Apple to download 24 bit in iTunes?


"We've gone back now at Universal, and we're changing our pipes to 24 bit. And Apple has been great," Iovine said. "We're working with them and other digital services -- download services -- to change to 24 bit. And some of their electronic devices are going to be changed as well. So we have a long road ahead of us."

CNN

Hopefully they use 96khz if they go through with it.
james63
It’s gonna be a while still… from the CNN story a Sony Exec said something akin to “most people don’t care about the quality of the content, they simply want it now… quick and easy.”

It seems to be as well the take Sony now has with upper end audio. They’ve scratched off their top CD players, and the replacements have not bettered their predecesors…. I’m not too sure that they even kept up with the former upper tier Disc players Sony used to make.

If indeed these new HD tracks are provided to consumers routinely, it’s gonna be by download or Blu Ray issues, most likely. Those techs are all in place and no designing of new gizmos needs be pursued.

….but they will…. Probably. Although they shouldn’t. the high res aspect appeals only to a very small section of the buying public. To chase after a new format for high res audio delivery is therefore, nonsense. Just load up and open up the servers and let us have at tem… finally!

But non none of that rehashed redubed junk. Straight off the masters… should be a simple enough matter!
24/96 is no real benefit to most people, as most do not have a system capable of peaks well in excess of 120 db SPL nor can they hear the "roll-off" from brick wall filters for CD.

The problem is badly mastered CD's with heavy compression.
The 24/96 and the 24/176 and the 24/192 audio sounds stellar through my PefectWave DAC/Bridge. You can definitely tell it from CD quality (which is very good too!), and some of what I have sounds as good as or better that the vinyl I have of the same music. YMMV
agree with James and Woot. maybe the general public can't tell the difference but any audio head that does some critical listening on a "good" system will hear it imho. a well recorded 24/96(+) sounds better then a well recorded 16/44..... it was pretty obvious to me.

gimme more bits!
Shadorne hit the nail on the head IMO. The mass market won't care much if at all about high-rez, as their systems aren't resolving enough to hear the difference. Throw them on an iPod with ear buds, and there's far less too care about.

The limiting factor is rarely, if ever the redbook standard IMO. Until everything gets recorded with the sound quality of something like Dark Side of the Moon, the high-rez issue is a gimmic at best in mainstream music.

Then again, even if very few will hear the difference, yet they're paying a premium for it because they think 'HD music' will be better, I'm all for it. I'll take all my music in 'HD quality.' Hopefully it won't just mean more bits to brickwall and make 'louder.'

If Bose and Monster get on board with marketing 'HD music,' we could have a winner on our hands, provided they're not the ones dictating what 'HD music' really is.