Goodbye Yellow Brick Road - sacd or 96/24 download ?

AFAIK, 96/24s and SACDs are, in effect, the same resolution and many of the 'new' 88-96/24 DLs are sourced from existing SACD master tapes, as HDtracks.com clarified recently when it released the hi-res versions of the Rolling Stones back catalogue.

FWIW, I prefer SACDs purely because my CDP does a better job of playing digital music compared to my computer/iTunes/DAC setup.

Don't forget the old Mobile Fidelity Ultradisc, which sounds very nice. Not heard the SACD so can't compare.

That is also my understanding.

SACD/DVD Audio.. really come into their own in 5.1 (fantastic - shame its dying.)

I hope Blu-ray music takes hold....but it too will probably remain niche.

Cno

Prefer SACDs via 2-channel, but probably 'cos my 5.1 setup isn't much cop.

My dream is for next-gen CDPs to be CD/SACD/Blu-ray compatible, and all future 'hard copy' music releases to be on a hybrid Blu-ray disc with a 16/44.1-Red Book layer and a 24/192-Blu-ray layer.

Guess I'll have to keep on dreaming...  

i should add .. when i got into sacd abit originally i had a VERY good 5.1 system ......times change ... and sacd playback would be through sony s370  br player ...  

nearly all my listening these days is through headphones  ... senn hd600 , graham slee solo , mf v-dac through pc ... if i went sacd route obvoiusly the path is slightly different....

so.... teh 96/24 download is ok i take it ?  it is from hdtracks 

also i have a slight concern on how long i can expect teh quality of my downloads to last  ? and if i can re-download at no cost to me in the future ?  anyone know ?

If you end up getting it, can you report back.....it's one I have had my eye on.

Thx

Cno

lol i couldnt resist .... downloading now

just listening to :-

Artist: Carla Lother
Title: 100 Lovers

which i just downloaded ..... damn it sounds good through headphones

No disrespect to your Sony S370, but if I had your V-DAC/PC setup I'd opt for HDtracks's 96/24...

Re the Stones's hi-res downloads, HDtracks blurb said:

"...For this HD Tracks release, the Bob Ludwig mastered DSD files [aka SACD master] were converted to both 176.4kHz and 88.2kHz high resolution PCM with Weiss Saracon conversion software."

Full info here:

https://www.hdtracks.com/index.php?file=stones (scroll down to heading: "The Remastering of the Rolling Stones")   

never even heard of her .. but played teh demo trakcs ... and thought i'll try it ... i like a good guitar sesion

thanks 6th in regards that ... yeh  tbh i thought the pc download would cream the sony for hd sound tbh ...are all the tracks the do direct rips from sacd / hd audio sources then ?

thats exactly what i'm refering to ..... i know ive read that mp3s have de-graded over time and its a file at the end of the day on a pc ..its bound to

Wherever you read that was wrong, a digital file will NOT degrade, it's impossible. A physical cd can but that's not the same thing at all. Ignore whatever you might have heard the idea is nonsense.

If you end up getting it, can you report back.....it's one I have had my eye on. Thx Cno[/quote]

just did a quick back to back / stop strat at after 20 seconds comparrision of candle in teh wind

version of cd i'm using on my pc is "greatest hits - one night only "  from 2002.   ive made sure both have the same sound level to max , so that im usign the headphone amp to control volume .. after setting in at a level playing field ive got to say the 96/24 version is a nice breath of fresh air ... more bounce to it and everything seems to come alive , and its louder / clearer.. glad i bought it now

edit  .. ive also listened to "saterday nights alright for fighting"  .. again this is for more alive and detailed / loder than the cd version.....  i did my first test usign different media players .... "candle cd" was wmc .. "candle 96/24" was mediamonkey.

for "saturday" i used wmc for both files......and again the 96/24 version just jumps out at you ... for more drive and attack .. and i'll say again ....louder/clearer .......  the best way to describe it would be saying the artist has gone back 20 years later and played exactly the same song /same cords/same style , but using better recording eqipment ..... just awesome is all i can say

Talon

Appreciate you taking the time.....Thx

Looks like one I'll just have to get.

Cheers

Cno