Why CD/SACD sound better than CAS

Fayefei

Comparing SACD to a DSD Download: A Follow-Up Report
(by Alan Taffe of The Absolute Sound  )   Jun 13th, 2014

In Issue 242 of The Absolute Sound I compared the SuperHiRez.com DSD download of Rickie Lee Jones’ Traffic in Paradise to the SACD layer of the Analogue Productions hybrid disc. At the time, it seemed like a fair comparison. In my setup, the same DAC (a CH Precision C1) can handle a native DSD stream from both my PC and a CH Precision D1 SACD transport. So, same bit format, same material, same DAC—let’s see how these different masters compare! Briefly, the SACD sounded way better.

Then I got a call from Gus Skinas of The Super Audio Center, who had authored the SACD. Gus very politely informed me that the download was taken from the exact same file as had been used for the AP SACD. So now it was clear that I had compared identical bits in the same format going through the same DAC. In theory, they should have sounded the same—but they didn’t.

So what accounts for this discrepancy? As Gus and I discussed the matter, the answer became plain. Although the bits were the same and the DAC was the same, the interface between the DAC and the two sources was not the same. In the case of the hi-res file, the DSD bits flowed over USB. However, when playing the SACD those same bits traversed CH Precision’s proprietary CH-Link interface. I thought I was comparing different masters and preferring one, but all I had really proved was that in a tightly controlled environment, with all other variables held constant, CH Precision’s proprietary DSD interface trounces USB.

Are we surprised? No, we are not. USB has exhibited its deficiencies time and again. Most recently we have seen that DACs which support streaming from a NAS drive typically sound superior in that mode. Now we have learned that USB’s inadequacies do not stop at DSD’s door. I do wish I had clued into the interface factor before dissing the SuperHiRez DSD download. Turns out, it wasn’t the download’s fault at all. To SHR and Sony, I apologize for not coming to this realization sooner.

Audiophilelp

http://www.hiendy.com/hififorum/ ... &extra=page%3D4

Allan在TAS blog被批評的言論已被deleted!大多批評Allan根本不懂CAS,只比較不同制式而忽視其他重要因素，一時說DSD files 不及SACD,一時又說USB不好

Fayefei

Audiophilelp 發表於 2014-6-25 23:49
http://www.hiendy.com/hififorum/forum.php?mod=viewthread&tid=74009&extra=page%3D4

Allan在TAS blog被 ...

Audiophilelp

雖然CD/SACD仍有不少支持者，但是FAS/CAS卻不斷進步，要與CDP/SACDP平起平坐不難

Audiophilelp

又有番：

「Your condemnation of USB is over-reaching.

All you proved is that on your DAC, the USB interface doesn't sound as good as the specialist proprietary interface ESPECIALLY DESIGNED to work with your SACD player. What a shock!

Check over at computeraudiophile.com. There's entire threads of DSD users discussing why DSD rips/Downloads over their USB inputs are superior sounding to SACD playback of the same material.

Alan, to be honest,this isn't the first time you've shown you are way behind the curve/not well informed/up to date when it comes to computer audio, especially concerning USB.

I think you should refrain from making sweeping pronouncements about comparative SQ until you acquire more expertise and are willing to set up a fair comparison. You set up a test where USB is likely to be deficient, and then tell us that USB isn't up to snuff as an interface.

And please don't tell me about your education in computers. It doesn't mean much, because you've regularly shown a lack of desire to setup state of the art or even high level USB computer audio setups before you make broad pronouncements about how USB doesn't cut it as an audio interface. You clearly have a lot to learn about USB as an audio interface. This has been obvious for years, yet you still write reviews reflecting the same lack of knowledge and initiaitive, not to mention lacking the most simple level of intellectual rigor and honesty.」

feellikecyber

Thanks for sharing

feellikecyber

Audiophilelp 發表於 2014-6-25 23:49
http://www.hiendy.com/hififorum/forum.php?mod=viewthread&tid=74009&extra=page%3D4

Allan在TAS blog被 ...

Thanks for sharing

feellikecyber

Audiophilelp 發表於 2014-6-26 00:04
雖然CD/SACD仍有不少支持者，但是FAS/CAS卻不斷進步，要與CDP/SACDP平起平坐不難 ...

Thanks for sharing

Audiophilelp

仲有：

「Lots of expensive devices on the market have inferior USB implementation, so of course they won't sound good when using USB. Almost any USB interface more than several years old is far below the standard available today. Some new, and almost all older equipment has USB added cheaply and as an afterthought. Resources and design on many devices aren't devoted to making a good quality USB interface that will sound as good or better than other formats. But it can and is being done. You just need to have equipment and a music server built to get the most out of USB.

Try that next time before you write ANOTHER article about the "deficiencies" of USB.」

obee

好彩唔係大草哥咁寫. 希望本地寫手們唔好隨便落注. 落呢D注無好處.
總之邊個俾錢就話果做好聲. 話CD/SACD好聲唱片協會未必俾錢架.

天下第一刀

因为市面所有民用ＤＡＣ非常垃圾，加上电脑不适当的延迟播放时间使声音变硬，除
非你会磨机，否则建议使用专业Sound Card及专业ＤＡＣ。

obee

又係 Made in Germany? 令我諗起果粒橙色電容.

t1174

rme 的確是德國。但唔知點解日本重平過香港。

而 rme sound card 的確好聲，pci 年代的9624 已經好正，但也有點 monitor 底。另外是pcm card. 要追 format 的就可以無視了。但就是 pc 冇調甚麼，用這sound card 出 dac 就已經好聽就是至大好處。

CKKeung

t1174 發表於 2014-6-26 11:33
rme 的確是德國。但唔知點解日本重平過香港。

而 rme sound card 的確好聲，pci 年代的9624 已經好正，但 ...

RME sound card 的確好聲 x2.

But RME soundcards are NOT compatible with DSD file playback!

m40

CKKeung 發表於 2014-6-26 11:42
RME sound card 的確好聲 x2.

But RME soundcards are NOT compatible with DSD file playback!

Not totally correct.  I use RME UC as USB-to-AES DDC, it passes DoP transparently to my DSD Dac

The RME built-in Dac does not support DSD though

m40

對TAS寫手嘅聽感不感奇怪，USB直入解碼好多時不及其他port好聲。以自己接觸過嘅解碼經驗，就算解碼已經有USB輸入，加件外置USB-to-AES DDC(如Weiss之類) ，再用AES輸入會比直入USB好。
所以我同意TAS聽感但就非常不同意其推斷原因為USB不濟之説