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What comes after CD`s?

Hi! So what will the future bring in with regards to audio technology? We`ve seen the great vinyl and cassette come and go, then came the compact disc which is durable,good life span when stored correctly, plus it`s digital sound allows audio to remain the same quality use after use, but it`s down flaw is the 16bit 44.1khz! which just cannot re-produce the full and rich sound of analogue and therefore costing the audiophile a fortune in essential converting devices. Then came the mp3! which is perfect for listening to with earphones, but fails horribly when played in an uncontrolled environment.

There is a pattern developing in the world of audio innovation and that pattern is a noticeable decline in sound quality! So what`s next? Will the DAC converter 24bit 96khz,192khz become the standard converter found within the common hi-fi and cd player? or will music be distributed in chip form!

I`d appreciate your input on the issue :)
rootsdub
mrmikesmail
37 posts
 
PC based downloads seem to be the best bet for hi-rez music. I had big hopes for bluray but there seems to be a limiting factor with hdmi because it will always be linked with video wich we all know is bad for pure audio. Charles Hansen of Ayre says the big mistake was not having a seperate clock for audio with hdmi.

I bet hdmi still sounds better than Dolby Digital and maybe even CD, just not quite to the standard of dvda or sacd. Maybe one way around it might be anolog outs on a quality bluray player. I still think it will be PC/Mac for 2 channel.
r_f_sayles's avatar
r_f_sayles
872 posts
 
What comes after CD`s?

Lp (again)

Something high-rez like vinyl?! Maybe the new found resurgence in analog record buying will continue to bring improved turntables and phono stages.

I personally do not see it as digital.

Happy (high-rez) Listening!
pedrillo
560 posts
 
Hey there's a write-up on this in TAS January 2009.
It sounds promising!
audioholik
90 posts
 
when it comes to physical media SACD is definitely it, if you're interested in PC audio, hi-rez PCM downloads are best option IMO.

Personally I prefer SACD's because they are cheaper than downloads and have both Hi-rez layer which I can play on my main system, and low resolution layer I can play on my portable player.
blackstonejd
153 posts
 
MP3 will not be as ubiquitous for much longer for the following reasons:

1. The concept of "high definition" has greater penetration among consumers thanks to high-definition televisions, video game consoles, blu-ray and the 2009 digital transition.

2. Manufacturers of portable music players will inevitably need to pitch new generations of devices to consumers. As small profile hard drives increase in capacity and cost/megabyte, manufacturers will inevitably brand their players as "HD" and introduce higher bit rate downloads to justify the larger storage capacity.
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