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Are music servers the future?

I am now listening to a pro-dac that plays JRiver MC 19 on a Mac Mini 2013 in double DSD. It upsamples everything except presently double DSD moving the filters well beyond anything we can hear or sense. Unfortunately, double DSD downloads are not readily available. It is wondrous to be away from PCM.

Does anyone know of outlets for double DSD recordings?
tbg
tbg OP
5,263 posts
 
You remind me of my grandson listening to Pink Floyd on ear buds. I took him up to my listening room and played the vinyl version. His comment was it doesn't sound like the same recording. But for his convenience he went back to listening to the ear buds. You can lead a horse to water but you cannot make him drink.
tomcy6's avatar
tomcy6
2,610 posts
 
I'd guess that servers are the future but I've been hearing that for quite a while now and progress towards that future seems very slow.

Sony, one of the three major music groups, has their first servers out now and promises lots of high res downloads. Sony says the other two majors, Universal and Warner, are on board too. So maybe things will start happening soon. I hope so.
tbg OP
5,263 posts
 
Tomcy6, Sony's decision to convert all it master tapes to quad DSD is certainly added emphasis. The new unit I have comes from Empirical Audio Legacy. My previous unit fooled Itunes into thinking it was runninng the music but it was only to use their organization. It ran in up to 192/24 PCM.

I expect that down loads will be the future also and that at some point you will be able to buy quad DSDs which will be mastertapes.
audioengr
3,282 posts
 
Music servers are now, not in the future. Check out the Antipodes. Beats even a tweaked-out ac Mini, which I have had for years.

DSD is another thing. I believe its a flash in the pan like SACD. Most high-end DAC designers don't like it but they are offering it to satisfy the customers. I will be too. PCM beats it if the digital filtering is done right IME. Mostly not done right.

Steve N.
Empirical Audio
tbg OP
5,263 posts
 
Audioengr, I had not heard of the Antipodes. Maybe I'll get a chance to hear one.

Getting rid of the switching ps on the Mac is necessary as is dependence on Itunes.

I think SONY's going with quad DSD for their mastertapes, all but assures DSD is the future. I have compared double DSD with 192/24 PCM and somewhat prefer double DSD, but 44.1/16 is a real loser realitive to double DSD and especially if compared with a hybrid SACD to 44.1/16 versus DSD and both bumped to double DSD.
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