2X DSD streaming from my server thru the Playback Designs MPS-5......WOW!!!

[Mike Lavigne]

this is the future of state of the art digital playback, very near master tape performance from digital. don't confuse this with KORG 2X DSD; this is the real thing with an amazing master tape as the source mastered to 2X DSD optimally and played on a normal consumer machine and a normal server. up till now you had to have a pro studio to hear this.

it's played with J River 'beta' software downloaded from their website. no; i don't know the details of the software or how to load it. my son, the network engineer, does all the heavy lifting for me and i just hit 'play'. you could contact Jonathan Tinn at Playback Designs and he could answer any questions.

it's easily the best digital i have ever heard.

sorry i cannot share info about the music, but if you've wondered how good digital can get, it can get this good.

anyone local in the Seattle area is welcome to come on over and i'll play it for you.

 

[c1ferrari]

Not entirely certain...

...very near master tape performance from digital.

but if this is what Sonny and I heard in Jonathan's room at THE Show in California, I was ASTONISHED at how well DSD acquitted itself relative to the analog tape master.

Indeed, the DSD presentation may have eclipsed its vinyl complement!

 

[jtinn]

but if this is what Sonny and I heard in Jonathan's room at THE Show in California, I was ASTONISHED at how well DSD acquitted itself relative to the analog tape master.

Actually what you and wonderful Sonny heard was DSD64 not the DSD128 that Mike is talking about. DSD128 is also known as 2x DSD.

 

[c1ferrari]

Well

Actually what you and wonderful Sonny heard was DSD64 not the DSD128 that Mike is talking about. DSD128 is also known as 2x DSD.

Jonathan, the DSD presentation -- DSD64 -- in your room in California, and the DSD (unsure which type) I was privileged to hear at Oasis Mastering in Los Angeles are my benchmarks for excellence in digital reproduction.

My enthusiastic compliments for this achievement

 

[Bruce B]

sorry i cannot share info about the music, but if you've wondered how good digital can get, it can get this good.

anyone local in the Seattle area is welcome to come on over and i'll play it for you.

Glad you liked it Mike...

 

[Mike Lavigne]

Glad you liked it Mike...

like pretty much anything else you have ever done.

thanks Bruce. i'd love more like that.

 

[c1ferrari]

I daresay

Glad you liked it Mike...

Your contributions were prominent in Jonathan's room in California, too, Bruce

Kudos

 

[microstrip]

this is the future of state of the art digital playback, very near master tape performance from digital. don't confuse this with KORG 2X DSD; this is the real thing with an amazing master tape as the source mastered to 2X DSD optimally and played on a normal consumer machine and a normal server. up till now you had to have a pro studio to hear this.

it's played with J River 'beta' software downloaded from their website. no; i don't know the details of the software or how to load it. my son, the network engineer, does all the heavy lifting for me and i just hit 'play'. you could contact Jonathan Tinn at Playback Designs and he could answer any questions.

it's easily the best digital i have ever heard.

sorry i cannot share info about the music, but if you've wondered how good digital can get, it can get this good.

anyone local in the Seattle area is welcome to come on over and i'll play it for you.

Mike ,
Did you have the same recording in DSD and 2X DSD to compare the versions? It seems to me this would be a very important point.

 

[jtinn]

Jonathan, the DSD presentation -- DSD64 -- in your room in California, and the DSD (unsure which type) I was privileged to hear at Oasis Mastering in Los Angeles are my benchmarks for excellence in digital reproduction.

My enthusiastic compliments for this achievement

Thank you very much Sam!

 

[Mike Lavigne]

Mike ,
Did you have the same recording in DSD and 2X DSD to compare the versions? It seems to me this would be a very important point.

i have had the source tapes of this recording in my room so i know how the source compares to the 2x dsd digital version. i have not heard a regular dsd of this particular recording; however i have been in Bruce's room and heard various sources thru dsd and 2x dsd so i have a good sense of the difference. and i'll likely get a regular dsd copy of this recording at some point.

this particualr recording is one of my most played references on vinyl and i know every note and inflection so i have as good a feel for it as is possible.

 

[Mike Lavigne]

Indeed, the DSD presentation may have eclipsed its vinyl complement!

some dsd has eclipsed some vinyl, and exactly where the point of vinyl performance where that might happen and which dsd recordings might do that is open to question.

2x dsd has certainly eclipsed higher levels of vinyl than regular dsd. again; the point where that happens is debatable. it is exciting to see digital climb these heights.

but even 2x dsd falls short of the very top level of vinyl; at least in my system. the issue is that vinyl keeps getting better too....it's not standing still.

 

[MylesBAstor]

some dsd has eclipsed some vinyl, and exactly where the point of vinyl performance where that might happen and which dsd recordings might do that is open to question.

2x dsd has certainly eclipsed higher levels of vinyl than regular dsd. again; the point where that happens is debatable. it is exciting to see digital climb these hights.

but even 2x dsd falls short of the very top level of vinyl; at least in my system. the issue is that vinyl keeps getting better too....it's not standing still.

I think the acid test is the original analog tape vs. a 2X DSD copy

 

[Mike Lavigne]

I think the acid test is the original analog tape vs. a 2X DSD copy

and having heard both in my system the tape is better; clearly better. but 2x dsd is damn good.

the real acid test would be separate mic feeds to analog tape and 2x dsd; then compare. my understanding is that Bruce has done this himself and tape wins....which is what i would expect.

of course, Keith Johnson has done this for years with RR recordings....except he used 176/24 instead of 2x dsd. we know how that one turned out since many of us have those master tapes and 176/24 HRx files.

 

[amirm]

of course, Keith Johnson has done this for years with RR recordings....except he used 176/24 instead of 2x dsd. we know how that one turned out since many of us have those master tapes and 176/24 HRx files.

Related, I didn't think Keith and crew had kind words about DSD. Has that changed?

 

[Mike Lavigne]

Related, I didn't think Keith and crew had kind words about DSD. Has that changed?

i would not presume to guess how RR/Keith feel now about dsd. obviously he was very invested in PCM. HDCD, the Pacific Microsonics II being a couple of examples, and all his digital masters were in 176/24. certainly the digital tools to process dsd recordings were crude or dsd had not yet happened when most of RR recordings were done.

i love his recordings.

you know the guy; you should ask him how he currently feels.

 

[c1ferrari]

This is not hyperbole...

Thank you very much Sam!

I was nonplussed and incredulous of the digital experience and this was DSD64
AND you and Bruce have DSD128

I MUST hear this 2X DSD

 

[c1ferrari]

Voila

the real acid test would be separate mic feeds to analog tape and 2x dsd; then compare.

A persuasive evaluation model, imo

 

[MylesBAstor]

and having heard both in my system the tape is better; clearly better. but 2x dsd is damn good.

the real acid test would be separate mic feeds to analog tape and 2x dsd; then compare. my understanding is that Bruce has done this himself and tape wins....which is what i would expect.

of course, Keith Johnson has done this for years with RR recordings....except he used 176/24 instead of 2x dsd. we know how that one turned out since many of us have those master tapes and 176/24 HRx files.

While I agree that might be the "ultimate" test for recording quality, one is dependent upon relatively unreliable, short term memory, for the frame of reference! One would have to be starting, restopping and comparing the artists with the recording to get a real indication.

At least with the tape, you have a stable baseline for comparison. Either 2x SACD is faithful to the sound of the tape or it isn't

 

[jtinn]

Related, I didn't think Keith and crew had kind words about DSD. Has that changed?

I too have no idea how he feels about DSD. I certainly am surprised that he or anyone else could feel that way.

 

[fas42]

Either 2x SACD is faithful to the sound of the tape or it isn't

Of course we're going to ignore the fact that the tape has coloured the sound, both on record AND on replay ...

Frank