Skip to main content
Peter Mc
Mar 1, 2017 1:59 AM UTC

Can digital audio playback be improved by resolutions greater than 16/44.1?

Copied from another thread, courtesy of jgatie - full question was:

"Do you believe digital audio, outside of mastering/production techniques, can be improved by playback resolutions greater than 16/44.1?"
    This topic has been closed for further comments. You can use the search bar to find a similar topic, or create a new one by clicking Create Topic at the top of the page.

    93 replies

    ratty
    Mar 12, 2017 2:45 PM UTC
    Given the era that record was recorded, I would be surprised if the original masters had the range to even fully utilize CD audio.
    The 2008 remaster is pretty respectable. Nice clarity and soundstage, though presumably some of the HF on the percussion is forever lost.
    Translate
    jgatie
    Mar 12, 2017 2:47 PM UTC
    Does the legendary wapping high thread need to be a sticky?! So we can just point the next person that chugs along with the same claims to the beginning of that discussion?!

    I miss ol wapping. Never has there been a better combination of righteous indignation matched with an equal level of cluelessness. The time he broke down and conceded to follow our instructions on how to configure his NAS and, even after it worked, he still claimed it was Sonos to blame and not his network was comedy gold.
    Translate
    Mar 12, 2017 2:54 PM UTC
    Never has there been a better combination of righteous indignation matched with an equal level of cluelessness.
    LOL!!! I must have missed those events; I joined that 2007(?) thread late in the day, in 2011. It still had legs then though.
    Translate
    jgatie
    Mar 12, 2017 3:01 PM UTC

    LOL!!! I must have missed those events; I joined that 2007(?) thread late in the day, in 2011. It still had legs then though.


    That was during his "Sonos should make me a router/NAS" phase. He could never seem to get the share on his Mac to work, and blamed Sonos instead of the well publicized and notoriously unreliable MacOS SMB implementation. Kept pleading with Sonos to cure his network woes by putting out Sonos branded routers and storage devices.
    Translate
    Mar 12, 2017 3:20 PM UTC
    putting out Sonos branded routers and storage devices.
    Erm...I have to confess to some posts on those lines myself in my early days here:)
    Translate
    Local Superstar
    Mar 12, 2017 4:42 PM UTC
    Nothing of note to add to the discussion, other than the great music being discussed. Probably my favourite album of all time, certainly up there in my top 3. Most versions of the songs were better live and took on a life of their own. Seeing Steve Hackett again in a couple of months. 🙂 Nice Youtube link. 🙂
    Translate
    Peter Mc
    Peter McAuthor
    Mar 12, 2017 11:24 PM UTC
    "Hi-res DD5.1" is pretty much an oxymoron. The maximum bitrate for DD/AC-3 is 640kbps. And that's for six channels (albeit the LFE is band-limited).

    Indeed you are right, and thanks for pointing that out. I noted in a later post that the disc was actually DTS5.1, and I had to transcode it using a Playstation to feed the Playbar. So none of the original hi-res audio (it's 24/96) will make it through, and even if it did, the Sonos system would presumably refuse to play it.

    The point of my story was not about hi-res, it was about the clear and positive effect of Trueplay tuning on a Sonos 5.1 setup. We also watched Dr Strange the other night with similar excellent 5.1 sound.
    Translate
    "The presence of those seeking the truth is infinitely to be preferred to those who think they've found it" - Terry Pratchett
    Peter Mc
    Peter McAuthor
    Mar 12, 2017 11:37 PM UTC
    Off topic, if you want a treat, check this guy out: https://youtu.be/-V7Dqf-FQL4

    Thanks for the link - quite a talent!

    Returning the favor, check out Another One, a song by Project RnL from Israel. The bass solo at the end is extraordinary.
    Translate
    "The presence of those seeking the truth is infinitely to be preferred to those who think they've found it" - Terry Pratchett
    Contributor I
    Mar 13, 2017 5:26 PM UTC
    So none of the original hi-res audio (it's 24/96) will make it through, and even if it did, the Sonos system would presumably refuse to play it.

    I have tried playing 24/96 ALAC through my CONNECT:AMP to see what would happen. The result was just white noise.

    It sounded FANTASTIC, though. 😉
    Translate
    ratty
    Apr 2, 2017 2:00 PM UTC
    Another excellent digest/commentary from Archimago: http://archimago.blogspot.co.uk/2017/04/musings-do-we-need-those-20khz.html
    Translate