By
Mark Waldrep
Let’s start with a few things I read online concerning DSD and DXD (which an alias for PCM):
“With a resolution up to 256 times better than CD, your ears will immediately realize the full potential of your playback system. DSD 256 is the highest audio resolution format available today.”
“Direct Stream Digital (DSD) actually has been around for a while already, but it has been so married to a physical media, SACD, that it has yet to receive the attention from audiophiles that it deserves. It is only recently with the growing interest in downloading high resolution audio via the Internet that DSD surged to the surface of news coverage. What were compelling reasons to use this encoding scheme for SACD over 10 years ago are now becoming convenient truths for the new era of high resolution internet audio.”
“A digital recording at 352.8 kHz sounds closer to “real analog,” which needs no anti-aliasing filters at all, and the listener is better able to capture full ambient information of sonic events with a 352.8 kHz sampling rate. Even though, higher resolution, higher sampling rates sound better than lower resolution, lower sampling rates, 192 kHz, 96 kHz and 44.1 kHz/24 bit all sound more “digital” than 352.8 kHz sampling because of the pronounced effects of anti-aliasing filters in the lower sampling rate systems.”
These particular marketing messages came from a site that sells digital transfers of old third generation analog tapes so it is perhaps surprising he’s pitching digital standards that far outstrip the fidelity of his analog tape masters.
Does a quad rate DSD recording have “up to 256” times the resolution of a Redbook CD? Of course not! Is it the “highest audio resolution format available”? Also not true. And anyone that would write and post such ridiculous claims makes me want to run for the exit door as quickly as possible.
The stuff about recordings sounding closer to “real analog” and lower sampling rates sounding more “digital” than higher sample rates are also meaningless statements. A duplicated consumer quarter track analog tape or a 2-track stereo “flat” master doesn’t benefit from moving to Ultra HD-Audio sample rates or quad DSD rates. Analog tape isn’t a high-resolution audio fidelity format to start so why transfer tapes to gigantic bit buckets?
Posting these messages are meant to attract uninformed customers who are being regularly pounded with DSD hyped articles and papers. They continue to confuse and confound intelligent audio enthusiasts. DSD is hot because panels of advocates and company representatives have grabbed headlines but they only present half the story.
How about reading an article written by a couple of very well respected designers and makes of equipment…including some of the best DSD converters?
I received an article from an audiophile associate based in Spain. Juan makes the incredible “aria” music server and other wonderful pieces of hardware and software. The article is called “DSD Myth” and was authored by the two principals at Grimm Audio, Eelco Grimm and Peter van Willenswaard (retired).
Here’s what they wrote as an introduction to the paper:
“In recent years the DSD audio format of SACD has seen a big revival in the form of high res downloads. We noticed there’s a lot of confusion about the 1 bit DSD format. Debates about the virtues of ‘128fs’ and ‘256fs’ DSD often lack background knowledge of what is really going on inside the AD and DA converters. Eelco Grimm and Peter van Willenswaard wrote a ‘DSD Myth’ white paper to offer clarity in the discussion.”
Read “DSD Myth“. It cuts through a lot of the nonsense that you find in other white papers, on websites, spouted by panelists at audio shows, and by vested equipment manufacturers. Bravo to these two engineers on writing a thoughtful and accurate paper about the DSD format…and its myths.
Enjoy the sound of DSD if you want…but please stop denying the myths associated with the DSD the format.


AXPONA 2018 Show Report – Part I
April 20, 2018
Chicago AXPONA Show is Next Week!
April 06, 2018
The Halcyon Days of the 50s were NOT!
January 27, 2018
Happy New Year! Looking Forward — and Back!
January 09, 2018
MQA: Avoiding Confrontation
September 14, 2017
The YARRA 3DX Kickstarter Launch is a Success!
September 13, 2017
YARRA 3DX Campaign Launches!
September 11, 2017
Flat Sound Believers
June 30, 2017
Living in the Past?
June 07, 2017
Brian Carr
Hi, Mark –
Thanks for sharing the white paper. Unfortunately, it’s a rather unprofessional document, one that’s badly in need of editing–especially the paper’s completely incorrect use of apostrophes.
Also, thank you for a great blog!
Best regards,
Brian
Admin
Brian…I’m willing to give the authors a break writing in English. They are from the Netherlands and are engineers not writers…the information and message is clear. I shutter to think what would happen if I had to write a paper in another language.
Wayne
“shudder”
Steve Lees
I really am totally over this entire high resolution nonsense altogether now. We are being fed so much BS at all levels and from all and sundry, that I simply want to go back to buying CDs again.
Just about anything from the last decade sounds like crap because of poor recording/engineering/mastering, regardless of the resolution being put forth.
Simply give me a really well recorded/engineered/mastered CD and it is happy days, all the other nonsense is just that, nonsense.
I think also that nine times out of ten when we do get a good sounding high res file it is good for the simple reason that it has not been messed with in terms of dynamics etc, not necessarily because it is high resolution!
Admin
I think I’m with you on this. The problem is actually up stream from the delivery platform. Still…I’m stuck on surround and CDs just can’t do that.
Sal
Jazz At The Pawn Shop is just about to celebrate it’s 40th birthday and it sounds better than 99% of everything recorded since. It’s more about microphone technique than just about anything else.
Marks recordings sound amazing because he uses good technique combined with SOTA equipment.
Mateus
I agree on you and with this posting (The Continuing Myth of DSD). This could call “The Continuing Myth of HiRes…”. I’m getting backing to CD’s also. I won’t pay high prices for SACDs or DSDs, when the most important thing of the ring is the recording/mastering of audio.
Sal
Mark,
I sense a lot of stress in your post, don’t let them get to you, your health is more important. As I added to yesterdays blog, its all about who can spent the most $ on PR. 24/192 is all we need, probably more. But it’s old news and the only way to sell new software/hardware is for those in the business to make more $ is to spend a lot convincing consumers that there is newer-better tech that has to be bought into.
Hard to oout market Sony and it’s associates.
Admin
Thanks Sal, I’m back to my running…8 miles tomorrow morning…so I’m thinking I’m healthy. The power is in others hands but it still bugs me.
JCC
Alright, l’ll Tell What Is Fact. I Own A DA-3000 AND THE ONLY FORMAT THAT ARCHIVES VINYL INDISTINGUISHABLE FROM THE RECORD, IS DSD.
Buy or borrow one, “hear for yourself”
Admin
Thanks for the comment. You’re certainly welcome to enjoy your DSD transferred vinyl LPs. And yes, I’ve have heard it and compared it to 96 kHz/24-bit PCM. But because vinyl LPs are standard-resolution media full of distortion and noise, there was no difference. In fact, a CD can adequately capture most vinyl without loss. DSD is a highly flawed technology and unusable for most production purposes. As a professional audio engineer AND audiophile, I wouldn’t record or distribute with DSD. Sony was providing the equipment for FREE back in the early days of SACD — after researching it, I passed.