HD Down Load compared to Analog.

I'll share my experience with regards to HD audio. Some months back I got to listen to a very high end system. ARC 40th Anniversary Ref, Ref 610, CD8, Ref DAC and an Oracle turntable outputted to the big Maggies. It was a magical night. (Let me just say as a side note that this system sounded fantastic and very musical, in fact, I think the Oracle had a bit better PRAT than my Sota; but I was still able to come home and enjoy my humble system.) I got to hear some CD's, some records and some HD music files. Analog on this system sounded very musical and enjoyable. Then we played some "select" HD files. I say select because my buddy said there is a lot of variation in sound quality even among HD files. To me, the HD music was as good as analog but without any background noise. The soundstage was just as large and holographic as analog. Then we we played some CDs the music and soundstage just seemed flat in comparison; and this was on the ARC CD8! I'm sold on the HD files route but I am bewildered with all of the choices that must be made and not having a way to audition various systems leaves me out in the cold. I want to go HD, just that I am waiting and trying to sort out the best path.

I grew up with Santana and Sabbath and I loved their music, well not Sabbath, but you get the idea. I'm sure many of you will disagree, but I just don't think that using these records to prove the superiority of a particular medium is really valid. Most of those older rock records had the sh*t compressed out of them and were generally produced as cheaply as possible. I'm absolutely not defending vinyl here - I play more CDs than records myself and they can be excellent. I just think that before a pronouncement is made, a wider cross section should be used. Try James Taylor JT, which was exquisitely recorded, even back in the early 70s, or god forbid, some acoustic music like a Mozart string quartet. Again, please - I am not criticizing anyone's taste in music. If anything, IMO, the music of the late 60's and early 70's was the absolute pinnacle of rock, much as the 68-70 American muscle cars were the high point of American auto making. The 70 GTO was stunning! Enjoy what you like.

No doubt, if you have the right equipment, analog can be better than digital, but at what price? That's something you can't get around, and no amount of mixing and matching is going to change that.

When such places as high end emporiums were available, I went to these places like someone who was on a mission, my mission was to verify, or nullify Stereophile's rating system. For me, I verified Stereophile's rating system.

I'm going to give you examples of Stereophile ratings that are old and recognizable analog audio: Class "A" turntable VPI TNT MK V $6000., and that was one of the cheaper TT's.

Tonearms Class "A": Tri-Planar Mk VI $3250.; Rega RB 900, $995.

Cartridges: Class "A" Lyra Helikon $1995.; van den Hul Colibri $6000.

These different classes are not just some arbitrary designations given by reviewers, but different levels of sonic quality. It's the sound of Class "A" as compared to the sound of Class "B". Of course we all know a cartridge does not generate a sound alone, it's the improvement of the sound of the music after installation of that cartridge in your system. As audiophiles, we are required to learn system compatibility, but that will not replace component quality, and you can not get class "A" sound with Class "B" components, although you can consider whatever sound you're listening to Class "A".

A class "C" Rega TT can be upgraded to yield Class "B" sound with modifications, and there are other components that can be modified to yield a higher sonic quality, but to get into the vaunted realm of Class "A" sonics will require a trip to the bottom of one's pockets, especially since every single solitary component in the chain must be at that same sonic level.

I believe these HD Downloads are generating the equivalent of Class "A" analog. If one already has a Class "A" analog rig, there is certainly no reason to get excited about HD Downloads, but on the other hand, I believe they're economical for those of us who don't.

Enjoy the music.

Dear Orpheus10: ++++ " If one already has a Class "A" analog rig, there is certainly no reason to get excited about HD Downloads,.... " ++++++

I have not experiences with HD Downloads in my system ( I will try to have it asip. ) but if is similar to the quality performance level of a well recorded DVDA played in a decent today DAC ( 32/192. ) then IMHO I can tell you that even those A system persons could be existed when they understand what they are hearing through digital and what is happening through analog, not before.

Regrads and enjoy the music,
R.