When is digital going to get the soul of music?

Jwm, please re-read the quote, and perhaps the article too. What you said is exactly what the author IS saying. I thought the article was quite interesting because the author made a very cogent case maintaining that the redbook CD format of 16 bit/44.1 KHz is more than sufficient for excellent playback --- IF and that's a big IF -- the music was better recorded, mastered and engineered. It's not the format that's the problem. It the production process.

Well at least that's what the author said.

Best,

Bruce

Metralla, what is your opinion re the Steve Hoffman hybrid?

Kapa started an OP and asked for comments about this article. http://xiph.org/~xiphmont/demo/neil-young.html

The author says "[t]he BAS test I linked earlier mentions as an aside that the SACD version of a recording can sound substantially better than the CD release. **It's not because of increased sample rate or depth but because the SACD used a higher-quality master.** When bounced to a CD-R, the SACD version still sounds as good as the original SACD and better than the CD release **because the original audio used to make the SACD was better. Good production and mastering obviously contribute to the final quality of the music.**" (**Emphasis added**)

What else is there to say?????

I'd like to add a "lay techie" comment. I hope that digital does improve to the point that it is consistently better sounding than vinyl. I'm NOT saying that all of my LPs sound better than my "redbook" CDs because they do not. But, IME and to my ears, subject to a few exceptions, my vinyl set up is better sounding than my redbook CDP.

Nevertheless, I am optimistic that the music industry at large will settle on a uniform digital format that will set a new standard of music playback and that will reliably out perform vinyl. Believe me -- I like to load and play for 60 or more minutes without worrying about picking up a tone arm at the end of a 15 to 20 min. playback, or replacing styli after 1500 hour so hours of use.

One other observation. ARC has been aggressively pushing forward on the digital front, now offering a new dedicated REF DAC and REF CD-9 CD player (replaced the REF CD-8). These new offerings are ridiculously expensive ($30K for the REF DAC and $16K for CD-9). Interestingly, these new products provide a half a dozen or more formats from which to choose. I hope ARC guessed it right. ;>')

Cheers.