Charles1dad,I'm with you. We're the lucky ones. |
Bill (Brownsfan) well put response to Rja. |
Rja, its not the listening that leads to angst, its parting with the greenbacks that is a problem for some of us. |
It's sad day when trying to listen to music leads to angst! |
Charles, What I am hearing with a very limited sampling of DSD files on my HAPZ1 as compared to redbook through the HAPZ1 is a close parallel to the distinction between the hifi and WE 101Ds. You could be happy forever, until you hear the difference. But there is certainly a difference between DSD master files and redbook PCM recordings via flac or wav. Where the analogy fails is that there is no earthly reason that I can see for charging substantially more for a DSD download than a redbook download. Looks like the usual practice of attempting to place the entire burden of set up costs on the early adapters.
You are absolutely right, redbook done well can be very good, and the cost is quite reasonable and in some cases downright cheap. I bought a used CD today for $0.98. 26.5 euro? Really? |
What is genuine irony is the often beaten down and berated Redbook CD has much to offer. If you have a very good quality CD player/Transport/DAC in a well devised system, the sound quality and music reproduction is exceptionally satisfying. There are a multitude of CDs available for very reasonable cost, one can build a vast library of wonderful music. This approach has worked successfully for me. Redbook quality is very under appreciated in my opinion. People are finding that the newer formats are over hyped in many cases, or certainly over priced for what's actually delivered.
Charles, |
Pkoegz,
You have missed out on tons of great music with your buying choices, but ignorance is bliss, as the old saying goes. |
Bmoura, thanks for the tip. I was not aware of the Pentatone DSD offerings. I will monitor this site in the future. I do like much of the Pentatone catalogue. As it turns out, have already purchased SACD versions of almost everything they had to offer that interests me. Titles that I have not yet purchased were for the most part not available as DSD files. A couple that perked my interest were available for 26.5 Euro. Ouch!
The labels have to understand they are competing against themselves. Because of access to their titles at a deep discount, I suspect the DSD download initiative is going to fail. I will certainly pay a premium for DSD over physical media, but I will not pay 3,4, or 5x the cost of a CD except under very rare circumstances.
I guess we have to hope that the music industry executives aren't all a bunch of dolts, and that ultimately they will price their offerings at what the market will bear. This buyer won't pay 26.5 e or even 25 USD. |
You might want to drop by NativeDSD and PentaTone. Between them they have over 500 Multichannel & Stereo DSD Downloads, all natively recorded in DSD. |
Dasign, I don't know what Sony is thinking either. We've been promised high-res downloads for many years now and finally about a year ago Sony tells us, "Here comes the big push! We're going to have servers and tons of downloads everywhere!" And then...nothing!
As you said, same old albums but priced even higher, when all they have to do is electronically send files to the resellers. They won't even tell us what the source for the file is.
What are they thinking? That they're going to get the free Mp3 crowd to buy into high-res downloads, not even a physical product, at $25 an album?
I haven't given up all hope yet, but I'm not buying in until the server and download situation improves significantly. I have enough music so that I can listen to a variety of great music if I never buy another Lp, Cd, Sacd or download again and I'm sure that there are a lot of other people in the same position.
I think that this is their last chance to get it right or the major music groups are going to be sitting on huge worthless catalogs of music for a long time. |
Stuck with vinyl, for the most part skipped CDs. But what I had bought, I ripped to a music server and sold back to a used cd store. Down load now. Wait for sales, 10, 15 sometimes 20% off. Mostly HD tracks. Tried DSD heard no real advantage. Don't be mad at the music industry. Nobody held a gun to your head. Just think before you buy. Buy a used tt set up or just stick to on sale downloads. Music soothes the soul. So listen, enjoy, be happy. |
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Fjn04
The problem here is not DSD hardware availability, it's the content. I'm so tired to receive e-mails from HDTracks and Acoustic Sounds wanting me to purchase the same music in a plethora of digital formats. There is a limit in abusing the music consumer. The music Industry dictates what we should buy, by changing the music playback formats to suck every penny from the music lovers. Remember that vinyl basically disappeared in the 80's?
This is when I decided to sell my JA Mitchell Gyrodeck/Zeta tonearm and Koestsu Rosewood signature. I am an avid music lover/buyer and could not get my vinyls from my favorite artists no more. I started to listen to CD's which audio quality really sucked bad when they came out. I have collected of over 1,200 CDs and you know what? Record companies came out with DVD-A (which failed miserably), SACD, Blue-Ray audio disc and DSD which looks so promising on paper.
Now when I go to my local record store, vinyls are returning and cannot afford to purchase back my vinyl playing gear anymore with the stratospheric pricing of TT/tonearms/cartridge. Should have never sold that gear :-(
I have always been honest with the artists by paying 100% of all music content I have in my library. Artists, get together and get rid of the middle man (record companies) which is killing the Music Industry.
Major Label Record Companies, I do not like you!!! |
Dagogo just reviewed the Teac PD-501. The unit plays regular CD's + DSD downloads without the need for a computer when playing the discs. The review was very positive, especially when the unit was playing DSD. If I did do digital, this would be an interesting option. |
Amen!
I would be happy to buy a few DSD downloads, and there is plenty in the Sony catalogue that appeals to me. All I need is for them to make available something I actually want of recent vintage.
Also, something under $20 / album would be nice. If they want the format to fly, the price is going to need to be more reasonable. Many, many titles are available in CD for less than $15 shipped.
At the least, Sony should release a timeline for further releases. Sony historically has made some good strategic decisions that they kill with horrible tactical moves. This is starting to look like deja vu all over again.
Sony, I'm retired now. Maybe you would like to bring me on part time to run your show. I could do better with 4 hours a day, a dart board, and my magic 8 ball. |
