Apple to download 24 bit in iTunes?

I don't, for one minute, believe that the record companies are doing this for the benefit of consumers. We've seen this before - trying to convince us that we need to replace our current music collection with CD and then SACD/DVD-A (although they dropped the ball on that one) and our movies with DVD and now Blu-Ray. There's also the possibility that the hardware vendors (Apple?) are hoping to cash in on sales of a whole new generation of players since they've run out of new features in the current players to keep people upgrading.

Then there's the issue I was griping about in another thread where the music industry thinks they need to charge more for the higher resolution format when, in actuality, they have to do more work to DOWNSAMPLE the music from the native format it's stored in.

Sinner,

How are you ripping SACD's?

The author writes:
"CDs are 16-bit, and the sonic quality of a CD is an accepted definition of consumer-worthy HD quality."
Not to Audiogoners!

"The author Tom Davenport is a recording engineer and writer from the farmlands of England,"

Reading the gizmoto artical Tom Davenport is and idiot. Anyone with a real system can clearly hear how much better 24/96 files are when they are recorded well.

It is all about dynamic range. He argues that the "sheep" will buy 24 bit and not hear the difference. I say let people at least have a choice of hi rez.

Having a choice will be a good thing for people. The download market has always worried me. Not because of digital but because 99% of people think mp3 is ok. The way I see it High Rez down loads are the future for audiophiles and the fact that the biggest name (apple) is on board is a blessing.

The real question for me is will 24/96 file compete with vinyl? From my understanding many of the newer vinyls are made from 24/96 bit tracks. 24/96 bit tracks are the only way the would EVER get me to pay for a download.

Anyway I hope they fallow through and I will would love to have more 24/96 options.

It’s gonna be a while still… from the CNN story a Sony Exec said something akin to “most people don’t care about the quality of the content, they simply want it now… quick and easy.”

It seems to be as well the take Sony now has with upper end audio. They’ve scratched off their top CD players, and the replacements have not bettered their predecesors…. I’m not too sure that they even kept up with the former upper tier Disc players Sony used to make.

If indeed these new HD tracks are provided to consumers routinely, it’s gonna be by download or Blu Ray issues, most likely. Those techs are all in place and no designing of new gizmos needs be pursued.

….but they will…. Probably. Although they shouldn’t. the high res aspect appeals only to a very small section of the buying public. To chase after a new format for high res audio delivery is therefore, nonsense. Just load up and open up the servers and let us have at tem… finally!

But non none of that rehashed redubed junk. Straight off the masters… should be a simple enough matter!