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Redbook Keeps Surprising

I was a Best Buy to get a memory card reader for my computer. Looked at the CDs and saw a few in the bargain bin that I would like to have, only a few dollars. Came home, ripped them with DB power amp, picked the best cover art. Transferred to my Aurender through the NAS and played away. WOW, impressive sound and I really enjoyed them both. I like the High Res downloads and my SACD collection but am often really impressed by good Redbook CD. It really is the music that counts. 
128x128davt
111 responses Add your response
jon2020's avatar
jon2020
986 posts
 
".... otherwise they might think the OP is full of it."

Seriously? No-one else thinks so except.....well, you know who you are.
For anyone else saying that redbook is great without even thinking or knowing what type of converter he has in his DAC, he is then "full of it"?
Come on, give us all a break.


The OP is enjoying redbook very much with his Aurender but now that he is told Aurender is delta sigma, he is going to enjoy redbook less because ....." Delta Sigma will just mutilate it like it does to Redbook"?
I don't think so.

georgehifi's avatar
georgehifi
10,312 posts
 

For any one else to appreciate the best what Redbook can offer as the OP suggests, you need to hear it with it’s best conversion process, not with DSD (Delta Sigma) crap conversion, otherwise they might think the OP is full of it.

It like someone saying how good this Ferrari and for you to take it for a drive, but it’s got cross-ply tires on it and low octane fuel in it.

That’s why there’s a new real hi-rez PCM process hopefully coming called DXD similar to the defunct DVD-A, this is 24bit PCM, and needs true Multibit to convert it properly like the PCM104k dacs. Delta Sigma will just mutilate it like it does to Redbook.

http://www.stereophile.com/content/promates-worlds-first-dxd-download-store#3iOw5ocBDM6LBIRz.97

Cheers George

http://www.realhd-audio.com/?tag=dxd

jon2020's avatar
jon2020
986 posts
 
Groan.... where someone here is concerned, it does not matter if the OP finds that redbook sounds great.
The thread has somehow gone on to whether redbook will sound great with or without a particular type of DAC chip used.

Heck, the OP did not even touch on the DAC chip.Redbook still sounds fabulous. Period.

Whatever it is that makes redbook sound fabulous is not the issue here. So, the OP is using an Aurender and he is enjoying his redbook but no, this guy has to come along to say, hey, you should not be enjoying redbook so much because your Aurender is a delta-sigma. WT.....?
georgehifi's avatar
georgehifi
10,312 posts
 
The Aurender helps get the most out of Redbook.


It's a Delta Sigma based converter, so it can't. Only true Multibit converters can get "bit perfect" conversion from PCM. Read the above link.


Cheers George 

jon2020's avatar
jon2020
986 posts
 
I agree that redbook is fabulous.
From another thread :-

"......I marvel at how good redbook can get today. The new gen dac’s via usb narrow the gap so much that well-recorded redbook sounds just as good as hires pcm/dsd......"
nonoise's avatar
nonoise
10,838 posts
 
I just got back from the Newport Audio Show and although I didn't try out all of the headphones, it was the VKmusic compact disc player (a modified TEAC CD drive based on the 47 Treasure) feeding it's signal into their NOS DAC (Philips TDA1543) and played through their Elekit TU-8200 DX integrated amp and into some brand of headphones (which eludes me) that convinced me that 16/44 NOS is still in the game. 

I wish I could have heard those $4K Audeze headphones with that set up but they were in another room.

All the best,
Nonoise



sun-warrior's avatar
sun-warrior
28 posts
 
The Aurender helps get the most out of Redbook.
georgehifi's avatar
georgehifi
10,312 posts
 


PCM still rules, maybe the format it's carried on can be updated (CD) but re-played with a dac with R2R Mulitbit converter, there is still no equal.

http://www.mojo-audio.com/blog/dsd-vs-pcm-myth-vs-truth/

Make sure you read at the bottom:

"When a PCM file is played on a DSD or Bit Stream converter, the DAC chip has to convert the PCM to DSD in real time. This is one of the major reasons people claim DSD sounds better than PCM, when in fact, it is just that the chip in most modern single-bit DACs do a poor job of decoding PCM."

Cheers George



gshepardbuster's avatar
gshepardbuster
620 posts
 
IMO it seems that this old outdated format is finally starting to reach its full potential.  
georgehifi's avatar
georgehifi
10,312 posts
 

You would be really impressed with Redbook (PCM) using with todays ideas of I/V (current to voltage) conversion with proper R2R Multibit dacs, as they are "bit perfect" for PCM conversion.

Instead of using Delta Sigma based convertors in most of todays dacs that are used for dsd, then try to do Redbook replay which can only give an approximation, and is not "bit perfect" .


Cheers George

dbtom2
382 posts
 
@davt
I agree. A good Redbook cd can sound like it couldnt be improved upon. I find myself buying new or used from Amazon and saving $$. For my old ears, it takes a special artist and recording to get me to go for the hi-res version.

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