Me, I had Phillips V2000 
1 Like
I make no claim exclusivity equals quality.
Rather, by their very nature, pinnacle products appeal only to a limited few. And, thus, few of each are made and offered for sale. Why make 100 when only 60 will sell?
High end audio fits this description.
There are separately a number of non-pinnacle products of good quality which appeal to the masses – an entirely different category.
1 Like
This is an interesting topic!
I think you speak of a late stage (and I’m familiar with it)…those who had it all (or think so) and go back to basics and enjoy this in a similar or if you will different way…sometimes they even seem to hate what they enjoyed before or demonstratively contemn it posthumous. Not rarely this happens at high age.
This stage is very self-critical as it wasn’t reached without having been the opposite of the new identification. In some cases it’s even just singular coquetry in a surrounding of similar previous luxury still around everywhere else of one’s life than around the topic of the newly discovered modesty.
I think the most honest can be identified by either not talking about the newly found modesty and especially the disrespect for others who are in the earlier stage of ones own life …or those who discovered the modesty without having gone through the opposite for most of their life.
It would also be not very credible to criticize e.g. the enthusiasm for the difference expensive cabling makes as elitist, while at the same time using expensive speakers one self, which are just as elitist compared to what 95% of average Hifi folks have at home.
The DirectStream upsamples everything before finally outputting DSD. That said, DSD almost always sounds better. Or, put another way, well recorded DSD files sound best to me.
Now, as for 352.8 (DXD – which is PCM), if that’s what 2L recorded it in it’s probably best to keep it in DXD. That would not have been my preference as a recording engineer to record in the format, but as Cookie from Blue Coast reminds us, everyone’s got their own thing.
At Octave, we record everything in DSD then convert to DXD for mixing, then back again to DSD (or leave it as DXD). This to our ears is much better sounding than recording in DXD to start with. Recording in DSD and then properly converting (basically just a low pass filter) to DSD (or analog) is by far the best sounding combination I know of.
1 Like
We haven’t at Octave Records. 
1 Like
Apropos:
FYI.
2 Likes
Quite the opposite, I think.
Pinnacle products appeal to loads of people. The problem is almost all can’t afford them. Take the Wilson XVX, the guide price is £350,000. You see it on the cover of every magazine, people love to go hear them. My dealer has a pair and actually sold a pair recently. They are only ever made to order, they are not sold from stock. Even the humble FR30 is effectively made to order.
For “pinnacle”, am I meant to read “price”? We all know an Apple Watch does more better than any diamond encrusted Swiss mechanical watch.
1 Like
Translated: Certain brands make very expensive products that only a few people can afford so they sell in small numbers.
The reality is that they often want to sell them in small numbers because they are often not profitable. They are usually made for two reasons: (a) they create brand value (b) they prototype new technology that drips down.
Two examples: the Rega Naiad and the Lexus 350 F. The Naiad technology dripped down into the hugely successful P8 and P10 units. Same with Lexus.
Anything else is not the lowest common denominator. The Rega P8 is a perfect example. (it sells a lot better than the P10 because is is almost as good and a lot cheaper, so better value.)
It is generally the case that the more affordable a product, the better value and quality it has to be because it will face more competition.
My idea of the perfect upgrade is a product that is better and cheaper. I’ve done it before and am I’m doing that at the moment with my power products.
Incorrect. Not even a vague semblance to what I have written and wholly ignoring my point.
As I have already stated, I make no claim exclusivity equals quality - neither does a high price tag. Rather, there are many high quality, affordable, specialist products which appeal to only a few.
Audio is rife with them. But only a small percentage of people buy as few are interested in audio. The rest are satisfied with the sound of their mobile phone ear buds.
Much better sound is readily available inexpensively but they have no interest in even a modestly priced improvement, such as a $50.00 portable headphone amplifier. They are not enthusiasts, not aficionados. They simply do not care. Thus the affordable, non-exclusive, quality, niche product sells in limited numbers.
Mobile phones and big screen televisions are great examples of lowest common denominator, non-aficionado products; i.e., far from niche. Nearly everyone wants one. Many spend exorbitant amounts for these, whether affordable or not. $1,000+ cell phones are an example.
5 Likes
So… um… what format is Taylor Swift’s latest recorded in?
(I am excited to hear Auto-Tune in high def)
Peace
Bruce in Philly (now Atlanta)
1 Like
Taylor Swift does not use auto-tine in live performance, and only uses pitch correction sparingly in the studio.
She is the real deal.
2 Likes
She records in Dolby Atmos, and as @elk says she is the real deal.
The US gets crazy about her, 30k a first row seat and I still have to find out what’s special about her music 
1 Like
Right there with ya…
I don’t have anything against T-Swift; but I don’t find her to be quite as gifted as her unfathomable success would suggest.
I wish her the best and, I guess, I’ll need to check out some of her more recent work to see if her and I are headed in a mutually agreeable artistic direction.
1 Like
People who were our age at the time said much the same about the bands we liked when we were younger. What do they see/hear in that?!?
The idea that one is required to like, comprehend or appreciate any given artist at any point in time based on their ability to draw a crowd?
Same as it ever was, same as it ever was (makes chopping motions on arm)
Byrne, BTW, was about midway in my life musical journey at this point. Which now seems like an Age ago. And which thankfully is not over yet, praise Jah.
Sad as it may be to say in this day and age, it probably doesn’t hurt her global appeal that she seems consistently hetero female in image; has done pop albums, countryish albums, etc.
Whereas from my elders’ POV the Beatles were suspect due to their hair and later on their clothing, never mind Robert Plant, Bowie and subsequent ambivalent pop stars. Taylor is right down the middle of the road.
I like the term DXD since we all know what it is and it’s more easy to write than 24/352 PCM or 24/384 PCM.
I wonder if we’ll ever see an artist record in DSD who, for example, regularly fills very large venues, conducts long tours.
2 Likes
The London Symphony Orchestra qualifies.
Recording in DSD is like driving a car without a steering wheel. Unbeatable in straight lines, unfortunately most recordings require going round corners.
Yes. I think we have to realize, that after the era of say Madonna and Michael Jackson, no hyped artist of a time will probably stay in mind for longer than 3 years anymore. So there’s somehow less need of trying to understand the why’s than before.
I found this interesting tidbit that explains the DoP process very simply. Paul used the same description in a recent video that was also easy to follow and understand.
I feel better about the process being able to understand it from a non technical view.
1 Like