It appears to me the major classical music labels (BIS, Chandos, Channel Classics, SFO) that offered DSD recording have eliminated the former in favor of PCM. One of the last to offer DSD recordings (Pentatone) appears it may be going that way as well.
My guess is once again Sony's penchant for licensing fees is the culprit.
Although the recording and mastering process is most important by a considerable margin, I'm sorry to see this happening.
It appears to me the major classical music labels (BIS, Chandos, Channel Classics, SFO) that offered DSD recording have eliminated the former in favor of PCM. One of the last to offer DSD recordings (Pentatone) appears it may be going that way as well.
My guess is once again Sony's penchant for licensing fees is the culprit.
Although the recording and mastering process is most important by a considerable margin, I'm sorry to see this happening.
Channel classics is still recording all their music in dsd 64, albeit they offer them also in various pcm formats through their own website. All (new) Channel Classics recordings are offered in dsd 64 on the nativedsd website.
Although a much smaller label Reference Recordings is offering their recordings in the Fresh series in dsd format as well. The latest Honeck recordings with the Pitsburgh Symphony are available in dsd 256.
And I forgot to mention: Pentatone is also (still) recording in dsd. As a matter of fact a lot of their music is actually recorded in dsd 128 format as well, albeit that these recordings are not yet available to the public.
I own a number of well recorded native DSD SACD's from Pentatone and Channel Classics. But I recently looked at the Pentatone Wagner Der Ring des Nibelungen cycle it appears to be PCM. Recently I purchased a few SACD's from SFO who had previously recorded native DSD, but now seem to be offering PCM. I hope you are right and this is not a trend.
You know, some companies prefer to record their music in (pcm) dxd rather than in dsd. I refer to high quality labels like Challenge Classics and 2L. I buy all my Challenge Classics files in three formats: 24/192 for my Trinity combo and dxd and dsd 256 for my Lampizator combo. I have listened extensively to the differences between the dxd and dsd 256 files of Challenge Classics. I prefer the dxd files, possibly because these are original dxd recording although I should add that with my Golden Gate dac I play (at the moment) all my files 'upsampled' to dsd 256. My point is that pcm recordings can sound very, very good indeed and that pcm recordings are in my view not necessary worse sounding than dsd recordings.
Just because a company (e.g. Channel or Pentatone) offers a file in PCM doesn't mean it was recorded that way. Likewise for the reverse (I'm pretty sure the SFO has been recording in PCM for years even though they only used to be available on SACD, likewise for Chandos and Hyperion).
Chandos records only in 24/96. All the recordings of Challenge Classics of the last couple of years that are available on the website www.spiritofturtle.com are originally recorded in dxd. All Channel Classics recordings are originally recorded in dsd 64. Pentatone recordings are almost all originally recorded in dsd, albeit that indeed a few of their recordings are in pcm.
Chandos records only in 24/96. All the recordings of Challenge Classics of the last couple of years that are available on the website www.spiritofturtle.com are originally recorded in dxd. All Channel Classics recordings are originally recorded in dsd 64. Pentatone recordings are almost all originally recorded in dsd, albeit that indeed a few of their recordings are in pcm.
You know, some companies prefer to record their music in (pcm) dxd rather than in dsd. I refer to high quality labels like Challenge Classics and 2L. I buy all my Challenge Classics files in three formats: 24/192 for my Trinity combo and dxd and dsd 256 for my Lampizator combo. I have listened extensively to the differences between the dxd and dsd 256 files of Challenge Classics. I prefer the dxd files, possibly because these are original dxd recording although I should add that with my Golden Gate dac I play (at the moment) all my files 'upsampled' to dsd 256. My point is that pcm recordings can sound very, very good indeed and that pcm recordings are in my view not necessary worse sounding than dsd recordings.
On my Tidal La Assoluta/Kondo system I prefer the original dxd recordings of Challenge Classics to the dsd 256 files they make from their original dxd recordings. Although the dsd 256 files are somewhat softer sounding and from a tonality point of view more beautiful sounding, the dxd files are sounding more open and dynamic. And the tonality of the orginal dxd recordings of Challenge Classics is beautiful as well, although maybe a tad less refined. At the moment I let the Golden Gate 'upsample' everything to dsd 256 and it is this mode that I prefer the dxd files. Have not yet tried to play the Challenge Classics dxd recordings with the Golden Gate dac in pcm mode (my Lampi can do this if I want).
I am very fond of (good) original dsd recordings as well because I like their smoothness and liquidity that resembles somewhat vinyl replay. However, good pcm recordings can be extremely good as well as the original dxd Challenge Classics recordings show. For me the latter belong to the very best classical files that are available today, although I must add that I am very impressed as well by the original dsd 256 Eudora recording of guitar music by Fernando Sor. But recording a single instrument is of course much easier than recording a full orchestra as Challenge Classics is doing.
Please keep in mind that I am particularly referring to the Challenge Classics recordings that are being engineered by Bert van der Wolf and are being made available through his spiritofturtle website. Challenge classics records also with other engineers; these recordings are sometimes available in sacd. Bert van der Wolf older Turtle recordings are very good sounding as well. Some of these recordings are also available on his spiritofturtle website, albeit that these recordings are most of the time original dsd 64 recordings; these recordings are not available in dxd format.
Just because a company (e.g. Channel or Pentatone) offers a file in PCM doesn't mean it was recorded that way. Likewise for the reverse (I'm pretty sure the SFO has been recording in PCM for years even though they only used to be available on SACD, likewise for Chandos and Hyperion).
Yes the original recording format can be different than the SACD format.
SFO was diffently recorded n native DSD as they offered the complete Mahler cycle and many other recordings in native DSD. Now they appear to be recording exclusively in PCM. Pentatone has been recording in native DSD for a long time, but now appears to be offering at least some PCM recordings.
All things being equal I prefer SACD/native DSD discs. It's not a fair comparison since I can't compare both formats, so it could be the the live miking setup, but PCM to my ear sounds slightly edgy towards the top end more often than native DSD. I'm hoping the labels are not moving away from native DSD because of licensing fees.
