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#102
Hi-rez is neither here nor there, what would really make a huge difference would be masters which are not grossly over-compressed dynamically.

Unless pono has something like ReplayGain there is no reason for anybody to master with more dynamic range. The worrying thing is that Metallica and the Red Hot Chili Peppers support pono yet they have created the most sonically crushed, unlistenable albums in recent years. What is the point in having 120dB+ dynamic range if they only use 3dB? Crap in 24/192 is still crap.
 
#103
Some artists are categorically fed up with people stealing their music for free.
Welcome to Pono and that bunch of them.

Me too I love Neil; he's trying to accommodate everyone, the listeners and the artists.
But he can't please the people who think that Metallica and the rest of the gang are not quality Classical music (or some great Jazz and Blues).
 
#104
Most listeners can't distinguish MP3 in 256kbps vs lossless. At 320 kbps it's even harder. No blindtests that I know about have proven an audible difference between hirez and redbook.

Still these musicans are saying the difference between MP3, CD and hirez is huge. Either they have been served something that is lureful (like MP3 in 128 kbps and redbook with more compression then hirez) or they have vested interests.

Other then that I'm sure Pono is a fine player with Ayre being behind the development, but the marketing here is simply misleading.
Hirez isn't what we need. We need less use of compression, better recordings, improved control room environments/acoustics and better mixing and mastering.
 
#107
Never seen Neil live but I've always loved his early songs and the stuff he did with CSN.
I'm pretty sure he is genuine in his quest for good sound. He's always been a very "organic" musician and likes things "real".
I think he has the same low opinion of this high compression, loudness wars and the crap music that is being produced out there too. I don't think this is hype on his part.
Unfortunately he may end up being the only artist who actually creates some of these hirez music files. Maybe Pono Music will have to take on all of that aspect as well and provide mastering certification. "Pono certified"....like we had back in the old vinyl days with the "master" LP's.
He might have to do something like that in order to prove out his system.
But I just don't see this for the mass market...
I guess we'll see in the coming months....
As far as the sound quality debates, I suppose if you use the highest rate out there at least you sort of subdue some debate over "it's not good enough".
192khz/32bit float .wav files are certainly at the top end of the digital recording scale right now and a FLAC conversion at those rates will be exactly the same as the wav file, so really no argument there for not being good enough, only that it might be overkill.
I'm curious to know if the FLAC is actually unpacked and the player actually is processing a wav file to the DAC output? Anyone have any technical info on that?
Most polls of recording studios opt for 96khz/24bit these days for tracking and processing at the mastering stage. And maybe the DSD and 384khz/32bit crowd will have some arguement, but that might be something for future debate anyway.
 
#109
As I said in the beginning in of this thread it is scientifically proven that the average person can detects the difference between hi-res and redbook material. That is a fact.

What I didn't mention was that these tests are psychological tests. The subjects where informed which material was hi-res and which was redbook, regardless if they were or not. And sure enough, most people could easily identified the hi-res material a being better.
 
#110
Saturnus said:
As I said in the beginning in of this thread it is scientifically proven that the average person can detects the difference between hi-res and redbook material. That is a fact.

What I didn't mention was that these tests are psychological tests. The subjects where informed which material was hi-res and which was redbook, regardless if they were or not. And sure enough, most people could easily identified the hi-res material a being better.
Click to expand...
And where is the link to this proof?

Here's one that gave the opposite result:
http://www.drewdaniels.com/audible.pdf
 
#112
Saturnus said:
As I said in the beginning in of this thread it is scientifically proven that the average person can detects the difference between hi-res and redbook material. That is a fact.

What I didn't mention was that these tests are psychological tests. The subjects where informed which material was hi-res and which was redbook, regardless if they were or not. And sure enough, most people could easily identified the hi-res material a being better.
Click to expand...

Here's a digital audio primer for you from xiph.org (proprietors of the FLAC audio codec):

24/192 Music Downloads are Very Silly Indeed
 
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#117
SY said:
OK, so are you saying that you don't actually have a citation for "scientifically proven"?
Click to expand...

Maybe you're reading impaired and in that case you are excused but I cannot release data that I'm not allowed to release.

Now answer the question. Can you tell the difference between a grand cru wine and a bag-in-box? The answer is yes, always, but as with hi-res vs. redbook you can only tell the difference once you're told which one is which regardless if it is actually the case. Even the most famous wine critics in the world actually can't tell the difference better than flipping a coin. But anyone who is told one wine is a good quality wine of fine vintage will consistently rate this wine higher than one the subject is told is a mediocre wine.

Excately the same results as with hi-res vs. redbook.
 
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