Is DSD download already an extinct format?

It is all just a "niche". Most just get their music off their phones. MP3 is all they know. Moderately priced to high end has always been just a niche but even more so today with so many cheap, awful sounding, easy options. As for converting all to DSD, that can not improve the quality of your sound. You are just moving the bits around from one place to another. Example a round bucked filled with water poured into a square bucket. No gain. Possible some loss. Definitely not improved. Native DSD, that is different animal. Possibly an improvement. I have heard some but content not to my listening interests. I will stick to HDtracks. Largest selection of HD music. Buy on the sales. Now CDs, another story. I use to buy CDs used, rip, then sell back. Some times forced to buy new, rip and sell back. Find for digital recordings, HD down loads sound the best. One reason is you take the drive out of the equation. A second is that 24 bit is quieter. A third obviously the extra info. I have compared them all. For the most part HDtracks sounds the best. Native DSD still up in the air. Have two recordings by David Elias. Sound very good. Do not have any other format recordings to compare to. Oh, I use flac not that it matters. My views anyway.

I've done reading about the Sony HAPZ1 & the DirectStream DAC but haven't seen an explanation, at least one clear enough for a layman like me, as to why converting non-DSD files into DSD as part of the playback would improve the sound. Why is 1-bit DSD so beneficial to playback?

Jult52,

You might want to ask the experts on the PS Audio forum this very question.

It's curious how audiophiles devote so much time and energy toward their gear
to get higher resolution and better sound, but complain about the introduction
of new formats that enable better resolution and sound. No problem spending a
bunch of silly money replacing and upgrading gear, but scoff at upgrading to a
new media format that will sound better on any non-source gear. It can be
frustrating when a new format turns out to be a flash-in-the-pan, such as DVD-
A, but if enough people buy-in instead of resist (and gain the benefit of the
better sound), these formats may gain more traction... It's not like the content
providers aren't trying; they're offering the new formats; you're just not biting. Of
course they won't offer a full catalog right of the bat; there's too much
investment and risk in doing so until they determine there will be a market. Lot's
of DSD-capable DACs and content out now; seems to be hitting a critical mass in
a short time.

More power to the web sites offering DSD downloads.

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Bigamp, get the music companies to put out a lot more music in the new format and not charge $25 and up for an album.

I never got on the SACD bandwagon because the music catalogs didn't have enough of the music that I liked in order to invest in the format. The music was and still is readily available on cd. I am not going to invest in DSD player so I can only play a dozen or so albums in DSD. I can't justify that kind of cash outlay for such a limited amount of music. Until the new music formats make a serious commitment to reissue the bulk of their catalogs in the new format...the new formats will be slow going and probably a slow death.
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