Newly released Blu-ray with ATMOS, 5.1 and Hi-Res Stereo, just arrived in the post today.
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I’ve had this on my wish list for a while but have held back as I already have the mofi sacd. Do you think it’s worth the investment?
I’m going to pass. I only have stereo, and I already have the the DVD-A (which I understand has a different mix) and the MFSL SACD.
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I must say the Qobuz DSD downloads are excellent and a clear step up on most cd playback versions. Had a splurge the last couple of days and in this situation the Sublime account is definitely worth the extra because of the savings made and the fact you can’t actually stream DSD anyway.
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Is there a magic way to search for them?
I’ve downloaded several of the Living Stereo titles (from what I believe are the AP masters - I already own all but one of the earlier BMG era SACDs). I also have a number of DG releases, which I believe used masters by Emil Berliner for Tower Japan.
What else have you found?
Hi Adeypoos,
Your profile is hidden, so I don’t know which source you have.
With my Nds and 2x 555 ps, DSD files sound often anemic. Nice, soft, but dull. Naim doesn’t decode directly DSD, but uses DOP.
If you have a Naim streamer, I don’t understand how you can enjoy so much DSD files.
I have changed my profile settings so you can have a look now. I didn’t realise it was hidden. I’m a big fan of DSD playback, even if my 333 can’t play them natively, I find the flavour is smooth, detailed and warmer than normal PCM playback via hi-res files. I guess that it could veer towards overly smooth in the wrong system but I am happy with the results, particularly with Blue Note/Verve jazz from the mid 1950’s - 1970’s.
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You probably think my tubes system is smooth. It’s more dynamic than my ex 252/250 dr system. I agree that DSD sound nice and warm. But not dynamic.
The only one that sounds good, which I have, is Jeff Beck Blow by Blow.
Maybe 333 does better than OC streamers.
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I think you may be confusing lack of dynamics with lack of glare. The Blue Note flat transfers are not EQ’d or compressed in any way and have immense dynamics but without the etched edges to notes that make me wince. This lack of edge could be perceived as a lack of dynamics but once your ear has got used to this “new” sound you may find it shows normal digital recordings as rather hard. For me, the sound of DSD is as close to vinyl/open reel tape playback as one can get and preferable to my ears. Strictly speaking, my NSS333 doesn’t do native DSD, but converts to PCM, only does so in a way I find immensely satisfying. Maybe one day I’ll own a fully fledged DSD player to see what that does. I know SACD players like the Marantz SA10 I heard offer uncompromising performance, but I don’t want to go down the road of building a large and expensive SACD collection if I can stream instead.
I used to have a mate who had EAR stuff and it sounded superb, so I don’t doubt your system sounds amazing - different systems, rooms, hearing etc.
All the best.
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When I was wondering about Naim’s decision to convert DSD to PCM, I came across this thread where @Stevesky goes into a bit of detail.
Edit - Just noticed that the linked article was updated earlier this year. (Surprised the reference to MQA remains.)
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I’m in the UK, I just search for the Qobuz UK DSD Download Store. There isn’t really that much available, you can further search by genre in the list. I have purchased a couple of Stones albums, Let it Bleed and Beggars Banquet, the quality is good.
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I have the SACDs of those two (plus several other Stones SACDs). I’m pretty sure they have the same mastering as the downloads (unless the downloads are from Japanese masterings).
Moussorgsky, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra- Leibowitz : The Power Of The Orchestra: A Night On The Bare Mountain · Pictures At An Exhibition,
One of the best RCA Living Stereo DECCA recording done at Kingsway Hall by Kenneth Wilkinson
The 2009 hybrid SACD from Analogue Productions mastered by the late great George Marino at Sterling Sound did not disappoint- unfortunately long OOP but I notice they are coming out with a 45RPM 2 LP version, perhaps there will be a digital surprise at some point?
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If you already have a SACD version of the album, then I would not think it is worth getting a Blu-ray version as well.
I dont have a SACD player or discs so cant do a sound quality comparision between SACD and Blu-ray of the same albums, however, @Mike_S has done the comparison on an album or two and on his system he found that the SACD version was marginally better than the Blu-ray, so another reason to be happy with the SACD and not bother with the Blu-ray as well, unless you specifically wanted the ATMOS and 5.1 tracks.
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Thanks for your help.
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Yeah, not a big lot there. I have grabbed a few DSD files off the internet archive.
I believe you are correct, both from the 2022 Bob Ludwig masterings.
I picked that up as a DSD download on the final day that Acoustic Sounds was offering them.
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I find the availability of DSD, SACD, Blu Ray is generally poor for my musical tastes, I only pick up DSD downloads as my DAC handles them fine. I’ve swithered for ever regarding the purchase of a SACD player.
For Workingman’s Dead, the Blu-Ray doesn’t have the original stereo mix. It has a stereo remix in addition to the surround mixes whereas the MFSL SACD is the original stereo mix only. In other words, it’s not a fair comparison.
If you’re making a general comparison between the 2 formats (SACD v Blu-Ray), when they have the same mix, it’s better to focus on the mastering differences, not DSD v PCM (unless you don’t have the hardware to play both). That’s because the mastering is going to have a far bigger impact than the format. Therefore, you should compare titles on a case-by-case basis. I tend to buy more SACDs because they are made by audiophile companies (e.g. Analogue Productions, MFSL, Intervention, etc) and they usually (not always) get better results at the mastering stage. With Blu-Ray audio, the focus is usually on the Atmos/5.1 mixes and often the stereo mix is an afterthought (not always, hence case-by-case).
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