The Dark Side; Digital audio equipment recommendations and setup.

Joe Mac said:
And that the places that did were more transparent about whether it’s an actual DSD transfer from the tapes rather than a PCM transfer converted into a DSD file which is utterly pointless beyond being able to be played on an SACD if beyond 16/44.
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It’s not a PCM to DSD. Takes a bit of piecing together from their blog and interviews but he does talk about their process. He takes reel to reel tapes (usually commercially available early reels) and runs them through a Studer 810 and transfers via Merging Technologies ADC and DAC to DSD256.

Obviously different sounding to if it was directly DSD from master tapes and the sound depends on the quality of the reel they use. Was pleasantly surprised by this though.
 
MikeH said:
It’s not a PCM to DSD. Takes a bit of piecing together from their blog and interviews but he does talk about their process. He takes reel to reel tapes (usually commercially available early reels) and runs them through a Studer 810 and transfers via Merging Technologies ADC and DAC to DSD256.

Obviously different sounding to if it was directly DSD from master tapes and the sound depends on the quality of the reel they use. Was pleasantly surprised by this though.
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I wasn’t talking about your one.

More that it’s an open secret that fhere are a shit tonne of SACDs and DSD 64 files that aren’t DSD transfers, they’re hi res PCM in a DSD file container. It’s shady and it only really benefits the person who wants only discs.
 
MikeH said:
so because i'm an idiot....curiosity got the best of me and i downloaded the HDTT DSD256 of Kind of Blue. And I gotta say... it's pretty stunning. Running the DSD256 through the Ares II DAC so it has a lossless path and playing the DSF file directly vs converting to PCM. wish more places sold DSD downloads of more popular albums.
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positive-feedback.com

Miles Davis Kind of Blue - Positive Feedback

Miles Davis Kind of Blue Pure DSD256 from HDTT
positive-feedback.com positive-feedback.com
 
Jbraswell said:
I wonder if these folks are legal?
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they are somewhat well-known and no label has shut them down despite them having some really big jazz titles. i was going to buy a few jazz SACDs elsewhere, but for the price I might pick up a few other of the DSD256s from them.

from what I read, they seek out copyright-lapsed commercial reel to reels.
 
MikeH said:
they are somewhat well-known and no label has shut them down despite them having some really big jazz titles. i was going to buy a few jazz SACDs elsewhere, but for the price I might pick up a few other of the DSD256s from them.

from what I read, they seek out copyright-lapsed commercial reel to reels.
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Ok, could possibly be borrowed time but who knows.
Definitely intrigued to try the Waltz since it's so rare.

Best I could do is Roon to the Node unless I changed HW ; currently HW budget is blown!

Want to A/B the Qobuz to see any differences.
 
Jbraswell said:
Ok, could possibly be borrowed time but who knows.
Definitely intrigued to try the Waltz since it's so rare.

Best I could do is Roon to the Node unless I changed HW ; currently HW budget is blown!

Want to A/B the Qobuz to see any differences.
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Yea I'm going Roon NUC --> Roon --> Aries Mini --> USB out to the Ares II DAC to get the full DSD. If I buy another album, Waltz might be the one for me. I have 11 titles in my want list from them right now so will whittle it down. Don't want to spend a ton but am glad I got KoB.

I would be curious about how they are licensing (or not licensing) though. Lots of theories about it. They don't use original artwork so I'm guessing they are trying to go through some loophole and using a tape where copyright has lapsed. Not sure canada's copyright laws on the matter. Others think that they are paying to license, but aren't paying nearly as much since they aren't going through the costly process of going through the vaults to get original masters. I'm guessing it's the former though...
 
MikeH said:
Yea I'm going Roon NUC --> Roon --> Aries Mini --> USB out to the Ares II DAC to get the full DSD. If I buy another album, Waltz might be the one for me. I have 11 titles in my want list from them right now so will whittle it down. Don't want to spend a ton but am glad I got KoB.

I would be curious about how they are licensing (or not licensing) though. Lots of theories about it. They don't use original artwork so I'm guessing they are trying to go through some loophole and using a tape where copyright has lapsed. Not sure canada's copyright laws on the matter. Others think that they are paying to license, but aren't paying nearly as much since they aren't going through the costly process of going through the vaults to get original masters. I'm guessing it's the former though...
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I'm staring at my vinyl without a cart tonight so I'll try Waltz out.

I doubt the labels are agreeable to this.
 
Mather said:
"Why go vinyl?" they said. "Its so fiddly and expensive." they said. "Go digital it's so much easier." they said.

Suuuuuuure...
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i just sit on my couch and hit play on the Roon app and don't have to get up for 45 minutes. it's great!
 
Jbraswell said:
I'm staring at my vinyl without a cart tonight so I'll try Waltz out.

I doubt the labels are agreeable to this.
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if you buy DSD, it also gives you a download link to every other digital format they sell of the same title, which is kinda cool. so buying the DSD256 gave me the other DSDs + FLACs.
 
MikeH said:
I've got a bunch of DSD SACD rips but pretty sure this is the first DSD256 I have. I understand why places don't sell them as downloads usually. The KOB one is 11GB haha.
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Denon spec'd <=DSD11.2

Not exactly sure WTH that is?


Edit: it's another way of saying DSD256

Wiki:

Quad-rate DSD (DSD256)[edit]​

Referred to as DSD256 because the sample rate is 256 times that of CD. The Pyramix Virtual Studio Digital Audio Workstation allows for recording, editing and mastering all DSD formats, being DSD64 (SACD resolution), DSD128 (Double-DSD) and DSD256 (Quad-DSD). A 48 kHz variant of 12.288 MHz has been established. The exaSound e20 DAC was the first commercially available device capable of DSD256 playback at sampling rates of 11.2896/12.288 MHz.[28][29] The Merging Technologies Horus AD/DA Converter offers sample rates up to 11.2 MHz, or four times the SACD rate.
 
Got Evan's Waltz 256 up and running.
But my signal path is less than ideal.
I'm sure others have more optimal ways to play these files.

Screenshot_20220909-220900_Roon.jpg
 
Jbraswell said:
Got Evan's Waltz 256 up and running.
But my signal path is less than ideal.
I'm sure others have more optimal ways to play these files.

View attachment 150974
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I don’t think the Node natively does DSD which is why there’s the conversion. If your amp does support it and happens to have a USB input, you could probably run the usb out from the node to the amp’s USB in and have your amp play the DSD directly…
 
MikeH said:
I don’t think the Node natively does DSD which is why there’s the conversion. If your amp does support it and happens to have a USB input, you could probably run the usb out from the node to the amp’s USB in and have your amp play the DSD directly…
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Node doesn’t supposedly doesn’t support audio over usb yet, they have that old chestnut “future firmware update” on their site and doesn’t have the processing capacity to pass native DSD either. When you’re using a node you just have to accept that you can’t play native DSD and that it’s going to convert it to PCM.
 
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