Is this yet another silly "i think" crystal ball moment, void of any ACTUAL firsthand knowledge within this particular subject matter ... much like your prior 1 rip theory?
Thank you, TBone. Lots of people have opinions. Mine about digital are based on the following:
I did spend a very enjoyable and informative afternoon at Goodwin's High End auditioning the dCS Rossini DAC with my good friend, Al M. He only listens to digital in his system and was also extremely impressed with the Rossini DAC. You can read a thread and report about the experience here:
http://www.whatsbestforum.com/showthread.php?20049-A-remarkable-Redbook-CD-afternoon-at-Goodwin-s-High-End
I have also spent time directly comparing the HQPlayer/NADAC digital front end as specifically recommended by Blizzard to MadFloyd's analog front end in what is an extremely transparent system. MadFloyd, Al M. and I all thought the NADAC sound excellent when playing native quad DSD recordings.
I do not have very much experience listening to digital sources. But the digital that I have listened to for over twenty years has left me unimpressed and unconvinced - until recently. Over the last year, I have listened to many DACs in friend's systems and spoken to people to learn more about the format.
Actually, I've heard two vinyl rips. The owner of the system stopped the first one quickly because something was wrong with it and it sounded very thin. Then he played the Madonna rip which also had issues, so I do not have any opinion about vinyl rips in general based on listening to these two rips. Something was wrong with the up sampling process in the HQPlayer or something else. It was an anomaly and I can't make any conclusions based on this experience. Others have heard excellent vinyl rips, and I believe them.
I, and others, agree that the Rossini DAC and the HQPlayer/NADAC sound very good, and they represent for me personally, the best digital that I have heard in my limited experience with the format. Based on what I have heard over the years, I think digital has come a long way and is starting to sound very good. I also think if this continues, the future of audio in general, and digital, specifically, looks very good.
I write that I "think" because I really do not "know" how digital will continue to develop in the future. It is only my opinion based on what I have heard. I do not have a crystal ball.
What do you think about the future of digital?