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Apple to download 24 bit in iTunes?

"We've gone back now at Universal, and we're changing our pipes to 24 bit. And Apple has been great," Iovine said. "We're working with them and other digital services -- download services -- to change to 24 bit. And some of their electronic devices are going to be changed as well. So we have a long road ahead of us."

CNN

Hopefully they use 96khz if they go through with it.
james63
srwooten's avatar
srwooten
694 posts
 
The 24/96 and the 24/176 and the 24/192 audio sounds stellar through my PefectWave DAC/Bridge. You can definitely tell it from CD quality (which is very good too!), and some of what I have sounds as good as or better that the vinyl I have of the same music. YMMV
levy03
442 posts
 
agree with James and Woot. maybe the general public can't tell the difference but any audio head that does some critical listening on a "good" system will hear it imho. a well recorded 24/96(+) sounds better then a well recorded 16/44..... it was pretty obvious to me.

gimme more bits!
kbarkamian
647 posts
 
Shadorne hit the nail on the head IMO. The mass market won't care much if at all about high-rez, as their systems aren't resolving enough to hear the difference. Throw them on an iPod with ear buds, and there's far less too care about.

The limiting factor is rarely, if ever the redbook standard IMO. Until everything gets recorded with the sound quality of something like Dark Side of the Moon, the high-rez issue is a gimmic at best in mainstream music.

Then again, even if very few will hear the difference, yet they're paying a premium for it because they think 'HD music' will be better, I'm all for it. I'll take all my music in 'HD quality.' Hopefully it won't just mean more bits to brickwall and make 'louder.'

If Bose and Monster get on board with marketing 'HD music,' we could have a winner on our hands, provided they're not the ones dictating what 'HD music' really is.
aberyclark
1,355 posts
 
You do not have to have a top notch system to hear an improvement with higher rez audio. In my low-to midfi system, my SACDs have a huge advantage when compared to the general CD release. Maybe it is the lack of compression or the way they were mastered, it seems the music breathes so much better
sinner
14 posts
 
How are you ripping SACD's?

I've never ripped any personally I've only downloaded them. This article describes the process http://groups.google.com/group/surroundsound/web/digital-sacd-ripping-guide-using-the-modified-oppo-pcm-output-board-method?pli=1 I guess technically it is a recording and not a rip but the albums I have sound pretty awesome piped through my DAC.

It sounds like a serious pain to do yourself.
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