Sound Quality


First off, I am pleading ignorance here, so my apologies up front, but I need some help on figuring out what this digital stuff is all about. It was simple, just to pull out a CD and play it, but with streaming and such, it seems to be a whole different ball of wax.

After finally finishing the remodel on my home, I've have had a bit of time to sit down and listen to my system. My Aurender N200 came with an SD card loaded with music. Most of it is ripped from hybrid SACDs or at 16bit- 44.1kHz "Original Mastering Recording" CDs, (some are DSF files some WAV files, but all sound the same to me). The music sounds flat and dull but when I play the equivalent song on Tidal in 16bit-44.1 kHz it sounds much better.

I have a second SD card  with some HD Tracks CDs at 24 bit-96 kHz that I which sound really good through the N200. Maybe understandable being hi-res, but some say they can't hear a big difference between the two, but I sure can in this instance.

I understand that up sampling, DSD and HQ Player can even bring better sound to the table, but I'm having enough trouble with just the basics here, that stuff is way over my head. 

I'd like to rip a couple of my own CDs to a new SD card and try it to compare with the SD card that came with the N200. What is the best method to do this?

As always, your thought & comments are much appreciated!

128x128navyachts

@navyachts Bricasti had two modes to play DSD - NDSD (native dsd) and PCM. Use NDSD and feed it Native DSD from N200. 
Whether DSD sounds better than hi-res it’s for you to decide. It will sound different. To me DSD typically sounds softer than the redbook or hi-res files. The sound is more analog like but to me it lacks bite with usually smoothed over transients. It totally depends on your preference and the master you’re listening to. Don’t assume by default that DSD is better sounding. My experience with 4 different DACs is that it sounds different. You will hear it. 

@mapman @ghdprentice fer’ sure, I’m sure this was the case. I downloaded the contents of the N200 SD card to an old laptop (for reference ) formatted the drive and have added my HD Tracks hi-res files that I have purchased in the past.

I’ll use Tidal/Quboz/whatever to discover music the use the SD card to add new purchases on in the future. 
 

Thanks all!

@navyachts when you buy a hi-res album compare the sound of purchased file vs streaming of the same album. Just curious. I just don’t think purchasing downloads is necessary but hey…you can try and see if it’s worth it for you

@audphile1 

Use NDSD and feed it Native DSD from N200. 

Will do, thanks!

when you buy a hi-res album compare the sound of purchased file vs streaming of the same album

I have done this in sorts, but I need to do it again when I'm better organizes (ha, ha)

I am still recovering from the new OS install from trying to access the N200's SD card, (aurender/aurender) beyond lol...

 

I am ripping, what CDs I have now, in WAV - Uncompressed. Then will transfer them to the SD card on the N200. I also have a few hi-res albums from HD Tracks to add as well. 

Any good recommendations for a DSD 256 CD to purchase for a test drive, maybe something a little more obscure that the run of the mill "Top 40"?