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[ATTACH=CONFIG]4100[/ATTACH]

 

As far as I'm concerned that one never gets old.

One never knows, do one? - Fats Waller

The fairest thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the fundamental emotion which stands at the cradle of true art and true science. - Einstein

Computer, Audirvana -> optical Ethernet to Fitlet3 -> Fibbr Alpha Optical USB -> iFi NEO iDSD DAC -> Apollon Audio 1ET400A Mini (Purifi based) -> Vandersteen 3A Signature.

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But seriously, folks (and OP):

 

I think probably the Blue Coast Collection in DSD format.

 

Blue Coast Collection | Blue Coast Records

 

Some classical DSDs from Channel Classics have also been nice, but (possibly owing to it being my first extended listening experience with DSD, and also the fact that the recordings are generally of acoustic music with one or just a few players and vocalists on each track) this is really the one that made me sit up and pay attention, and think "Wow, there's something different going on here."

 

For PCM format, I like Wilco's "The Whole Love" and Ottmar Liebert's "Dune." (Have also heard good things about "One Guitar.") I think Officium Novum also has really good sonics, but jazz saxophone accompanying medieval barbershop quartet in an abbey may not be your "thang."

One never knows, do one? - Fats Waller

The fairest thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the fundamental emotion which stands at the cradle of true art and true science. - Einstein

Computer, Audirvana -> optical Ethernet to Fitlet3 -> Fibbr Alpha Optical USB -> iFi NEO iDSD DAC -> Apollon Audio 1ET400A Mini (Purifi based) -> Vandersteen 3A Signature.

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But seriously, folks (and OP):

 

I think probably the Blue Coast Collection in DSD format.

 

Blue Coast Collection | Blue Coast Records

 

Some classical DSDs from Channel Classics have also been nice, but (possibly owing to it being my first extended listening experience with DSD, and also the fact that the recordings are generally of acoustic music with one or just a few players and vocalists on each track) this is really the one that made me sit up and pay attention, and think "Wow, there's something different going on here."

 

You running a new DAC Jud?

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You running a new DAC Jud?

 

It's Audirvana Plus converting to PCM on the fly, which it does a nice job of.

One never knows, do one? - Fats Waller

The fairest thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the fundamental emotion which stands at the cradle of true art and true science. - Einstein

Computer, Audirvana -> optical Ethernet to Fitlet3 -> Fibbr Alpha Optical USB -> iFi NEO iDSD DAC -> Apollon Audio 1ET400A Mini (Purifi based) -> Vandersteen 3A Signature.

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I love a lot of the Blue Note remasters, but won't name them as they are 50 year old recordings that sound great, but not as good as the better stuff of today.

 

Off the top of my head:

Diana Krall - The Girl in the Other Room

Green Day - American Idiot (sounds way better than the CD)

David Chesky - Urbanicity

Bill Evans Trio - Waltz for Debby

Shostakovich - 11th Symphony

Dvorak - 8th and 9th Symphonies - DSD

 

the above are all hi-res.

 

Also, older stuff: the hi-res McCartney stuff sounds very good, as do the Stones remasters done by Bob Ludwig (the earlier Abkco ones), but the DSD of the Stones is even better. Keith Jarrett - "The Koln Concert" also sounds great - just like the Vinyl, only better.

Main listening (small home office):

Main setup: Surge protectors +>Isol-8 Mini sub Axis Power Strip/Protection>QuietPC Low Noise Server>Roon (Audiolense DRC)>Stack Audio Link II>Kii Control>Kii Three BXT (on their own electric circuit) >GIK Room Treatments.

Secondary Path: Server with Audiolense RC>RPi4 or analog>Cayin iDAC6 MKII (tube mode) (XLR)>Kii Three BXT

Bedroom: SBTouch to Edifer M1380 system.

Living Room/Kitchen: Ropieee (RPi3b+ with touchscreen) + Schiit Modi3E to a pair of Morel Hogtalare. 

All absolute statements about audio are false :)

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firedog, I agree about the Koln Concert. Really beautiful, and the performance is beauty unto mass hypnosis.

 

Stones in DSD? firedog, you're lightening my wallet again!

One never knows, do one? - Fats Waller

The fairest thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the fundamental emotion which stands at the cradle of true art and true science. - Einstein

Computer, Audirvana -> optical Ethernet to Fitlet3 -> Fibbr Alpha Optical USB -> iFi NEO iDSD DAC -> Apollon Audio 1ET400A Mini (Purifi based) -> Vandersteen 3A Signature.

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The Stones box set in hybrid SACD is out of print and sells for over 700 USD used and close to 4000 USD new from resellers on Amazon.

 

Esau

 

So the immediate danger is gone. ;-)

 

Have a feeling there will be reissues down the line, though.

One never knows, do one? - Fats Waller

The fairest thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the fundamental emotion which stands at the cradle of true art and true science. - Einstein

Computer, Audirvana -> optical Ethernet to Fitlet3 -> Fibbr Alpha Optical USB -> iFi NEO iDSD DAC -> Apollon Audio 1ET400A Mini (Purifi based) -> Vandersteen 3A Signature.

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Jud-

 

If you want only specific Stones albums (not the whole set) you might be able to pick used ones up for a "reasonable" price-even a lot of new SACDs cost $50 or more (re: the Who discs from Japan).

 

Barring that, even the CDs with the Bob Ludwig remasters sound great; and the HD Tracks downloads converted to 88 or 176k of the SACDs also sound really good. You're losing very little with those; you probably couldn't tell the difference from the DSD without a direct A/B comparison.

Main listening (small home office):

Main setup: Surge protectors +>Isol-8 Mini sub Axis Power Strip/Protection>QuietPC Low Noise Server>Roon (Audiolense DRC)>Stack Audio Link II>Kii Control>Kii Three BXT (on their own electric circuit) >GIK Room Treatments.

Secondary Path: Server with Audiolense RC>RPi4 or analog>Cayin iDAC6 MKII (tube mode) (XLR)>Kii Three BXT

Bedroom: SBTouch to Edifer M1380 system.

Living Room/Kitchen: Ropieee (RPi3b+ with touchscreen) + Schiit Modi3E to a pair of Morel Hogtalare. 

All absolute statements about audio are false :)

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Jud-

 

If you want only specific Stones albums (not the whole set) you might be able to pick used ones up for a "reasonable" price-even a lot of new SACDs cost $50 or more (re: the Who discs from Japan).

 

Barring that, even the CDs with the Bob Ludwig remasters sound great; and the HD Tracks downloads converted to 88 or 176k of the SACDs also sound really good. You're losing very little with those; you probably couldn't tell the difference from the DSD without a direct A/B comparison.

 

Another reason why HDTracks should sell DSD downloads. Consider that an SACD converted to PCM 176.4 DL of Let It Bleed costs 29.98 USD and the original SACDs are out of print and cost a king's ransom from resellers(plus they would need to be converted to a DSD file format using a rare Playstation 3).

 

Esau

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+1 Jud,

 

This the great of the greatest albums on DSD DL. I forgot it, and listening again I tried to find the best track, but all are a fine selection. If I have to choose I'll go to track #1: "Looking For A Home"

 

Roch

 

"Looking For A Home" is wonderful :)

John Walker - IT Executive

Headphone - SonicTransporter i9 running Roon Server > Netgear Orbi > Blue Jeans Cable Ethernet > mRendu Roon endpoint > Topping D90 > Topping A90d > Dan Clark Expanse / HiFiMan H6SE v2 / HiFiman Arya Stealth

Home Theater / Music -SonicTransporter i9 running Roon Server > Netgear Orbi > Blue Jeans Cable HDMI > Denon X3700h > Anthem Amp for front channels > Revel F208-based 5.2.4 Atmos speaker system

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Best sounding download??

 

Geez, I never thought of it that way. Is there an online tool that can measure quality of sound?

 

I just look at the graphs - particularly the DR number which are very important - and that tells me what I need to know. Then I look at sample rate.

 

Besides, I hear nothing above 15kHz. But that band of noise at 30kHz in DSD conversion to PCM - that bothers me.

 

Isn't listening for sound quality pretty old school?

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Best sounding download??

 

Geez, I never thought of it that way. Is there an online tool that can measure quality of sound?

 

I just look at the graphs - particularly the DR number which are very important - and that tells me what I need to know. Then I look at sample rate.

 

Besides, I hear nothing above 15kHz. But that band of noise at 30kHz in DSD conversion to PCM - that bothers me.

 

Isn't listening for sound quality pretty old school?

 

If listening for sound quality is done to the exclusion of everything else, sure, it's a waste. There are at least a couple of situations I can think of where it is worthwhile.

 

One is to find a favorite version of a favorite album, as I did recently with Pet Sounds. The time and effort spent searching will be repaid every time I listen.

 

The other is to read others' appreciations to learn about artists and recordings I may not have known about otherwise, like "Looking for a Home" that's been mentioned here a few times already, or the Wilco album I really like that I probably wouldn't have thought to buy in Redbook.

One never knows, do one? - Fats Waller

The fairest thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the fundamental emotion which stands at the cradle of true art and true science. - Einstein

Computer, Audirvana -> optical Ethernet to Fitlet3 -> Fibbr Alpha Optical USB -> iFi NEO iDSD DAC -> Apollon Audio 1ET400A Mini (Purifi based) -> Vandersteen 3A Signature.

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It's a case of Déja Moo: The feeling that you've heard this bull before.

 

How a Digital Audio file sounds, or a Digital Video file looks, is governed to a large extent by the Power Supply area. All that Identical Checksums gives is the possibility of REGENERATING the file to close to that of the original file.

PROFILE UPDATED 13-11-2020

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