24/96 Format

They aren't called "CD's", they're called DVD video spec discs, for audio ("DAD", etc.). You would need a DVD transport (or player) that can output a 24/96 bitstream (not all of them can), and you'd need a DAC that is 24 bit, 96 kHz. You REALLY MUST read TCGTHA first, though. YOU'RE BETTER OFF GETTING A GOOD CD PLAYER NOW, and get into the new software formats later...unless you don't own any CD's at all now, and only own 24/96 discs...which I'd bet is not the case.

I own ML 30.6 but only have ML 37. It is my understanding that ML is currently working on reference transport that sends 24/96. Thank you for correcting my terminology regarding CD vs. DAD. I did not know 24/96 is audio DVD. Its somewhat clearer now, although I find all the different formats confusing. Who or what is TCGTHA?

What about HDCD is it a noticeable improvement in the CD format?--Or more just smoke and mirrors?

Don't feel bad about being confused as you say, there's always a lot of others just waiting for someone else to ask the question do they don't have to. I suggest for a good starter that you pull up the Web site below and click on the review & interview articles posted there from a Stereophile Magazine issue covering these very questions. At the very least you will gain a considerable amount of highly informative information from one of the most competent and reliable sources in the Hi-End Industry. www.museelectronics.com/download.html

The question as I see it might be regarding CDs that say recorded or remastered using 24/96. These are CDs and not DVDs ....right? So, is the 24/96 format that is being used, for example, by RCA in their HP releases decodable by anything at all including a DVD player? In answer to Ferrari, I find HDCD to be incredible. Although it is pretty much a "dead" format, it is still wonderful to hear. There are some great recordings on the classical side by a label called "Reference Recordings". This could possibly be the same path that SACD might take.