Hoping for some real life experience here (as opposed to theory)… NativeDSD has some music that was recorded or edited in DXD. No surprise there. Question: anyone here compared the DSD 256 downloads with the DXD versions? Any preference? NativeDSD, candidly, says it depends… That’s a valid answer, I’m sure, but I am interested in the experience of this group. Cheers.
If a recording is transferred directly from analogue to DSD256 and is of a good sound quality where editing or correction is not needed, DSD256 is where I want a recording to be.
DXD is actually PCM, and could be recordings where corrections to improve sound quality were needed.
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Thinking back upon the SACD roll-out, I wonder just how many DSD256 recordings are out there. Especially those recorded direct to DSD256, where the advantage may actually be maximized.
Regarding SACD to my mind it seemed to represent a rehash of previously recorded “sonic gems” but little in the way of current recordings. A bit of a niche product. No doubt that it sounds nice, but a limited catalog.
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I have compared DXD to DSD256. Both are overkill times 10. If someone can hear the difference between those two, I cannot decide if I am envious of their ears or grateful I don’t have them.
Someone on this forum was sad he couldn’t get his DSD512 files to play. That is attention to detail gone off the reservation. There is zero possible need for DSD512.
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@aangen has listened to both. And that’s what I was looking for.
I guess I could purchase both versions and see if I could hear any difference. My guess would be “no.” But it’s interesting that the PureDSD website flags how the music was recorded and edited, which is refreshing transparency. And it has explanatory links, also good.
There was another discussion on the forum about how difficult (or maybe impossible) it is to edit pure DSD masters without doing a PCM conversion.
Anyway, thanks all for weighing in!
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Most welcome. From my not intense studies there is gear available that allows DSD to be edited in its natural state. I believe if all editing is done before the DSD final creation that is the proper way to go.
But here is the thing, a DSD64 a particular song takes up 1 GB, while in DSD128 it takes up 2GB, and in DSD256, that jumps to 4GB. I believe I can appreciate the difference between DSD64 and DSD256. DSD64 and DSD 128? Maybe not. DSD128 and DSD256, maybe not again.
I went wild for a time collecting DSD256 as fast as I could. I have since stopped all together. DSD in general no longer has my attention. I have perhaps 6TBs of DSD.
1379 albums in DSD64
151 albums in DSD128
82 albums in DSD256
Some of the albums are in all 3. Roon won’t report how many album I have in DXD. Sorry.
I should mention that Edgar, creator of my Bacch gear, does not acknowledge DSD as a useful medium. His gear does not support DSD playback AT ALL. None. Zip. Zero. That may have something to do with my loss of interest in it. I can listen to DSD pure with my Grimm MU2. It sounds wonderful. But to listen to DSD through my Bacch gear, I have Roon convert it to 24/96 PCM. Sadly, it sounds better this way with the Bacch processing. Yes, a DSD256 file, converted to 24/96 PCM, sounds better through the Bacch than it does in its natural form on the Grimm MU2. Come on over and I will demonstrate this.
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