Playback designs followup?

Crna39,

Question for you. As a DSD recording when you do a high res transfer, I assume you can't provide the native DSD file for transfer. Correct me if I am wrong. Maybe you can burn it but for download?

If not, then by Hi Res you mean what exactly, 24-192? If you convert it from DSD to 24/192, don't you lose some resolution? My opinion has been native DSD recordings are excellent but conversions always leave a little to be desired.

Also, playing back a recording on the same item it was recorded on must be great. You can use the Playback for A/D conversion or do you use something else. In that case then what do you use? Also, in that case won't it sound better played back on what was used to make the recording. If the Playback can be used for A/D conversion for the price that is a great value.

One of the things I want is a convertor for PC Audio w. USB 3.0 w. both D/A and A/D conversion. Not there yet from what I have found. It should handle both 24/192 and DSD etc.

No, the Playback Designs can't do A to D conversion. We use the EMM Labs ADC8IV or the Digital Audio Denamrk AX24 for that. Yes, we furnish DSD files and if the label wants to downsample, we use Weiss Saracon to downsample to a 44.1k base rate. Most of the time we provide 88.2 or 176.4. The Digital Audio Denmark converter will do 32/352.8 which is indistinguishable from DSD64fs.
DSD is clocked at 44.1 so you always want to downsample to a 44.1 base freq.
I don't know of any ADC that will handle USB 3.0 There are several firewire units available. Most DSD is recorded via SDIF BNC.

Look people praise things when they love a product....

I think many audio products can bring you to nirvana but the room, synergy, cost and subjective taste playing huge roles.

I think the playback is better than the emm labs but the emm labs is damn fine. The issue with the emmlabs is that the tray was noisy and I got the upgrade and the problems continued so for that price I said never again. Well maybe the latest will be without flaw but twice bitten so don't want to be an even bigger fool!

I do think the best cd playback design now gets fairly close to vinyl on most recordings but still I love to hear vinyl for many things because of mastering issues with many CDs

I had the PD machine for a few months but eventually sold it and returned to my EMM SE separates, which still seem to have a resolute, grounded, anchored-to-the-earth sound that I enjoy.
While the PD player did a great job of removing the glare and piercing sound from lesser-quality CDs (which the EMM reveals, for better or worse), the EMM has a solidity that just sounds more true to me and is very satisfying. The PD was sometimes warbly or unsettled or punchy in the upper bass/lower mids compared to the EMM. I found this annoying.
This was all on redbook.
On SACD however, the PD was splendid, as good as anything, maybe superior to the EMM, very solid and pleasing.
So far, on redbook, the EMM is my favorite.