When is digital going to get the soul of music?

Timrhu; I hear you and I am not in disagreement with you, however, :) I think you may be taking a different route than the meaning behind this post. I think we are more concerned with a great deal of digital devices NOT being able to capture the ethereal emotional content that music contains. It seems that pure analog sources have an easier time with this elusive non-quantized metric than digital does (although I am one to admit the newer turntables are sounding more and more sterile and less musical to me). I will say that I have heard some digital capture this magic and I believe my AMR DP777 is one of those units, but I still hear ultra expensive digital (like the $90K DA converter I recently listened to) which simply has no clue; I mean they can sound absolutely PRISTINE with all the resolution of an electron scanning microscope and absolutely sound NOTHING like music if you get my meaning :)

03-30-14: Audiofun
Timrhu; I hear you and I am not in disagreement with you, however, :) I think you may be taking a different route than the meaning behind this post. I think we are more concerned with a great deal of digital devices NOT being able to capture the ethereal emotional content that music contains.

I think if we were more concerned with listening to the music for the ethereal emotional content than listening to the device providing the music we might more easily realize that connection. My grandsons have no problem connecting to the soul of the music while listening to mp3s on their ipods or phones thru the crappy Apple headphones.

I still contend the "soul" of music is in the music and the heart of the listener. Not the playback device, no matter the quality. If the only way to get an emotional connection to the music is thru a perfect playback media we are in a sad state. Rather than listening to the device for flaws we should relax and as John Kay sang, "Close your eyes girl, look inside girl, let the sound take you away."

Nothing at all wrong with striving for the best playback of a recorded event. That is what this hobby is about.

I have heard some $90K Analog Equipment that sounds just as....sterile? It sounded just as you described "PRISTINE with all of the resolution of an electron scanning microscope and absolutely sound NOTHING like music". In fact I have tried to search for a particular Turntable/Cartridge/Tonearm/Phonostage that produces the classical Analog sound. On occasion I have found such combinations ( The Cost Was Irrelative ). It sounds to me like it has something to do with the midrange. The midrange blooms, it breathes, it has lots of 3D decay, it reaches out and grabs the listener, the presence sends shivers up your spine. Being in the presence region might have something to do with it. Odd, or even order harmonic content might have something to do with it. I try to avoid Analog set-ups that try to compete with the old classical CD Sound ( Sterile with overemphasis of detail ). In the past this is what Turntable manufacturers did to compete with CD ( Many Did- Not All ). I am finding it harder to find an Analog Rig that still has that classical Analog sound. I am starting to find more Digital set-ups that are starting to emphasize it more, and capture it ( Maybe Not As Well As Analog, but Analog doing so is becoming rare ). The right Recording seems to be critical to getting this effect ( With Loads of Midrange Harmonic Content- Even or Odd Order ). I have heard lots of Analog Records that encapsulate the classical, sterile CD sound. It seems to me to be a sweet spot of just the right combination of recording, and equipment. Used to be just a phenomenon of Analog only- this has changed. This sound might be beneficial to classical and pop, jazz Music. I don't think it does Rock, or Heavy Metal a lot of justice. Leading edge initial attack might become blurred with emphasized harmonic content. It is hit, or miss with both Analog- and Digital. Personal preferences will mostly dictate.

There was a hope during the pinnacle of ladder DACs such as PCM63P-K and AD1865. Hi-end industry ruined it with the race for higher sampling rates. The soul was lost in translation.

There was a hope during the pinnacle of ladder DACs such as PCM63P-K and AD1865. Hi-end industry ruined it with the race for higher sampling rates. The soul was lost in translation.

Sure, but those cannot process DSD which, to my ears, has the ability of providing the "soul of the music", just like pure analog, and unlike any other digital format currently available. At least this is my experience after dealing with digital for quite some time now.

Best wishes,
Alex Peychev