Can Redbook CD Be Saved

"Hi RES files solve this dilema"

Not in your dreams. There is just as many Hi-res tracks out there that are crap as CD tracks. This is no guarantee. I have everything from 44.1- 192kHz and the trtacks at hig-res that are really good are few and far between. Lots more good 44.1 tracks out there.

You just need gear that makes all tracks sound good, even 44.1.

Steve N.
Empirical Audio

If your analog rig leaves your CD 's behind in a puff of smoke you definitely have the wrong player . What CD player do you have ?

My experience is 100% the same as Steve's. Not all high res recordings are great... The recording is the recording regardless of the resolution factor, but when you get a great recording in hi res.... The results are outstanding.. I find it rewarding to be able to burn my best cd's onto my hard drive with zero loss in quality. A great recording is still great at 16/44.1 all the way to 24/192... Changing DACs is just like changing players, they all sound different.

Tmsorosk, my CDP is an ARC Ref CD-7. My vinyl rig is a VPI Classic (w/Classic 3 arm upgrade), VPI Zephyr cartridge, custom low capacitance phono cables, and ARC PH-7 phono pre. Let me clarify my comment a little. I do have a few CDs that sound really good, e.g., Jean Yve Thibadeux (sp?) selection of piano cuts (London/Decca). Norah Jones latest CD is pretty good too. The bass shakes the sh*t out of the house. I can only play the CD when no one is home or else I get the sh*t shaken out of me.

I guess my comment goes more to the generic case where one picks up a CD, drops it in the CDP, sits back and relaxes. I just bought a CD at Starbucks. I could remove the tweeters from my speakers, it wouldn't make a difference. Whoever or whatever mixed it just left off sound information north of 500 Hz (exagerating a little). Yes, some vinyl sh*ts too. I picked up an old record, turned out it was mono and it sucked.

My point is that I wish the music industry would standardize the QC recording and mixing quality of CDs. It sounds like many of the comments take the view that redbook CD could be, and many times is, pretty good, if it's recorded and mixed well, with minimal loss of information.

So, in short, I'm not against redbook CD. To the contrary, I'm for it. As I said, I've sunk some serious bucks into my CD rig and would like to keep it around. I just hope the music industry doesn't snatch defeat out of the jaws of victory.

Cheers

08-03-11: Tmsorosk
If your analog rig leaves your CD 's behind in a puff of smoke you definitely have the wrong player .

Really ???
LOL !