If you’ve been following the world of “high-resolution audio” and support for it among the major manufacturers, the Sony Corporation would immediately come to mind. They even developed the logo. But the announcement that Pioneer has entered the market with a very full-featured portable high-resolution audio player called the XDP-100R Digital Audio Player is notable for a number of reasons. This new portable player sets a very high bar if you’re counting features along but its biggest claim to fame is the licensing of the MQA technology from Meridian. Also among its impressive specifications is the inclusion of DSD at normal, double, and even quad rates and PCM up to 384 kHz and 32-bits…although words longer than 32-bits will be downconverted to 24-bits).<\/p>\n
Here’s the official press release issue by Pioneer:<\/p>\n
“September 10, 2015 – There is a groundswell of ‘higher than CD quality’ High Res audio formats and player devices that support them. With the mainstream growth for streaming audio and video services, many users are looking for more ways to enjoy their high res contents on the go.<\/p>\n
Pioneer is proud to announce the ‘XDP-100R’ Digital Audio Player. Based on Android OS, it supports many high res audio formats up to DSD 11.2MHz, 384kHz\/24bit FLAC\/WAV audio files, in addition to streaming audio and the upcoming MQA format.<\/p>\n
The class leading 4.7 inch display can make Google Play apps further expand its capabilities. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth support allow for a variety of wireless connectivity options. With the preloaded OnkyoMusic app, you can download high res audio files without the need of a PC. And with two micro SD card slots, along with the built in storage, you can max out the total storage up to 288GB.<\/p>\n
The ‘XDP-100’\u201d is based on our years of experience building component and portable audio devices. Based on ESS technology\u2019s SABRE DAC ES9018K2M and SABRE 9601K, all functions within the ‘XDP-100R’ are blocked off in a closed loop construction to eliminate any extraneous noise. The audio board and CPU board are separated internally, further isolating sources of noise, using the same approach as separating an amplifier from the playback device in a component stereo. It will improve the sound quality of your existing audio library. You can import your existing music files simply via the X-DAP Link app. In addition to the rigid aluminum body, the top and bottom have removable bumpers to protect the cables\/connectors from wear and tear.”<\/p>\n
I wasn’t able to find a price for the new player but you can bet it’s going to be hefty. The closest competitor is the top-of-the-line Astell & Kern AK380, which is priced at $3500. The new Pioneer unit bears a striking similarity to the A&K unit…the large screen, the beveled edge, and the decidedly high-tech vibe. You can read the specs for yourself at other sites around the web. But as impressive as the listed specifications are for this “high-resolution audio” device, I can’t help but think back on the fidelity of the audio being played on it. <\/p>\n
There aren’t any 384 kHz\/24-bit commercial recordings being produced. The number of extreme high-end releases is probably less than 100…and that’s being very generous. You can’t count tracks that have been upconverted from analog tapes or standard resolution digital files. And what about the inclusion of the MQA technology? I received an emailed message from MQA today as well. The new technology will also be part of the new line of Bluesound products from Lenbrook. I’m still waiting for inventor Robert Stuart to finish answering the questions I asked 4 months ago.<\/p>\n
So it seems audiophiles are near the peak of the highest fidelity mountain. How much more playback potential do we actually need? Perhaps the artists, musicians, producers, and labels should pay as much attention to producing and releasing “high-resolution music” as the hardware guys are to providing the ability to play it back.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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