How Much Hi-Res do you actually listen to/own compared to Redbook?

**lloydelee21** · 03-11-2012, 04:00 AM

Hi All. I am considering my options for digital equipment upgrades. OTOH, I am happy to keep my 16/44 DAC (my favorite dac bar only one) and find the accompanying transport 2nd hand for cents on the dollar (probably a cashless trade)...in which case, i have committed myself to redbook for more than a few years to come. OTOH, i could trade in the DAC for the one DAC i consider superior, plus cash...which also does hi-res. But then thats the budget for the year...and particularly today, a penny saved is a penny earned.

Is hi-res today a bit of a false dawn when the amount of hi-res out there is so limited compared to Redbook...which is also super-cheap on Amazon?

Is hi-res also a false dawn when many have said the mastering job upfront is more important than the ultimate playback format? (FIM, 2L, Propius, Analogue productions, MFSL remastered CDs are all great examples of how great 16/44 can sound! and i have heard plenty of sacds, and a few 24/96 files sound so-so or not appreciably better.)

How much hi-res do you actually listen to and own compared to 16/44 and do you find it consistently superior? (i spoke with someone who has 50 hi-res albums and he said a number of them were disappointing.)

But i would appreciate hearing from more people as i have not personally done any hi-res buying...since i cannot play it at the moment. thanks!!!

**Ronm1** · 03-11-2012, 04:21 AM

I have many remastered, well-produced Redbook from labels you've listed. I also have plenty of HiRes discs, no files. Rarely is there not an improvement sonically, IMHO, with good h/w, its a win.

Here is my HiRes list

http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/sh...&postcount=102

**lloydelee21** · 03-11-2012, 04:22 AM

Thanks! For some reason the link was not found?

**Ronm1** · 03-11-2012, 04:32 AM

Fixed

**lloydelee21** · 03-11-2012, 04:41 AM

Thanks! Nice list!

**mep** · 03-11-2012, 09:27 AM

I simply can’t imagine buying a new DAC today and not buying something that is capable of playing back hi-rez files. Do all high rez files sound outstanding? No, they don’t. Do you want to limit yourself to strictly playing back RB CD? I know I don’t.
I think the future wave (which is starting to happen now) will be DSD.

**lloydelee21** · 03-11-2012, 09:41 AM

Originally Posted by mep

I simply can’t imagine buying a new DAC today and not buying something that is capable of playing back hi-rez files. Do all high rez files sound outstanding? No, they don’t. Do you want to limit yourself to strictly playing back RB CD? I know I don’t.
I think the future wave (which is starting to happen now) will be DSD.

Thanks for that...it is a very good point, and one i continue to wrestle with hence this thread. again, thanks for that view. I am a big second-hand buyer...so for me, there are fewer options than for others in terms of hi-res dacs. Because 90% of my music is redbook, i also hate the idea of getting the new, new thing and finding out out my existing dac plays redbook better.

And of course, by the time hi-res comes out in mass, i feel sure that hi-res DACs will inevitably have improved as well.

Hence my dilemma. In the end, i do think if i could get the one hi-res DAC i prefer to my 16/44 dac at a sensible price, i would go for that and just enjoy it. working on it...

i have had my (second hand) 16/44 dac for 5 years now, and i could easily be happy with it for another few years given that even the scarlattis, emms have not compelled me to switch. so no rush just at the moment but certainly thinking hard given that the re-sale value of my DAC at the moment remains high...and it probably wont be in 3 years...

**Ronm1** · 03-11-2012, 10:29 AM

As with just about all recordings, the best sources, knowledge in getting the most out of them, nose to console, etc...all make a diff, just increasing resolution and # of bits do help, but its not a magic bullet.

**mep** · 03-11-2012, 10:58 AM

Loydd-There is obviously something very special about the DAC you own and you may have a hard time letting it go. The thing to remember is that digital ages in dog years which means your DAC is already eligible for social security. If there are members of the Zanden NOS cult who are still willing to pay serious money for your DAC, I would dump it while I still could recoup some serious money out of it. 3 years from now there may be a $200 DAC that will blow away the Zanden in all performance parameters. I’m still blown away at how good the E-MU 0404 sounds for what is basically chump change and it does 24/192. I’m hoping the Mytek stereo 192 represents a significant upgrade when it finally arrives at my house.

There’s a brave new digital world out there Loydd, it might just be time to join it.

**lloydelee21** · 03-11-2012, 11:51 AM

Originally Posted by mep

Loydd-There is obviously something very special about the DAC you own and you may have a hard time letting it go. The thing to remember is that digital ages in dog years which means your DAC is already eligible for social security. If there are members of the Zanden NOS cult who are still willing to pay serious money for your DAC, I would dump it while I still could recoup some serious money out of it. 3 years from now there may be a $200 DAC that will blow away the Zanden in all performance parameters. I’m still blown away at how good the E-MU 0404 sounds for what is basically chump change and it does 24/192. I’m hoping the Mytek stereo 192 represents a significant upgrade when it finally arrives at my house.

There’s a brave new digital world out there Loydd, it might just be time to join it.

Thanks...definitely worth considering. Depreciation is a big deal, hence why i tend to buy 2nd hand...and its worse in digital than just about anywhere else. Fortunately, given that the flagships from DCS, Emm, Krell, ARC have not convinced me to let it go just yet, i think at my cost basis i'll be alright for now. But yes, in 3 years, its another world.