SACD DSD extraction

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Defender
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SACD DSD extraction

Post by Defender »

I just found out there are now more than only PS3’s and Oppo 103/105 players capable to extract DSD iso‘s from an existing SACD - I thought of giving it a go.
There are cheap used Sony and Pioneer Blue Ray players which can do it and since my Katalyst can play it I am hopefully soon are able to compare.
I know many think DSD is a bad idea but I would like to better understand why and if it might give more musicality than PCM.
matthias
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Re: SACD DSD extraction

Post by matthias »

Defender wrote: 2019-10-21 17:23 I know many think DSD is a bad idea but I would like to better understand why and if it might give more musicality than PCM.
I do not think DSD is a bad idea.......

You can also convert files or music from Qobuz etc. with software like Audirvana to DSD128 and stream it via UPnP to your Katalyst.

Interesting to compare to PCM.

Matt
Matt

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Defender
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Re: SACD DSD extraction

Post by Defender »

the ripping device will arrive tomo - I will have some nice comparisons through the playground available later ... hopefully.
I am commercially completely agains what Sony did as this format only exists to pay royalty fees to Sony. But it seems theoretically more close to analoge than PCM is.
However lets see what it does if compared for musicality.
I have some SACD‘s with a CD layer and a SACD layer which are mastered with no intention to make one format to sound better.
matthias
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Re: SACD DSD extraction

Post by matthias »

Yes, SACD as a format is only good for Sony, but afaik DSD per se is free of royalty fees.

But I am not sure if it makes sense to compare SACD and CD layers of hybride SACDs.
SACD is based on DSD64 and this format is obsolete in my view in 2019.
The advantages of DSD shine with higher rates like DSD128 or higher.

The chip in Katalyst is able to support up to DSD512 but Linn seem not to be interested to enable this function.

Matt
Matt

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Defender
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Re: SACD DSD extraction

Post by Defender »

please tell me more why you think so.
some things are sold to us in marketing because the industry wants us to buy the next „best thing“
a higher number or a higher resolution does not mean it sounds better ... for the case a lower resolution is already the limit for us to distinguish ... which I dont know where the level actually is.

I remember a conversation with Günther Pauler from Stockfisch Records when I asked him why he is not providing downloads in a higher resolution instead of CD and SACD: he said there would be no benefit for me as I would not be able to hear a difference. He said SACD just sounds better because most of the DACs nowadays are 1bit/bitsream and not 16bit or 24bit DAC‘s so you actually hear/like the format better which your DAC is optimized for. What he actually said was 16bit 44kHz is enough.

I do not know if he meanwhile has a different opinion as this conversation was more than 10 years ago and I think the output stage of a DAC or Streamer or CD player is more important than the DAC chip.
matthias
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Re: SACD DSD extraction

Post by matthias »

I listened to very musical sounding CDs.
However imo, the best medium to capture music in all its glory are pure analog tape recorders with 15ips or 30ips.
The alternative and digital gold standard at the moment is DSD256.
Linn Records for example do record classical music like Haydn Nelson Mass in DSD256.
The engíneers who do the recordings are able to hear significant differences between DSD256 and high rate PCM in favour of DSD.
They can easily create other formats like 24/192 or 16/44,1 from DSD256.
But according to Source First the quality of the performance and the quality of the recording is much more important than using a certain format.
In this context I think the use of digital compression is very bad.
The human ear/brain is very sensitive and able to distinguish slightest differences.

Matt
Matt

MBP / Exposure pre + power (both modified) / JBL3677
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