2nd Edition
Santana: Abraxas (DSD)
We just saw the release of a remastered version of Kind of Blue (see review) from HDtracks and now Acoustic Sounds has begun tapping Sony's DSD vaults (are we in a golden age of music-loving goodness or what?) and one of the first offerings is Abraxas. The question on many people's mind's is, "How does it sound?". Stunning, is my answer.
Miles Davis: Kind of Blue (Again)
One audiophile stereotype is the notion that we buy the same old music over and over and I'd imagine it is such a cliché'd image because it is largely true. I would say that the majority of high resolution audio download sales are reissues since not a heck of a lot of new music is released in high resolution formats.
Sony DSD Titles on Acoustic Sounds
The first DSD titles from the Sony vaults just hit the Acoustic Sounds HiRez store. While the first batch consists of four albums, Santana Abraxas, Luther Vandross Never Too Much, Wynton Marsalis Hot House Flowers, and Herbie Hancock Head Hunters, this is obviously just the tip of the Sony iceberg.
Bruce Brown at Puget Sound Offers the "DSD Battle Royale!"
Bruce Brown (see our Q&A) has posted a DSD Battle Royale! consisting of master tape transfers from a modified Studer A80RC MkII through a Doshi tape preamp converted to DSD using five different A/D converters.
Burson Audio Conductor Headphone Amplifier/Preamplifier/DAC
The Burson Audio Conductor packs a bunch of full features into a very solid 6mm thick precision machined aluminum chassis. There's a full function preamp with two line level RCA inputs, a host of 24/192-capable digital inputs, and a headphone amp. A threefer.
The dCS Puccini Plays DSD
UK-based digital music pioneer dCS (Data Conversion Systems, ltd.) has long been known as a company whose products reflect cutting edge digital technology. Yet one of the big paradoxes in the 25-year history of an organization that was part of the original working groups that developed the SACD format, and that originated DoP (DSD over PCM), the protocol that enables transfer and playback of DSD music files packed into a PCM frame, is that it has been slow to incorporate DSD file playback into its products.
Getting Started in Computer Audio
If you haven’t taken the dive into computer audio, you may be asking yourself a very simple question--Why should I? The very simple answer is accessibility and sound quality.
Q&A with Andreas Koch
With all of the attention DSD has garnered of late, it seemed like a good time to go to one of SACD's creators for answers to some common questions.
1st Edition
Q&A with Andreas Koch
With all of the attention DSD has garnered of late, it seemed like a good time to go to one of SACD's creators for answers to some common questions.
OtM tX-USBexp Audiophile PCIe to USB Audio Card and mBPS-d2s Intelligent Battery Power SupplyS
The final SOtM component to get our attention is their PCIe (Peripheral Component Interconnect Express) to USB 3.0 Audio Card. Who needs one? I'd say anyone with a PC who wants to get the best out of their USB audio. That's who.
HDtracks Gets a Facelift
The HDtracks website is sporting a new design and while past visitors will recognize the overall layout, there are a few changes that should make browsing more pleasant. First off, you can now scroll through more releases right on the home page and there's a Wishlist feature to save yourself the trouble of remembering.
Download(s) of the Week: Circuit des Yeux, Lucrecia Dalt, Juana Molina, Noveller, Laurel Halo
Rarely has one week sounded so good. A quintet of releases of stunning sonic proportions! Here we have music to fit many moods from quiet introspection to percolating Argentinian pop, to brooding noir-colored chanson, electronic dreams, and dreamy tales. I don't have a favorite among these five wonderful releases unless you talk to me while I'm listening to one in which case it will be it.
Meet the Geek Pulse DXD/DSD DAC and Headphone Amp
The folks over at Light Harmonic are at it again, this time crowdfunding their latest desktop DAC and headphone amplifier the Geek Pulse over on Indiegogo.
The Trouble with Listening
Reader Rich Davis asked in reference to the Meridian Explorer: Is it possible to post measurement test results? I'm interested in knowing the dynamic range, jitter, etc. etc. for each bit rate. Just so I can compare [with] other DACs?
Onkyo HF Player App Offers 24/192 and DSD for iOS Devices!
Onkyo has come out with an app for the iOS devices that allows playback of PCM files at rates up to 24/192 and DSD (DSD files are converted to PCM prior to playback or sent as DoP).
SOtM sMS-1000U Music Server
A music server is a computer. I know you already knew that but I figured I'd state the obvious anyway as a lead in to the most important criteria for any computer destined to act as a music server. Among these criteria I count ease of use as being paramount to worth.
Source Audio Stream
