I'm hoping to hear from some other people who have DSD playback capability and DSD files to listen to with regards to their thoughts about how DSD sounds compared to RB digital. One of the things that I have noticed and I don’t know if it’s an anomaly with my Mytek Stereo 192 DAC is that bass on RB digital sounds much ‘punchier’ than DSD. All RB files that have significant bass encoded in them throw much more bass energy into my room through the Mytek than they ever did when played through my E-MU 0404 DAC. DSD files have great bass extension and smoothness, they just don’t call attention to themselves the way the bass does through RB files. Is there any correlation that anyone has seen/heard that with the lower the resolution, the more the bass stands out?
To my ears, DSD files sound more elegant and refined than RB digital files and dare I say it, it reminds me more of listening to 15 ips 2 track tapes than digital. There is a smoothness there that I find missing with RB. The sound is more course via RB. It just sounds like DSD contains more information and brings you closer to the sound that would have been heard in the recording studio. Listening to DSD is a whole new chapter in digital playback quality for me. And all of these comments are prefaced on listening to 1xDSD (64fs). I don’t own any 2xsDSD files (yet).
To my ears, DSD files sound more elegant and refined than RB digital files and dare I say it, it reminds me more of listening to 15 ips 2 track tapes than digital. There is a smoothness there that I find missing with RB. The sound is more course via RB. It just sounds like DSD contains more information and brings you closer to the sound that would have been heard in the recording studio. Listening to DSD is a whole new chapter in digital playback quality for me. And all of these comments are prefaced on listening to 1xDSD (64fs). I don’t own any 2xsDSD files (yet).