There is a distinction to be made with playback vs recording in hi res digital. Every one of my listening sessions includes both original digital and analog mastered recordings, so we're talking all recording from sometime in 80's back all being analog, 80's-90's a mix, 2000's pretty much all digital. If I'm going to generalize, I find analog mastered recordings more natural, analog like. Digital mastered generally less of this analog like nature. But then there are the standout digital mastered and analog remasters in either redbook or hi res that are superior to almost any analog mastered redbook NON-REMASTERED recording. For the analog masters this suggests the remastering responsible for sq improvement, rather than hi res aspect. As I mentioned previously, I can't say I can confidently determine sq difference between these 16/44 vs hi res remastered analog recordings. So then we come to these superior digitally mastered recordings, both 16/44 and hi res. These easily compete and sometimes exceed the best analog remasters, I hear wider freq. response, superior micro and macro dynamics, an ease and even luxurious sense of vinyl playback that I don't quite get with the best analog masters.
The main issue I hear with most contemporary digital recordings is well documented dynamic limitations. This became salient during last nights listening session, very nice analog master and remastered recordings, then going to some modern recordings, clearly heard loss of MICRO DYNAMICS, not so much the macro, but this loss made me not want to listen anymore of these type recordings. Micro dynamics is where the life of the performance lives, take this away and you have mere sound reproduction, no illusion of performers in room. No amount of dsp or hi res can bring back whats been lost in mastering process.
So, assuming we can't bring back what is lost in mastering via hi res or dsp. How about these superior recordings, how can dsp improve upon the superior master? If mastering is wonderful, why would I want to add something to an already wonderful recipe, I'm as likely to ruin it as improve it. If the dac and system sans dsp are interpreting master recording as intended there should be no need for dsp. So, I can understand there are recordings that could use some massaging, the engineer and/or producer may have created a recipe that could be improved upon. In this case I can understand the judicious use of dsp, the problem with using dsp is that the same dsp settings are set universally, that setting may be perfect for one recording, not so good for another. DSP that could be applied uniquely to each recording could be useful, how to implement this? So, to my way of thinking, dsp is useful only for system limitations. I suggest the best we can do is having a dac with global sound qualities in alignment with our preferences.
