tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4348292068036323235.post8678868146092511199..comments2023-08-29T03:53:29.334-07:00Comments on Bones Hi - Fi: Are Physical Digital Formats Better Than Digital Downloads? Ringohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09506068154852505840noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4348292068036323235.post-20916668307472516612017-02-07T04:25:50.254-08:002017-02-07T04:25:50.254-08:00I suspect the usb port on a universal player is no...I suspect the usb port on a universal player is not the ideal replay device for a music file.<br /><br />I don't have a usb port on my CD/SACD machine, a Sony SCD-XA5400ES - not 'hi-end' but a respected benchmark at it's price point. For files, I have a laptop PC running carefully set up Foobar2000 connected to a relatively inexpensive Korg DS DAC 100m. Correctly set, Foobar is able to decode almost any digital audio file from mp3 (I don't bother with), 16/44.1 - 24/192 in (various) lossless & uncompressed formats & DSD. As the DAC is native DSD, that is how I have Foobar set to output.<br /><br />With files ripped from my own disc collection, the reproduction is every bit as good as the disc playing machine, and usually preferred. To my initial surprise, higher bit rate and DSD files are also reproduced to advantage by the Foobar/DAC setup (the Sony is not so versatile and my SACD collection is admittedly limited).<br /><br />A friend with access to much more ambitious players and file replay systems than I also reports better results streaming from file based systems and I have on occasion heard this when visiting.Freeformhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01262345545003857396noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4348292068036323235.post-16724106712668674592016-04-13T14:23:13.164-07:002016-04-13T14:23:13.164-07:00Kind of my similar experience while auditioning a ...Kind of my similar experience while auditioning a Wadia Universal Player Vaporware being demoed in a Hong Kong Hi-Fi Show back in 2013 where the PC-based digital music / solid state memory stored music sounded inferior to their "physical" counterparts when compared to digital music that were either burned or were actually originally from a 12-centimeter silver disc. Sometimes it makes me wonder if those universal CD / DVD / SACD transports designed, made and manufactured after 2012 are already "jitter-free" in comparison to their 1990s era counterparts. Ringohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09506068154852505840noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4348292068036323235.post-85882275450384019172016-04-13T10:55:29.535-07:002016-04-13T10:55:29.535-07:00On universal players that play both USB solid-stat...On universal players that play both USB solid-state memory digital music downloaded music and physical media like CDs and DVD audio, the solid-state memory saved digital music sound as if they were CDs played in a 200 US dollar Pioneer PD-103 CD player while the physical CDs sound as if they were played on a 500 US dollar Marantz CD 63 SE KI Special Edition. VaneSSahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09903333054433459032noreply@blogger.com