simply convert the strem internall to PCM via the Dac chip, or the FPGA overprocesses the signal and thereby introduce sonic compromises.

When you have DSD done right, then you start to understand why people who are passionate about DSD feel the way they do...while still loving great PCM!

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witchdoctor said:

Thanks, very important to know before I start buying DSD downloads. I'll see what I can find out about how the Marantz 7702 DAC handles the stream and post my findings before I start shopping.

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wisnon said:

You can start by downloading the free samples at nativeDSD.com and 2L recordings. iFi-Audio also had some free tracks available a while back and they still might be gettable.

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