5/09/2025

CD types & sonic quality (UHQCD, SHMCD, BSCD2, Crystal Disc, MQA-CD etc.)

5/08/2025

What is FLAC? The high-def MP3 explained

FLAC, ahh-ahhh, it'll save every one of us*

What's the difference between MP3 and FLAC?

MP3 is a lossy format, which means parts of the music are shaved off to reduce the file size to a more compact level. It is supposed to use "psychoacoustics" to delete overlapping sounds, but it isn't always successful. Typically, cymbals, reverb and guitars are the sounds most affected by MP3 compression and can sound really distorted or "crunchy" when too much compression is applied.

Like MP3 before it, FLAC has been embraced by the music industry as a cost-effective way to distribute CD-or-better-quality music, and it doesn't have the auditory problems of MP3s. FLAC is lossless and more like a ZIP file -- it comes out sounding the same when it is unzipped. Previously the only way to get "lossless" files was via the uncompressed CD formats CDA or WAV, but neither is as space-efficient as FLAC.

The Naim mu-so is a high-end wireless speaker that supports FLAC.
Sarah Tew/CNET

While FLAC files are up to six times larger than an MP3, they are half the size of a CD, and can have the same boost in audio quality. Furthermore, FLAC is not just restricted to 16-bit (CD quality), and you can buy files up to 24-bit/192kHz for another potential boost in performance. While the effects of better-than-CD quality are highly debated, companies like Neil Young's Pono staked their reputations on its benefits.

But regardless of whether you are using 16- or 24-bit quality files, FLAC is here to stay. Experts such as Malcolm Hawksford, professor of psychoacoustics at Essex University, say that despite competition from proprietary formats like MQA and DSD the humble FLAC is still competitive.

"FLAC has a place in the future for high-quality audio. It is good for transporting files on the internet as it typically halves download time. It is unlikely that for lossless compression there will be significant improvements," Hawksford wrote on Bowers & Wilkins' Society of Sound blog.

While physical discs are still popular, their usefulness will eventually be eclipsed by the convenience of purely digital files: whether that means streaming or software files stored on your network or in the cloud. As a format FLAC will probably never be as popular a format as CD and DVD were in their heydays, but it's quickly become the format of choice for people who care about sound quality.

FLAC versus streaming

FLAC downloads have one major competitor: streaming. While audiophiles are mostly concerned with music bought from music stores like Bandcamp and HD Tracks, it's not the only option available to people interested in high quality music. At the lower end of the scale, Pandora and Rhapsody have been streaming for years at bit-rates between 128kbps and 192kbps but they're no match for lossless FLAC in the audio department.

However there are several major streaming services that offer very high sound quality -- Spotify, Tidal and soon Qobuz -- and depending on the record, they can be indistinguishable from the CD. While Spotify content is ripped in 320Kbps Ogg Vorbis, it's Tidal that offers the biggest alternative to personal collections as it's also based on FLAC. The company is also able to offer hi-res music by adding Meridian's MQA technology for compatible devices. By contrast, Qobuz offers hi-res FLAC streaming without the use of a proprietary wrapper, but the trade-off is much larger file sizes not suitable for the train. In the meantime, both Spotify and Tidal let you download tracks for offline listening (with a paid subscription), and both catalogs are quite impressive.

But it's not just Tidal and Qobuz that offer lossless streaming: there are othe up-and-comers as well. While CD-ripping service Murfie was one of the first sites to offer true-quality streaming, it's currently only for customers who pay an additional $99 fee (roughly converting to £80 and AU$140), and only for the CDs they currently own. Meanwhile, Deezer Elite is another service that offers lossless streaming but currently only to users of Sonos.

Stars including Rihanna, Nicki Minaj, Madonna, Deadmau5 and Kanye West called for a fairer deal at the launch of Jay Z's Tidal streaming service.
Kevin Mazur/Getty

While the world is swiftly moving toward streaming, FLAC does offers several advantages over the Spotifys and Tidals of this world. Firstly, you only need to pay once for a FLAC album. With a streaming service, you'd need to pony up for a subscription fee for the rest of your life or lose access to your carefully curated music collection.

Secondly, you don't need an internet connection to listen to your music, and while the Offline modes of both Tidal and Spotify enable you to use it on the subway, it still needs to be connected to the 'net at some point to get the files. What if your music player doesn't have apps or network capability? For inexpensive music players like the Sony A17, a set of FLAC files make the most sense.

Where can I get FLAC files?

If you want to support the artist, there are several sites that let you purchase FLAC files.
HDTracks.com

There are two main ways to get your FLAC files legally: ripping from CD or purchasing from a digital store. Ripping is easy to do but you will need the right software for your computer. However, there are some devices that enable you to rip and store FLAC files on a networked hard drive without having to ever touch a PC; the Bluesound Vault is one of these.

If you'd rather pay someone else to do that for you, we cover our favorite sites for buying FLAC files here. If you want to find music and don't know which site the music is on, do a Google search for the name of the artist/album and "digital."

How do I play FLAC files?

FLAC Player is one of the many apps for iOS that enables FLAC playback.
FLAC Player

iOS: There is still one hurdle preventing FLAC's full-scale adoption: the Apple iPhone and other iOS devices don't support within iTunes. With every major edition of iOS and iTunes, we secretly hope for FLAC support, but we may never get it. While Apple announced its Mastered for iTunes program (24-bit/44.1kHz) several years ago, the company has moved on to more profitable and immediate concerns such as Apple Music.

However, there are several apps available in the iTunes Store that do support the FLAC format and even let you stream them between devices on your network via AirPlay and DLNA. Apps available from the App Store include FLAC Player, MediaConnect and Capriccio.

Android: Users of Google's phone OS don't need to worry as much about FLAC support; from Android 3.1 (Honeycomb) onward the OS supports the file format natively. Even if you have an older Android phone, manufacturers like HTC and Samsung have added FLAC support to their software media players. Nonetheless, good apps to try from Google Play are Rocket Music Player, Player Pro -- which also supports high-res -- and Bubble UPnP (which includes DLNA support and also Tidal integration).

Windows and Mac: If you're a Windows 10 user, you can play FLAC files natively in the operating system. For older Windows versions, there is a Windows Media Player plug-in, but the players most recommended by audiophiles are Roon, Media Monkey and JRiver. Meanwhile Mac users can download Roon, Fluke for basic support for FLAC in iTunes or Songbird (also on PC).

Neil Young's Pono dreams soon to come true, Ep. 151 — The PonoPlayer was one of the most high-profile FLAC devices but it was discontinued in 2017.
Sarah Tew/CNET

Portable: While Android MP3 players have dwindled in popularity, they have been replaced by high-res portable players like Sony's Walkman NW-WM1 and the now-discontinued PonoPlayer designed to support FLAC natively, up to 24-bit/192kHz. Meanwhile, traditional players by Sony, iRiver and FiiO can typically play back FLAC.

Getting quality that's measurably better than your phone will cost you though, with models from Astell & Kern costing into the thousands. However, players such as the Sony A30 Walkman A Series promise 45 hours of battery life and start at about $220 (roughly £170 and AU$310). See CNET's best players that support FLAC here.

fl-google-home-max-10 — The Google Home Max supports both streaming and downloaded FLAC files via Chromecast.
CNET

Hi-fi: Of course, the biggest advantage to FLAC files is that they are ideally suited to listening on a hi-fi device. In the last few years, a wealth of streaming audio players have appeared with lossless FLAC playback one of their many benefits. The least expensive of these is the $35, £30 or AU$59 Chromecast Audio but these multiroom music systems also support the format.

If you own a Network Attached Storage (NAS) device, PC or even a phone you can serve FLAC files to any number of DLNA for media streamers--what does it all mean? in your AV system including TVs, Roku boxes, receivers and more. If the device connects to the internet, it's most likely to also support DLNA, and though FLAC isn't officially part of the DLNA specification, it usually comes along for the ride anyway.

Conclusion

Though streaming services may come and go, and even the long-term prospects of Spotify are not assured, a FLAC file is like a CD: once you buy it or rip it, it's yours forever (barring storage catastrophes). FLAC may never actually supplant MP3, but if you care about sound quality, then FLAC is undoubtedly your best option -- both now and into the foreseeable future.

Editors' note, October 28, 2018: This article was originally published in October 2012 and has been updated with new information.

Source: https://www.cnet.com/news/what-is-flac-the-high-def-mp3-explained/

5/06/2025

Flac vs Mp3 | See the difference

3/04/2025

Everyone Says CDs Are Dead or Dying, But Here’s the Real Story

Everyone Says CDs Are Dead or Dying, But Here’s the Real Story https://www.headphonesty.com/2024/10/cd-not-dead-evolving/

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CDs may be ‘retro’ but they’re not irrelevant.

With in-car CD players vanishing and digital platforms thriving, you might think CDs are on their way out.

Yet, against all odds, CD sales tell a different story. They’re still far from being the dominant music format and perhaps they never will be. But, CDs are growing to meet new demands driven by collectors, younger listeners, and exclusive releases.

In other words, CDs aren’t dying off; they’re changing with the times.

Are CD Sales Even Really Declining?

You might have seen Billboard’s reports showing CD sales falling by around 20% in 2024 compared to last year. But before you write off CDs completely, there’s something you should know about how these numbers are tracked.

YoY comparison of album consumption units by format. (From: Billboard)

You see, Luminate, the company that gives Billboard its data, completely changed how they count CD sales (or any music format sales for that matter). They used to make weighted estimates about indie store sales, but now they’re only counting actual reported sales.

Some indie stores didn’t like this change and stopped reporting their sales in protest. This made comparisons with previous years less reliable, which made it look like CD sales dropped more than they really did.

It’s kind of like if half your friends stopped posting their music recommendations. You’d think nobody was listening to new music anymore!

But, when you look past these reports, CDs are actually doing pretty well.

In fact, in the first half of 2024, CD unit sales grew by 3.3%, reaching 16.8 million units.

The differences between Digital Downloads vs Physical sales in the first half of 2024. (From: RIAA)

Even better, CDs made $236.7 million compared to digital albums’ $87.8 million. Meaning, they’re making nearly three times more money than digital albums.

The Loss of In-Car CD Players Doesn’t Mean the End

When Subaru announced they were dropping CD players from their 2024 Forester, it felt like watching the last record store in town close.

With this, all major car manufacturers have now shifted to digital systems like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. This makes it easy to think that streaming has officially taken CDs to its grave.

However, this announcement really irked a lot of people. Contrary to what the manufacturers thought, not everyone’s thrilled about being forced to stream their road trip playlist.

In exchange to CD players, car manufacturers are now relying on streaming for automotive entertainment. (From: Subaru)

The numbers back this up too.

Kim Bayley, who runs the Digital Entertainment and Retail Association (ERA), found that around 7 million people in the UK (that’s 15% of adults!) still prefer listening to CDs in their cars.

Many respondents also expressed dissatisfaction with the absence of CD players in new models in recent surveys.

It’s clear that while car manufacturers might be ready to move on, millions of music lovers aren’t quite ready to let go of their CD collections just yet.

That’s reassuring for CDs as the pushback means the format is still appreciated in this time and age. And, there are still millions of people actually supporting and using the format.

More People Are Shifting to CDs

CDs are finding fans across all age groups. Younger listeners, nostalgic Gen Xers, and Millennials are all part of the format’s comeback.

In fact, Gen Z, the digital natives born in the late 1990s and early 2000s, are some of the biggest CD fans.

For this group, CDs bring a totally different experience from just tapping a screen. It’s like discovering a cool new technology that happens to be retro (A.K.A. trendy). They’re falling in love with the ritual of opening that plastic case, flipping through the booklet, and actually holding their favorite album in their hands.

The ownership factor is huge too.

Ever had a favorite song disappear from your playlist overnight because of licensing issues? With CDs, once you buy it, it’s yours forever. No internet required, no subscription needed, no surprise disappearing acts.

CDs are cheaper too.

While vinyl records might look cool on Instagram and cost $30-40, most CDs are $10-15 or less. That means you can build a serious music collection without emptying your wallet.

More artists are releasing variants of a single album to increase revenue. (From: Luminate)

Not to mention, major artists like Taylor Swift and Beyoncé are also helping to boost CD sales with special edition releases that appeal to collectors and superfans. Thanks to this, CDs have officially become collectibles with fans buying more than one variant of the same album at a time.

CDs and Streaming Can Coexist

It’s easy to see streaming as the end of CDs, but the two formats can and do coexist.

Streaming works great for exploring new music quickly and making playlists on the go. It’s perfect when you want to jump between different songs or try something new.

However, CDs serve a different purpose. They provide a physical and more permanent connection to your music.

Sometimes you want to sit down with an album, follow the lyrics, and really focus on the music. Or maybe you want to show friends your signed copy of a rare album. These are the moments when having a physical CD feels special.

There’s more to buying CDs than just nostalgia.

It’s not about one replacing the other. It’s about having options for how we experience music.

Plus, the numbers show there’s room for both. While streaming brings in millions of plays, CDs still earn serious income for musicians.

Think of it this way: streaming is like having access to every restaurant in town, while owning CDs is like having your grandmother’s recipe book. Both are valuable, both serve a purpose, and both make our experiences better.

It’s never about choosing one or the other, but more about enjoying the best of both worlds.

1/28/2025

SPARS code AAD: When CDs sounded best

Why Super Audio CD Failed

Super Audio CD (SACD) was introduced in 1999 by Philips and Sony, its co-inventors, as the next generation of consumer audio, featuring six channels of Direct Stream Digital (DSD), the highest resolution then available to home listeners, and backward compatibility to existing CD players through its hybrid CD layer.

AR-logo_sacd copy.jpgMy Sony and Philips colleagues and I demonstrated DSD surround recordings of classical, jazz, and rock music to several hundred leading recording engineers, musicians, and reviewers, using top-quality playback equipment in acoustically treated environments. We received almost unanimous praise for their transparency. Reviewers exulted over its lack of digital harshness, and one well-known engineer told me that while 96/24 PCM sounded good, with DSD he heard the output of his console, not the output of the recorder.

Interestingly, one major artist A/B compared this engineer’s simultaneous 96/24 PCM and DSD recordings of her music in his control room and told him, “We can’t go back.”

Consumers could buy SACDs before they bought surround systems and their purchases wouldn’t be obsolete when they upgraded. The same discs would play in their cars, their portable players, their children’s boom boxes, and the surround systems in their listening rooms.

AR-DVD_audio_logo copy.jpgFurther, DVD-Video was making significant progress in homes, helped by low-cost but low-quality “home theater in a box” surround systems. One might assume that surround audio on a CD-sized disk would be an easy sell.

So why was SACD not a commercial success?

First, there was a format war. The DVD Forum, headed by Toshiba, refused to pay patent royalties to Sony and Philips, and they launched a competing format: DVD-Audio, which couldn’t be played in a CD player. Ironically, the royalty for an SACD was the same as for a CD: $.10 per disc, while the royalty on a DVD-Audio disc was around four times higher.

Record labels chose sides. The Warner group, part of the DVD Forum, went with DVD-Audio, and Universal and Sony chose SACD. Consumers are understandably reluctant to choose one new format over another — they remembered the Beta vs. VHS format war — so neither SACD nor DVD-Audio gained significant traction.

Then came the bombshell. Like Monty Python’s Spanish Inquisition, nobody expected the iPod. While there were MP3 players that preceded the iPod, they were clunky, difficult to use, and thus had limited success. Steve Jobs and his crew put a simple, straightforward user interface in an elegant package that was a huge hit. Never mind that it used MP3 files (although it could also play PCM files).

The mass market fell in love with the iPod. Consumers didn’t care that its supplied earbuds were poor quality and that its MP3 files didn’t sound as good as CDs, let alone high-resolution. Then Apple released its iTunes software, first for the Mac and then for Windows, and they started selling music at $.99/track through the iTunes Music Store. Apple made it easy for the average consumer to buy music and carry it in a convenient package.

The money that consumers would have spent by on high-resolution surround sound instead went to portable music, and the demand needed to establish a viable high-resolution format never materialized.

When we look back, we see that acoustical recordings, which started around the turn of the century, were replaced by electrical recordings in the mid-1920s. The LP and the 45 replaced those in the late 1940s and evolved into stereo records in the late ’50s. The CD took hold in the early 1980s. SACD and DVD-Audio may have been too early, as they were introduced in 1999 and 2000, respectively, but the iPod’s introduction in 2001 sealed their fate.

Source: https://audiophilereview.com/cd-dac-digital/why-super-audio-cd-failed/

Why have premium audio formats such as DVD-Audio and SACD failed?

It was a couple of things, all at once.

Average Consumers Don’t Care

To start with, the average consumer doesn’t have an audio system capable of demonstrating a discernable difference between a higher-spec format and a CD. So immediately, at least on paper, the higher-spec formats were audiophile-only.

Let’s revisit that for just a second, then I’ll go on. In practice, this wasn’t actually the case, but for all the wrong reasons. CDs were typically part of every record company’s mass market operations. It was a very common thing for these divisions to take an artists’ final release and do a pretty lousy job of final mastering for production. This includes engaging in “loudness wars” evils, compressing the pretty wonderful dynamic range of CD down to 12-bit, 10-bits, sometimes 8-bits of actual dynamic range.

The high-spec audio was always sent to the “specialty” division of the record companies, the same guys who dealt with all small production music: classical, jazz, audiophile, vinyl, etc. So they got the artists’ release master and didn’t screw it up. So in reality, if you bought an SACD and listened just to the CD-compatible layer, you probably heard a much better mix than you would with the mass-market CD. But no one really understood that, or even cared that much about it.

Average Consumers Don’t Hear It

As I jumped around from listening to music, playing music, recording and mixing music, I came to understand that there are fundamentally different ways of listening to music.

While it might be surprising, there’s truth to the old “musicians have the worst stereos” cliche, and it’s not just because musicians are chronically underpaid. But rather, when I “listen as a musician”, I have a pretty complete idea of any song I know already in my head. That’s actually pretty necessary when I’m up there at the open mic with just my voice, harmonica, and guitar. But it’s actually how most people who really like music listen. If you’re singing along, you’re probably one of us. Your brain fills in what you know about the music you’re listening to. So you’re pretty ok listening on an iPod, a smartphone, a car radio, etc.

And there are those who basically just put music as a background, They don’t pay much attention at all, so they don’t really care all that much about listening.

Then there’s the way I’ve learned, though both experience and coursework, to listen “critically”. That’s how you figure out how to tweak your 40 channel recording into something that sounds comparable to what you hear on that car radio. It’s listening with that memory part of your brain shut off and the listening part set to 11.

And I believe that audiophiles, whether they know it or not, pretty much listen the same way. This is not music at a gym, and no, they’re not trying to fix the music, though maybe looking to spend another $10,000 on some pointless tweak to their music system. But I’m not suggesting they’re all big fakes — just a little gullible. But they have discovered this same mode of listening. The audiophile goes into a room with an audio system that cost as much as your car, or at least my car. They put on the music, sit down in a nice comfortable chair, maybe wiht a glass of wine or a single malt scotch, and listen, with that memory part on low if not off completely. They experience the same kind of detail I’m listening for when mixing/mastering, only for different reasons.

Those are the folks buying high-spec music, and there just are not all that many around.

The Digital Revolution Continued…

So, while the various forces at Sony and Philips were concocting SACD, and other various folks as the DVD Forum were concocting DVD-Audio, everyone slowly started getting into MP3 downloads and digital audio players. This was a reduction in quality from CD, but of course, as mentioned, the average person was happy with their car’s factory audio system or the all-in-one they have at home. They were not put off by MP3 at 128kb/s, which had after all been designed to be “transparent” for use in radio (the 128kb/s was the speed of a dual-channel ISDN line, which was a common enough thing for radio station audio transfers).

That one player could take 20 albums, then 200, then maybe your whole collection. But here’s the second problem: you couldn’t “rip” a DVD-Audio disc, and you could only rip the CD layer of an SACD, if it had one. So that was just one more reason for folks to not buy these discs.

The Format Wars! And the Winner Is….

So, the other problem was that the tiny market for high-spec audio was split! It was DVD-Audio against SACD, of course. And not only that, but neither format could necessarily play on your existing gear. No CD player could handle a DVD-Audio disc. A standard DVD player could play only the compressed, AC-3 tracks on a DVD-Audio disc, and you probably had to turn on the televsion to enable that. The SACD’s CD layer would play on a conventional CD player or more DVD players, but you needed a special SACD player to play the high spec part. And the CD layer was not a requirement; some discs didn’t have it.

And of course, by then, everyone had already bought numerous CD players, DVD players, etc. So there was a strong pushback against “yet another format”. And so neither thrived. And even its friends didn’t stand behind SACD. I recall when Sony killed that compatibility in my PS3. I could have wrung their collective necks!

And it wasn’t all that long before there were two new high-spec audio formats. The first was the download. While you never got high-spec audio from Apple, Amazon, or other mass market vendors, lossless compressed formats like FLAC and ALAC allowed more specialized online music companies to offer the same content you’d get on SACD or DVD-Audio, but in a copy-protection-free format that would play on at least a more advanced audio player.

And Blu-ray came along. Not only did Blu-ray come along, but the Blu-ray people made their own version of an advanced audio disc with even higher specs than SACD or DVD-Audio. And they even had the uncommonly good sense to make that not a special new kind of disc, but in fact, a disc that could play on any old Blu-ray player. The details of the music-only Blu-ray, dubbed Profile 3.0, is really just the set of rules for discs to play on audio-only players — no screen. They still play just dandy on your bog-standard Blu-ray player.

So those two put the final nails in the SACD/DVD-Audio coffin.

Blu-ray Audio may not be knocking down walls with its mass-market popularity. But it really just amounts to an authoring decision for any company making an audio release. So it’s got its following. Similarly, online high-spec audio downloads have done better than the dedicated formats, because there’s really nothing extra to buy — though of course, your PC/Phone/etc. used as a player might need an app update, and might offer no better audio output than for playing CD-quality downloads.

Source: https://www.quora.com/Why-did-SACD-format-die-considering-its-audio-quality-was-far-superior-to-any-other-standards

1/21/2025

Vintage Audio - 6 SIMPLE Upgrades To Modernize Your Receiver / Pioneer SX

12/13/2024

6 Reasons I’m Still Collecting CDs in 2024

CD sales are on the rise again, and for good reason. In fact, there are a lot of good reasons.

It’s 2024 and streaming makes up more than 84 percent of the music industry. But there’s still a lot of love for physical audio formats. Vinyl is in a huge resurgence, of course, with sales growing year after year since 2005. In 2023, more than 41 million LPs were sold in the U.S. alone.

As for CDs, well, you might be surprised that people are still listening to them. In fact, I’m one of them. After being in a steady decline since 2000, CD sales are actually rising. Last year, almost 37 million CDs were sold — up nearly three percent year over year.

Here are all the reasons I collect CDs and think you should, too.

1. CDs sound better than vinyl

One of the great myths in the audio world is that vinyl sounds better than CDs. It’s just not true.

Don’t get me wrong. I love vinyl’s warm analog sound, specifically its crackling and other imperfections. And there’s the visceral experience of actually dropping the needle on a spinning record.

But CDs are simply the best sounding physical audio format. Compared to vinyl, CDs are able to produce a wider dynamic range and more bass. Plus, they’re not going to skip (unless they’re scratched).

2. CDs sound better than streaming files, too

If you’re streaming music from the likes of Spotify, Apple Music or Tidal, you’re listening to a compressed music file. That means that the audio data is being stored in less space, which results in a loss of information and the music isn’t going to sound as vibrant or as complete. MP3, AAC, WMA are all types of compressed music files.

Most songs on streaming services are compressed files, meaning songs don’t sound as vibrant or complete.Photo by Henry Phillips

The best compressed digital music files are referred to as lossless because they don’t lose information, but only a few streaming services are able to play lossless or CD-quality audio — such as Tidal, Amazon Music HD and Apple Music — and those require a subscription and can be pretty expensive.

3. CDs are significantly cheaper than vinyl

If you’re looking for a superior audio format, CDs are the best deal you’re likely to get. To be frank, they’re cheap to buy. Audio shops and retailers are practically giving away used CDs, while new CDs are usually in the $12 to $15 price range.

If you’re looking for vinyl, on the other hand, a new record will likely cost twice as much as that. Also, there’s the resale value of CDs and vinyl. It might not be much, but you can sell your old records and CDs online or to record shops. If you buy a digital song, like an mp3 file, there’s no resale value.

4. CD booklets are underrated

In this streaming age, the album artwork seems to be more of an afterthought (to consumers, at least). Sure, you see a little picture of the album cover when you’re listening to a song, but you’re missing the story of the album.

When you stream music, you lose one of the best parts about listening to a new album: diving into the booklet that comes with a CD.Cambridge Audio

The 12×12 album cover of a vinyl record is still the gold standard, but the little booklet that comes with each CD, highlighting some behind the scenes shots or interesting artwork, and showing the lyrics to each song, is a nice middle ground between having to rely on digital images and having to store giant vinyl records.

As a kid, I always enjoyed getting a CD and flipping through the booklet — something I still try to do. I think it makes you feel more connected to the music.

5. Artists still release CDs of their new albums

Yes, you can still buy the latest albums of modern artists as CDs. They are releasing their new albums in CD formats just like they are also releasing them vinyl.

You can buy these new CDs at pretty much any music shop. But if you’re struggling to find a CD of a specific artist, it’s worth going to their official website — a lot of artists and bands these days sell direct-to-consumers these days as well.

6. Audio companies are still releasing new CD players

The portable CD player is mostly a thing of the past, but, believe it or not, big-time audio companies are still releasing CD players for the home. Why? Because audiophiles are still craving them.

In the past few years, companies such as Cambridge Audio, Panasonic, McIntosh, Rotel and Sony have all released new CD players (or integrating them into digital streamers).

These players are a great option for people who have a large CD collection and don’t want to pay for a music server (or spend the time uploading all their entire CD library to it). Also, high-end CD players aren’t terribly expensive.

Source: https://www.gearpatrol.com/audio/reasons-to-buy-cds/

9/10/2024

Are CDs Making a Comeback?

8/31/2024

Why CDs Are Still Worth Buying in 2024 (Yes, Seriously)

Key Takeaways

CDs can offer savings over music subscriptions by providing lifetime ownership at affordable prices.

CD quality surpasses compressed digital formats while avoiding storage issues with lossless formats.

Physical CD collections provide aesthetic appeal, reflect your personality, and are more practical than tape and vinyl.

Old-school music tech is back in a big way—we are witnessing a significant resurgence in vinyl, cassette, and CD sales. As much as I love the convenience of music streaming services, here is why I believe CDs are still worth buying in 2024:

CDs Save You Paying for a Music Subscription Service

I have a music streaming subscription but often find myself listening to the same playlists, which makes me wonder if it's worth the monthly fee. Much of the music I listen to on Spotify already exists in my home music collection, and I'm chiefly paying for the convenience and practicality of music streaming. It begs the question: would the hundreds of dollars I pay yearly for music subscriptions be better spent on physical recordings?

Music streaming has revolutionized the industry, but the impact is not all positive. Artists are paid less, while record companies and streaming services are getting the lion’s share. Algorithms shape our decisions and set trends, while new artists aren't necessarily getting the exposure they deserve. Additionally, streaming services frequently charge a premium for CD-quality sound.

CD Quality Beats Compressed Digital Formats

Music streaming services like Apple Music, Amazon Music Unlimited, and Tidal already provide high-resolution audio. With the imminent release of Spotify HiFi, all major platforms will offer us the option to stream in 16-bit or higher quality that matches or exceeds that of CDs. However, much of this quality is lost on the average listener unless the music is played on high-end equipment or transmitted via premium Bluetooth codecs when connecting wirelessly.

Due to digital music's binary nature, CD quality is theoretically inferior to analog sound reproduction. Still, it beats the quality of compressed digital formats like MP3 by a large margin. The 16-bit 44.1 kHz standard CDs offer can reproduce all frequencies detectable by the human ear, but MP3 and other compressed formats are a significant compromise. If you choose to store your digital music library on a hard drive, storage device, phone, or digital music player (yes, these are also making a comeback), you have to use a lossless format like ALAC, AIFF, WAV, or FLAC to achieve CD-quality sound.

CDs Save You Using Storage Space on Your Devices

The problem with lossless formats is that they have much larger file sizes. Depending on the size of your music collection, this may lead to compromises when using a portable device to listen to your music, and it might dominate space on your computer's hard drive. I use a laptop with a decent amount of storage. However, I have had to relocate my digital music files to an external hard drive to ensure enough space for music creation and video editing.

A CD is a digital storage device in its own right, and if you have the available room, it makes sense to give your music collection a dedicated space distinct from your digital devices. As I prepare to dust off my old CD collection, I am seriously considering buying a modern CD player to get the best possible results and expanding my collection to include new purchases and music converted from my vinyl collection.

CD Players Can Be Compact and Stylish

The world has changed since the CD's heyday, and we tend to favor compact devices over large Hi-Fi separates and boxy floor-standing speakers. Modern entertainment centers seldom have enough room to house much more than a gaming console, a soundbar, and a TV streaming box, but thankfully, CD players have also moved with the times.

While it is still possible to buy 19-inch Hi-Fi separates, many manufacturers are producing scaled-down CD players that produce excellent results. Some exceed thousands of dollars in price, suggesting that the CD format is alive and well in audiophile circles. On the other end of the scale, some of the best new CD players are practical, affordable, and include modern features such as Bluetooth connectivity.

CDs Are Often Cheap to Buy

CDs can be affordable and come with lifetime ownership, unlike subscription services, where even your downloads ultimately expire. New releases on CD usually cost around $15, whereas classic albums and compilations can be found for between $5 and $10 on Amazon. Unsurprisingly, CD prices are lower in used markets, with popular releases selling for as little as $2 to $5 online.

CDs can still be found even cheaper in charity shops and thrift stores, although there's an element of chance involved regarding whether you will find something you like. That said, shopping for records is one of the greatest pleasures of owning physical music. I have spent entire afternoons looking for bargains and hidden gems among the racks of CDs—something that is becoming lost in the age of streaming media.

It Feels Good to Have a Physical Music Collection on CD

Like your taste in clothes or the artwork on your wall, your music collection says a lot about you. Physical music media comes with attractive images and informative liner notes, and a CD collection, like a well-stocked bookshelf, lends aesthetic appeal to a living space. There's much to be said for perusing a shelf full of CDs to consider what to play—something that often can't be said for scrolling through an app where you'll likely be bombarded with suggestions that don't reflect your mood.

As a vinyl collector for over twenty years, I am a fan of physical music media, but CDs are more robust, so I don't get nervous when a friend fumbles through my collection. A well-looked-after CD should last a lifetime, and building a sizable CD library shouldn't take long. You can also easily convert your analog media to CD format as a backup to save it from wear and tear and listen to it on the move.

It's easy to see why CDs declined in popularity. With the proliferation of digital music players, MP3 quickly became the gold standard, damaging the entire music industry as piracy and duplication were rife. To their credit, music streaming services have helped rectify some of these issues, but a new generation is happy to return to basics. As someone who loves their vinyl collection but likes to listen to music on the move, CDs provide the perfect compromise, especially if I decide to take my music entirely offline.

Source: https://www.makeuseof.com/why-cds-are-still-worth-buying/

7/22/2024

Why This New CD Could Change Storage

7/20/2024

CDs: Forgotten, but still amazing

7/19/2024

CDs Are Making A Comeback | Things You Should Know Before You Start Collecting

1/23/2024

XRCD / K2HD / SHM HD Discs by JVC

Extended Resolution Compact Disc (XRCD) is a mastering and manufacture process patented by JVC (Victor Company of Japan, Ltd) for producing Red Book compact discs. It was first introduced in 1995.

An XRCD is priced about twice as high as a regular full-priced CD. JVC attributes this to the higher cost of quality mastering and manufacturing.

Technical overview

The XRCD definition refers to the mastering and manufacture process; the resulting CD and the contained data conform to the redbook standard and are encoded at 16 bits, 44.1 kHz. Hence, XRCDs are playable on any compact disc player.

JVC uses advanced dither algorithms (though without noise shaping) in their K2 technology to transfer the analog or digital source to physical disc. The company claims to have studied how inferior CD-remastering techniques degrade the master tape sound and strives to minimize this loss.

Unlike HDCD, the extra four bits cannot be recovered, as this method of mastering only aims to improve dithering to 16-bit, rather than to store extra data.

Mastering process

If analog, the source material is first converted to digital via JVC's K2 20-bit or 24-bit analog-to-digital converter.

The musical information is next encoded on a magneto-optical disk for transport to JVC's Yokohama manufacturing plant, where jitter reduction is applied. The musical signal on the disk is down-converted to 16-bit through a K2 "super-coding" process. This 16-bit signal is eight-to-fourteen modulation-encoded (EFM-encoded) before going through a proprietary "Extended Pit Cut" DVD K2 laser technology to produce a glass master. JVC claims this optimizes the linear velocity of the glass master, giving precise pit lengths to eliminate time jitters, controlled by an extremely precise rubidium clock. All CDs are finally stamped directly from this glass master.

XRCD2 and XRCD24 are improved versions of the original XRCD process. XRCD2 is the first to record to a magneto-optical disk via the digital K2 regenerator, while XRCD24 upgrades the original music signal's bit depth signal from 20 to 24 bits.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extended_Resolution_Compact_Disc

K2 HD Mastering

K2 HD Mastering:
This is an epoch-making mastering technology which can pack the original attractive sound quality of master sources in each media with the information of quite wide frequency range up to 100kHz and high resolution of 24bit based upon K2 High Definition coding technology.
In case of CD mastering, it can realize very high sound quality CD which never existed before by packing the information of 192kHz and 24bit in CD master format of 44.1kHz and 16bit.

It depends on the master sources.

*In case of completed master sources such as "Analog Masters" with attractive original sound, it can keep all the information included in the master sources without any change.

*In case of Digital master sources (3/4U-matic, DAT etc.) in which the information or sound quality has already changed compared with the original masters, it can reproduce the sound quite close to the original.

*In case of master sources which need higher sound quality, it can be realized in an active and creative way.

"K2HD MASTERING" requires engineers to have enough skills in handling the equipments knowing well the special character of "K2 High Definition Coding", coping with the various situations such as the status of provided master formats, in judging the sound quality, and the best approach depending on the music genres and contents.

"K2HD MASTERING" can exist only by the engineers' manpower with high judgment for sound quality, and high skills which can match it best to the sound sources to be mastered.

The main purpose of "K2HD MASTERING" is to reproduce the charms packed in the original master sources as much as possible. It is especially effective for the reproduction of rich ambience and sound reality. Particularly it’s recommended for jazz and classical music full of sound reality played by acoustic instruments.

The direction of completed sound depends on the contents of masters but as a whole, it will be with a lot of analog taste full of depth which is soft as well as with high frequency range. Therefore, it's best for mastering of old master sources.

The process of K2HD MASTERING is the same as the one of normal mastering.

There's no special restriction for the format of original master sources or the completed format after mastering. The sound sources can be exchanged through Internet as well.

In case of CD manufacturing, as the master sound quality becomes much better by K2HD MASTERING, it will be possible to manufacture high quality CDs even if the process after mastering is the same as usual.

Of course, it's possible to play such CDs on normal CD players, which can show enough effect of K2HD MASTERING.

Epoch-making new mastering technology which can pack the original attractive sound quality of master sources brought out by mastering engineers' sensitivity and skill in each media with the information of quite wide range up to 100kHz and high resolution of 24bit based upon K2 High Definition coding technology.

The following points are necessary for K2HD MASTERING.
*Mastering engineers with high sensitivity for sounds and enough skill
*Attractive pieces of music
*Master sound sources with enough information

This CD is mastered with superior skill of mastering engineer and revolutionary "K2 High Definition Coding" technology. K2HD MASTERING enhances sound spectrum to a bandwidth of 100 KHz and 24-bit resolution, while retaining all the charm of the original recording. K2HD mastered CDs offer extended nuance, dynamics and musicality and are playable on any CD player.

K2 High Definition Coding:
New technology developed by JVC group (JVC & Victor Entertainment) which can pack the information of wide frequency range up to 100kHz and high resolution of 24bit into lower format. This is a part of "K2 technology" which is JVC's original technology for higher digital sound quality started in 1987.

In CD's case, it is possible to pack the information of 192kHz & 24bit into the format of 44.1kHz & 16bit.

K2 Technology:
In 1987, JVC and Victor Musical Industries started to cooperate with each other to improve the digital sound quality, and developed this "K2 technology" as JVC's original.

To begin with "K2 interface", innovative technology to cancel fundamentally the elements out of signals such as "jitter and ripple" added at the time of transmission of digital signals which affect much the sound quality, this technology has been active in various professional recording and mastering studios as essential technology to stabilize and improve the sound quality by removing various factors which might affect the sound quality in the process of data transmission or change of media.

JVC is proud of this technology including the newest "netK2" and "K2HD coding" toward all over the world which is evolving day by day.

Source: https://hificable.dk/k2-hd-mastering/

Below is a sample XRCD:

SHM CD Discs

Since its first release of 2007, SHM-CD format has gained much popularity and been highly-acclaimed by audiophiles around the world especially who put the importance on the quality of the sound the most. This page will show you all about SHM-CD format for further understanding on it. It would be great if this page helps your next adventure to the pursuing-the-high-fidelity-audio world.

About SHM-CD

SHM-CD (Super High Material CD) is a superior quality CD fully compatible with all CD players. SHM-CD utilizes a polycarbonate material originally developed for LCD screens, and the enhanced transparency of the SHM-CD results in more clarity, depth and definition of sound, bringing the listener ever closer to the music of the original master.

＊Results may vary depending on playback environment.

Features of the SHM-CD: Production

The injection molding system developed by JVC KENWOOD enhances the increased fluidity and greater transfer qualities of the polycarbonate, creating a new and improved disc in a compatible CD format.

The machine utilizes a precision master metal stamper also developed by JVC KENWOOD.
SHM-CD has it’s own production line, exclusively created for manufacturing SHM-CDs.

At JVC KENWOOD, we take pride in this meticulous production process, and prioritize quality over quantity.

Features of the SHM-CD: Quality

Every SHM-CD is made from a highly transparent polycarbonate originally designed for LCD screens.
Increased fluidity and greater transfer qualities of the polycarbonate allow for finer precision in pit formation.
Cleaner audio signals reduce jitter and the effects of birefringence.

Birefringence is the refraction of light in two slightly different directions to form two rays, scattering the radar and leading to poor reading. The superior transparency of this polycarbonate substrate (1.2mm thick) reduces the effects of birefringence resulting in a more accurate reading by the laser (780nm).

Features of the SHM-CD: Hardware

Conforms to the Red Book specification and definition of a Compact Disc Digital Audio.
Compatible with all CD players.
A CD with exceptional qualities across the board.
Superior manufacturing process extracts the highest possible sound quality.

Features of the SHM-CD: Sound Quality

Crystal clear sound.
Significantly higher resolution.
Excellent balance and stability.
Reduction in distortion, and improvement in bass range volume.

Source: https://www.cdjapan.co.jp/feature/shmcd_allabout

12/21/2023

Budget SACD Player: Sony BDP-S6700 or BDP-BX57

The Sony BDP-S6700 is a moderately priced Blu Ray player that will play Blu Ray discs as well as SACD discs, as well as MP3 and FLAC files from the included USB port. This is a current model and also offers video streaming as a bonus. It will also upscale SD video to HD video. Seems to be a tremendous value for audiophiles.

Sony BDP-S6700 Blu Ray Player , Jeff Miller, by Crutchfield's Jeff Miller

Your home theatre system's jack of all trades

I've built a solid Blu-ray collection, so I'm glad to see Sony is still committed to making great disc players. The Sony BDP-S6700 won't play Ultra-HD 4K Blu-ray discs, but it will upconvert standard Blu-ray and DVD discs to near-4K quality for playback on your Ultra HD TV. And this versatile player also offers popular streaming video services and delivers serious picture detail to a 1080p screen.

If you're connecting to a home theatre audio system, the BDP-S6700 supports high-resolution movie sound formats, like Dolby® TrueHD and DTS® HD. It will play CDs, SACDs, and music files from a thumb drive. Plus, it offers a wide variety of streaming audio options.

Dual-band Wi-Fi means smooth video streaming...

Dual-band Wi-Fi gives you a strong, quick connection for streaming services like Netflix. And Sony's noise reduction technology improves the quality of your streamed videos. On top of that, Miracast™ technology lets you “mirror” what you see on your smartphone or tablet on your TV's big screen.

Sony BDP-S6700

Send sound from the Sony BDP-S6700 to a pair of wireless Bluetooth headphones (not included) for late night viewing.

...and music streaming, too

If you're a Spotify® Premium subscriber, Spotify Connect lets you play your albums and playlists through your connected speakers. Or you can download Sony's free SongPAL™ app for iOS® or Android™. It gives you wireless access to the music stored on your phone, Pandora® Internet radio, and even music stored on a DLNA-connected server.

Beam sound wirelessly to headphones via Bluetooth

The BDP-6700's built-in Bluetooth lets you send the sound of your movies, shows, and other media to a pair of Bluetooth headphones. This helps with late night binge-watching. You can catch all the dialogue and hear all the loud, exciting sound effects without waking everyone up.

Product highlights:

Plays 3D and standard Blu-ray discs, DVDs, SACDs, CDs and rewriteable CDs

4K video upscaling for use with Ultra HD TVs

Dual-band Wi-Fi for smooth wireless streaming

Streaming video and music apps for playing TV shows, movies, and music, including Netflix, Amazon Instant Video, YouTube™, and Pandora (subscriptions required for some services)

Bluetooth transmitter sends audio from player to Bluetooth-compatible headphones or speakers

LDAC Hi-Fidelity wireless music streaming to and from compatible sources

Miracast-compatible — screen-mirroring with Miracast-compatible smartphones and tablets

Quick Start/Load mode swiftly queues up a disc from the "off" position

Free downloadable Sony SongPAL app (available from iTunes Store and Google Play) helps connect the player to your wireless network and controls playback, and volume

Also gives you control over other compatible Sony speakers as part of a multi-room music system

Control the player and stream content from compatible smartphones and tablets with Sony's SideView app for Apple® and Android™ devices (requires both devices to be connected to the same wireless home network)

BD-Live and BonusView support for added bonus features with compatible discs (requires external USB storage device)

Remote control

Pays Region A Blu-ray discs and Region 1 DVDs

Technical Specs:

Selectable video resolution up to 1080p

Built-in audio decoding for Dolby® Digital, Dolby TrueHD, DTS®, and DTS-HD Master Audio

Plays AAC, AIFF, ALAC, FLAC, MP3, WMA, and WAV audio file formats

Sony BDP-S6700 file format support:
Media: Bluray Disc (ROM/R/RE) DVD (+/-R/RW/R-DL/8cm) SACD, CD (R/RW) USB (FAT32/NTFS), External HDD (read)

Video: MPEG-1 (mpg, mpeg, mkv), MPEG-2 (mpg, mpeg, m2ts, mts, mkv), MPEG-4/AVC (mkv, mp4, m4v, m2ts, mts, mov, 3gp, 3g2, 3pgg, 3gpp2)

Audio: LPCM (mka), MP3, AAC (.m4a, aac, mka), FLAC (.flac, .fla), wma, wav, ac3

Sound formats: LPCM, Dolby Digital True HD, DTS HD Master Audio, DTS Neo:6, AV Sync, DRC, DSD

Photo: JPEG (jpg, jpeg), gif, png, mpo (not DLNA)

Front-panel USB port to play music, movies, and images from external hard drives and thumb drives

HDMI output

Coaxial digital audio output

Ethernet port for Internet connectivity

10-1/16"W x 1-1/2"H x 8"D

SONY BDP-BX57 Blu Ray Player

Another even lower-cost option is to get the older Sony BDP-BX57 Blu Ray player. It is readily available on eBay for around $50. It also has the traditional older RCA line output jacks. It will play Blu Ray discs at 1080p resolution, CDs, SACDs, and DVDs. It also has built-in Wi-Fi video streaming and offers USB input for MKV, MP4 video files and MP3 music files.

11/13/2023

SMSL SU-1 - THE Affordable DAC

SMSL SU-1 DAC breaks the rules!

10/20/2023

16 Bit vs. 24 Bit Audio - A Comparison

10/18/2023

Does DSD Sound Better Than PCM? (A Deep Dive)

DSD (direct stream digital) is almost like a mythical creature that only certain audiophiles have confronted before.

These are people who come back from their adventures with DSD telling wild stories about how they heard this extra-terrestrial beast murmur a sound that nobody has ever noticed before (besides them).

If you’ve heard of DSD, you may be familiar with these stories. In this article, we’ll uncover if they are true or false; and we’ll separate reality from fiction.

But First, Some Primer

It may sound obvious, but most mythical stories are not real. If someone were to say that DSD sounds better than PCM, they could be right.

However, the difference between the two is splitting hairs when it comes down to sound quality.

The drawbacks with DSD are high, and the commercial viability of DSD is non-existent compared to PCM.

Before we look at why this is, we need to make sure we understand some of the fundamentals of digital audio first…

What Are Samples?

The common answer to this is usually something like “samples are pieces of music used in other pieces of music.”

While this is correct, in this context a sample is something much smaller than a piece of music.

A sample is the smallest piece of a waveform possible, describing the wave’s exact position at a precise moment in time.

When all these samples are put together, you get a sound wave. You can think of samples as like pixels but for audio.

In some DAWs and wave editors, you can zoom right in and see little dots on the waveform.

These are samples and you may even be able to move them around, though it’s very hard to edit audio this way unless you are removing a few peaks here and there.

What Is Bit Depth?

Audio is stored in computers with bits – 1s and 0s. So if you have some binary code such as 1001010101000110, since it has 16 digits, this means it has 16 bits.

So bit depth is simply a way to store more information per sample in an audio file in x bits.

16-bit means there are 65,536 different possible values per sample
24-bit offers more than 16 million possible values per sample
32-bit has more than 2.1 billion unique values

But it should be noted that 32-bit float is technically 24-bit with an 8-bit mantissa, and there are no major practical benefits to using 32-bit audio over 24.

What Is Sample Rate?

The sample rate is the number of samples in one second of audio. So if you have a 48 kHz sample rate, then 48,000 samples of the audio are measured per second to recreate the sound.

So, if you are digitally recreating a sine wave at 48 kHz, then you are measuring the amplitude of the sine wave at 48,000 different points per second.

The most common sample rates are 44.1 kHz and 48 kHz, which are used in most DAWs.

What Sample Rate Should You Use For Music?

What sample rate you should use will depend on the audio quality you prefer, but the differences are very hard to notice. 48 kHz is the safest option but most consumers can not tell the difference between 48 kHz and 44.1 Khz.

In this case, we look to other reasons to pick between 48 kHz and 44.1 kHz. Simply put, 44.1 kHz is a leftover from the CD era, and though it sounds perfectly fine, 48 kHz is more compatible with video formats.

From an engineering perspective, calculations involving 48 samples per millisecond are neater than 44.1 samples per millisecond.

If you want to use Max, Reaktor, or make your own VST plugins, this is worth considering.

What is PCM?

PCM stands for pulse-code modulation and is the standard digital audio format used to encode sound waveforms digitally.

With PCM, the amplitude of an audio signal is sampled at regular intervals, creating a waveform.

History

In 1937, Alex Reeves conceived of PCM for voice communication in Britain while working for a phone company in France.

He filed a patent in 1938, describing it in theory with its advantages, but there was no practical application that resulted.

PCM technology was mainly used as a better approach to send telephone calls in the early 1960s, but the quality was not good enough for high-fidelity music until the 80s.

It was finally brought into the consumer market in 1982 when the Compact Disc (CD) brought PCM to the mainstream market and took off for its convenience and fidelity.

What is DSD?

DSD is a niche, 1-bit audiophile digital audio format used to represent analog samples digitally in a different way than PCM.

Instead of sampling the amplitude of audio signals at regular intervals, each bit is an interval that changes depending on the amplitude of the signal.

Does DSD Have a Higher Sample Rate Than PCM?

Yes, DSD (direct stream digital) has a much higher sample rate of over 1000kHz. In comparison, PCM is between 44.1kHz-192kHz.

Does DSD Sound Worse Than PCM?

Not necessarily. The problem with DSD is that you cannot edit, mix, or master it because there’s no proprietary software to do any of these things.

DSD also uses extremely high levels of noise shaping, meaning that at lower frequencies (those we can hear) the noise is very low, but once you get into ultrasonic frequencies the noise level rises extremely quickly.

What Is A 1-Bit Format?

A 1-bit format is about as simple as it gets. Whereas, a 16-bit format has 16 different bits that could either be on or off at the same time, and the combined bits add more complexity.

History of DSD

In the early 1990s, Sony collaborated with Phillips who had begun developing the DSD technology, and together the two made the SACD format, which is the same as DSD but in a consumer format (like PCM is to CD).

However, while the two had finalized the development of the product, the industry had made a giant step forward.

DAC manufacturers switched from 64fs to 128fs, which is twice the sampling rate, as well as a 5-bit format rather than the 1-bit format that they previously created.

So, they were essentially faced with the dilemma of filming a black-and-white film right when color television was invented.

However, DSD didn’t pan out to be commercially viable enough to be used as a mainstream source of digital audio encoding.

PCM became the dominant analog-to-digital encoding format in the early 80s when CDs were invented.

What Are Some Drawbacks of Using DSD?

The problem with DSD is that it is noisier and offers a more limited frequency range than comparable 24-bit PCM of a sampling rate >88.2kHz.

As a 1-bit format, there isn’t enough space in DSD for it to be dithered properly. As a result, you end up with an elevated noise floor.

The same issue applies to the DAC designs that originally inspired the format.

Which Sounds Better? DSD or PCM?

A lot of controversies have been made over which encoding system sounds better, but one can never really know unless they hear for themselves.

Not really easy when almost every digital device uses PCM audio-only.

Furthermore, many argue that DSD is not suitable for high-end applications and high-resolution audio because of its high distortion, but there are still audiophiles who swear that DSD DEFINITELY sounds better.

How Do I Listen To DSD?

You can listen to DSD by using an external Digital to Analog Converter, or DAC. A DAC can handle the high sample rates that are used in DSD format and can be connected to your computer through USB.

You will also need software to be able to listen to DSD as well. Programs like HQPlayer and JRiver work for both Mac and Windows, while Audirvana works for Mac exclusively, and Teac HR Audio Player works for Windows exclusively.

Can You Do Post-Production With DSD?

There’s been no method to edit, mix, and master DSD files like you could PCM files.

Therefore, most “commercially available” DSD recordings are recorded directly to DSD with no mixing/mastering, or are simply converted to and from PCM!

There are a few new software packages that can mix, master, and edit using DSD, but most are from very small niche companies.

Why Does DSD Need To Be Converted To PCM?

PCM does not have noise in the higher frequencies like DSD so it allows non-linear processing effects such as saturation and distortion.

DSD also cannot be dithered like PCM audio, because dithering applies randomness, the 0s and 1s become meaningless and the result is simply noise.

What Is Dithering?

Dither works by adding a bit of random noise to the signal: the sample values are shifted around a tiny bit in an unpredictable way.

This gets rid of the nasty distortion that results when decreasing the bit depth from 24 to 16 or lower.

Even though this raises the noise floor, the result is still less harsh than without dithering.

Dithering is somewhat antiquated and should only be used in the final stage of the production process in mastering when preparing a 16 bit master. Do not apply dithering to anything else!

What Is Quantization?

With PCM, the amplitude of the signal is limited to just one of a set of fixed values, determined by bit depth. This limiting process is called quantization.

Dither is needed on the signal to avoid quantization distortion. For example, quantization occurs when a 24-bit recording (with 16 million possible values per sample), gets converted to 16-bit CD resolution (which has only 65,536 possible values).

What Are The Different Rates Of DSD?

DSD comes as the standard DSD64, double-rate DSD128, Quad-rate DSD256, and Octuple-rate DSD512.

The number at the end of the acronym signifies that it is 64, 128, 256, or 512 times the sample rate as a CD.

Are DSD Files Smaller than PCM files?

DSD records a 1-bit data stream at 2.88 MHz. This amounts to roughly 22 MB of disk space per minute. So, if you have a typical song around 3 minutes in length, that would only equate to 66 MB.

PCM files such as WAV use less space, however. For example, a 24-bit 48 kHz WAV file at the same length is about 40 MB while an MP3 file of that length would be about 4-8 MB.

Playback Options for DSD

What Is DSD Disc Format?

DSD discs are available through the use of specific recorders and appropriate tools.

These discs can be listened to via certain Sony audio hardware devices such as the PlayStation 3, as well as certain Sony laptops.

Can DSD Be Used With USB?

Yes, USB is an alternative to using discs with files burnt onto them for playback. In 2012, a lot of companies teamed up to develop a standard that detects DSD audio in PCM frames they titled DSD over PCM, or DoP.

DSD vs PCM

When comparing DSD vs PCM, it’s important to note that DSD audio has a higher noise floor than PCM audio, a more limited frequency range, and was based on an approach to DAC/ADC design that was substantially improved right after its release.

The other problem is it’s incredibly difficult to work with. In fact, to perform any kind of serious work with DSD, you have to convert it into PCM.

It really seems that in 90% of cases, your average SACD was recorded as PCM audio, mixed as PCM audio, and then converted to DSD audio.

Contradictory Results

The consistent theme when comparing PCM and DSD is contradictory beliefs and opinions, and this goes for scientific studies as well as personal tests.

One double-blind study in Germany found that hardly anybody could distinguish the difference between PCM and DSD audio.

However, in a 2014 study in Tokyo, the results concluded that listeners could distinguish 192 kHz, 24-bit PCM with DSD at 2.8 MHz and 5.6 MHz, but not between 2.8MHz and 5.6Mhz DSD.

Consumer Market

DSD never achieved any level of success in the consumer market because post-production (which includes editing, mixing engineering, and mastering engineering) is extremely difficult due to the lack of necessary software.

DSD is still used, however, as a format for studio equipment in an archival manner as a possible replacement for analog tapes.

Conclusion

The quality of production, mixing, and mastering in most cases is 99% in the music itself, with that last 1 percent arguably being reliant upon the encoding format (in this case, DSD vs PCM).

Producing music in DSD format is extremely tiresome and near impossible. So unless you have a point to prove, stick to PCM.

If you’re only interested in listening to music, then DSD is worth investigating if you’re really fussy about audio formats.

If we had to pick a clear winner between the two, it would be PCM, largely thanks to its wide compatibility.

FAQ’s

What is SACD Versus DSD?

SACD (Super Audio CD) uses DSD encoding, except it is compatible with CD as well to make it more commercially viable.

It was intended to replace the Compact Disc (CD) in 1999 when it was introduced, with its multiple audio channel functionality.

The SACD layer uses a 1-bit DSD with a 4.7 GB disc capacity while the optional CD layer uses a 16-bit PCM with a 700 MB disc capacity (just like a regular CD).

What Is DST?

DST (Digital Stream Transfer) is a lossless data compression method used to reduce space and bandwidth within DSD.

DST compression reduces the file size by twice or three times and carries eighty minutes of sound.

What is ADC and DAC?

ADC is an analog to digital converter while DAC is a digital to analog converter. They are basically what the name implies.

An ADC converts an analog signal into a digital signal, while a DAC converts a digital signal into an analog audio signal.

DACs and ADCs are commonly used with music players but are also seen in televisions and phones.

What is Nyquist Theorem?

The Nyquist Theorem states that a digital sampling system must have a sample rate at least twice as high as the highest frequency of the audio that is being sampled.

Simply put, this is because you need at least two samples to generate an oscillation.

So with a 48 kHz sample rate, repeating two samples of opposite values would create a 24 kHz tone.

This is why for high-quality audio we use at least a 44.1 kHz sample rate. Because the highest frequency we can hear is 20 kHz, this gives us just enough room to fit the entire audible spectrum of sound.

Source: https://producerhive.com/ask-the-hive/does-dsd-sound-better-than-pcm/