Done with digital

[Lee]

DSD is my favorite digital format because I have tested it in live recordings of ASO musicians. We have split the mic feed into both PCM and DSD ADCs. DSD captures the live event, in our case a classical or jazz ensemble, better in terms of naturalness, detail, and just overall musicality.

 

[AMR / iFi audio]

DSD is my favorite digital format because I have tested it in live recordings of ASO musicians. We have split the mic feed into both PCM and DSD ADCs. DSD captures the live event, in our case a classical or jazz ensemble, better in terms of naturalness, detail, and just overall musicality.

Very interesting experiment. Can I read about it somewhere? Are the samples of sound available somewhere to listen to?

 

[SoundMann]

Are the samples of sound available somewhere to listen to?

That would be nice, as I have yet to hear full resonance and harmonic detail from DSD.

 

[Alrainbow]

That would be nice, as I have yet to hear full resonance and harmonic detail from DSD.

it’s system dependent lol. and you need to make carful adjustments
cables
server and a lot more
to just say it’s not there is a modestly inaccurate post.
Dsd is not my favorite over all.
pcm has more jump and presence to me
pcm as dacs got better seem to be better To me.
dsd where it’s sourced is more confusing to me then pcm and dsd is more polite
some fell dsd is more analog due to this
good analog is not smooth but can be more relaxed like dsd.
users like mike L I’ll bet has his own view and a whole lot better explanation too.

 

[Al M.]

it’s system dependent lol. and you need to make carful adjustments
cables
server and a lot more
to just say it’s not there is a modestly inaccurate post.
Dsd is not my favorite over all.
pcm has more jump and presence to me
pcm as dacs got better seem to be better To me.
dsd where it’s sourced is more confusing to me then pcm and dsd is more polite
some fell dsd is more analog due to this
good analog is not smooth but can be more relaxed like dsd.
users like mike L I’ll bet has his own view and a whole lot better explanation too.

Here is an interesting anecdote about what violin players preferred in a comparison DSD vs PCM:

Nice Review of DSD by Andreas Koch

No introduction needed :) http://www.positive-feedback.com/Issue59/dsd.htm

www.whatsbestforum.com

(post #4)

 

[Mike Lavigne]

Here is an interesting anecdote about what violin players preferred in a comparison DSD vs PCM:

Nice Review of DSD by Andreas Koch

No introduction needed :) http://www.positive-feedback.com/Issue59/dsd.htm

www.whatsbestforum.com

(post #4)

unfortunately there is no information listed about the native format of the recording, or whether the dsd layer had been converted to PCM during mixing. if Bruce is paying attention he might know that.

and 10 years ago PCM was not yet optimized as it currently can be. much quieter and more linear dacs now, along with other advantages. agree dsd can be a bit smoother, but i'll choose dxd native over quad dsd native most of the time based on my 100 or dxd files and 50 or so native quad dsd files.

 

[BlueFox]

Not really sure if file format really matters anymore. My Lumin playlists are a combination of ripped CDs, downloaded DSD, and high res tracks from HD Tracks. Maybe I’m going deaf, but I love all of them.

 

[Al M.]

unfortunately there is no information listed about the native format of the recording, or whether the dsd layer had been converted to PCM during mixing. if Bruce is paying attention he might know that.

and 10 years ago PCM was not yet optimized as it currently can be. much quieter and more linear dacs now, along with other advantages. agree dsd can be a bit smoother, but i'll choose dxd native over quad dsd native most of the time based on my 100 or dxd files and 50 or so native quad dsd files.

Cookie Marenco (Blue Coast Records, I believe) loves the DSD format, so I assume the DSD was original.

 

[AMR / iFi audio]

Not really sure if file format really matters anymore. My Lumin playlists are a combination of ripped CDs, downloaded DSD, and high res tracks from HD Tracks. Maybe I’m going deaf, but I love all of them.

I usually find PCM punchier and more dynamic, while DSD is smoother and more nuanced. Am I the only one?

 

[Kal Rubinson]

Cookie Marenco (Blue Coast Records, I believe) loves the DSD format, so I assume the DSD was original.

I think she inserts an analog stage in her production process.

 

[Audiophile Bill]

I usually find PCM punchier and more dynamic, while DSD is smoother and more nuanced. Am I the only one?

No I would say that many also hear it the way you do too. Personally prefer DSD myself as natively I think it sounds closer to tape and vinyl (my preferred formats).

 

[Elliot G.]

every week, most times Friday morning, Quboz (Tidal has their's too) has their 'Grand List' which is the new releases. i really enjoy sampling those new titles, investigating the artists and linked music. i take the whole week and do some of it each day. sometimes it leads to buying vinyl too.

use to be i would be at Tower Records every Saturday. or 50 years ago at the local record store on Tuesday. but new music is the lifeblood.

you won't find it in your stack of records at home.

we all approach the hobby in our own way, there are no bad ways to love music or hifi.

I think streaming ( I m a Qobuz fan) is one of the greatest things to ever happen to me and to my ability to enjoy music, more music and new and different music. I can from the comfort of my chair explore the entire world of music with ease and no financial disappointment and punishment which happened all the time when I used to purchase software. Whether it was LPS or CDs that I bought after hearing a song or cut on the radio , the majority of which were to be kind far from great. Now if that happens I just move on to something else. I also LOVE that Qobuz sees what I listen to and gives me new ideas. These ideas have brought me to dozens of new artists and recordings that I had never heard nor knew of their existence. I have many of these on my playlists and have also reccomended many others. If you havent tried it you are missing something truly wonderful.

 

[Elliot G.]

all my rips are dsd native, and i find native dsd just fine on the right dac, but mostly it's not strictly native and not all dacs handle it right.

i'll take your word for it....professionally still is limited by the quality of the chain.....particularly with vinyl that matters.

opposite for me. and at this point Wadax can't find a transport (and they have one of the best) that surpasses their streamer.....although they are trying hard to figure that out.

sure i have. back when i had my Aqua Formula dac i also acquired the Aqua La Diva transport with the AQlink interface. nice transport, and with Redbook it did surpass my 16/44 files (once i used the active Herzan resonance isolation under it). but i still preferred my higher rez files, and some of those i much preferred. then when the MSB came along game over, the MSB with 16/44 files was better. better transports might up the disc game a little, but not to where my digital is now.....IMHO.

a transport still temps me just to have it around for the odd disc that shows up. they do sound great, if not quite 'high rez'.

coming in 2023 LOL

 

[Lee]

it’s system dependent lol. and you need to make carful adjustments
cables
server and a lot more
to just say it’s not there is a modestly inaccurate post.
Dsd is not my favorite over all.
pcm has more jump and presence to me
pcm as dacs got better seem to be better To me.
dsd where it’s sourced is more confusing to me then pcm and dsd is more polite
some fell dsd is more analog due to this
good analog is not smooth but can be more relaxed like dsd.
users like mike L I’ll bet has his own view and a whole lot better explanation too.

Nope. If you record instruments and split the mic feed, it’s an apples to apples comparison. DSD is not “polite”. It’s just more transparent and musical in my experience.

 

[Lee]

I think she inserts an analog stage in her production process.

She does.

 

[Mike Lavigne]

my 2 cents after with 5 years with the MSB Select II and the Extreme, now 6 months with the Wadax combo, is that both pcm and dsd are awesome, and if you have a strong preference then you have not yet heard them both 'right'. at the top of the digital hardware food chain there is really not that much to choose between them. not claiming there is no difference, but unless you isolate completely native recordings in one or the other format then compare....what are you actually comparing? mostly with dsd it's PCM sourced files converted to dsd. they are 1 and 1a. and only the more flexible work tools make pcm a bit more usable, so lots more music is made with it. dsd files are smaller.

OTOH many dacs do favor one or the other, or maybe filter settings can do that, or server settings. what is causing what outcome? takes some homework to sort that out.

 

[sbo6]

IME the recording quality far outshines any benefit / detriment from DSD or PCM. And the vast majority of high - quality servers / streamers and DACs can let either recording format equally shine.

 

[Mike Lavigne]

She does.

which means the analog signal is likely converted to dsd twice.

so you are hearing more than a single conversion effect plus the analog. no surprise it's different.

 

[Audiophile Bill]

Try doing vinyl rips comparing pcm and dsd. See which you prefer.

 

[Kal Rubinson]

which means the analog signal is likely converted to dsd twice.

so you are hearing more than a single conversion effect plus the analog. no surprise it's different.

My point, exactly.