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Does HiRez really sound better?

I came across this article from Goldmund Audio which I"m sure will raise some hackles. Don't think me a troll but I'd like to read some feedback on the supposed benefits of HiRez. Some of this has already been gone through but the blind listening test mentioned concluded that the ability to hear a difference between PCM and DSD was no better than the flipping of a coin.
http://attachments.goldmund.com.s3.amazonaws.com/2015/01/23/15/49/42/359/goldmund_does_high_resolution_audio_sound_better_white_paper.pdf.

All the best,
Nonoise
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geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
23,365 posts
 
I didn't say ALL CDs are compressed. But the trend is not your friend. And at least for me dynamics is VERY important. If it ain't got that swing it don't mean a thing. Music when you cut away all the jibber jabber is all about dynamics and microdynamics. Everything else is secondary.
electroslacker
375 posts
 
What is the motivation to compress? I don't see any cost savings for the vendor.

I bought a "value pack" of some Byrd's CDs, which was wretched, and wondered why the sound quality was "cheapened."
swampwalker's avatar
swampwalker
5,138 posts
 
It's not a cost savings, electroslacker. There are 2 things driving it:
1. the perception that with much listening being done in high noise environments, resulting in quieter portions of the recording being lost in the (ambient) noise floor.
2. the psycho-acoustic phenomenon that causes us to perceive slightly louder playback as being "better".
zd542
5,339 posts
 
"2. the psycho-acoustic phenomenon that causes us to perceive slightly louder playback as being "better".
Swampwalker (System | Threads | Answers | This Thread)"

Once you figure out what's going on, it doesn't work anymore.
geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
23,365 posts
 
I have some (compressed) CDs that are at least 3 times louder than the average (uncompressed) CD. Example: Radiohead Amnesiac. That's not "slightly louder." Hel-loo!
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