Home
AudioAsylum Trader
Digital Drive: Hallelujah! I'll never have to listen to a CD again! by JimF

Upsamplers, DACs, jitter, shakes and analogue withdrawals, this is it.

For Sale Ads

FAQ / News / Events

 

Hallelujah! I'll never have to listen to a CD again!

157.150.192.237


[ Follow Ups ] Thread:  [ Display   All   Email ] [ Digital Drive ]
[ Alert Moderator ] [ Edit ] [ Delete ]

OK, I'm going to go way, way out on a limb and alert
the inmates to a very cheap thrill which has me climbing
the walls in audio ecstasy.

YMMV. The fact that folks aren't shouting this from
the rooftops puzzles me. I wonder if there's some kind
of perceptual threshold effect which is set a different
levels for different folks -- maybe it's genetic, like
being able to taste the bitterness of that chemical PTC
(phenylthiocarbamide) that you hear about in high
school biology. (That would explain some of the LP vs.
CD debate -- maybe some people, even some audiophiles,
are aurally insensitive to the "bitterness" of digital.)

Anyway, the following letter I wrote recently to
an audiophile net-acquaintance reveals what I'm
talking about. Yes, it's a bit long. ;->

------------------------------
Hi. . . Remember me? ;->

Almost six years ago, I wrote (in a flurry
of excitement about the upsampling of Redbook
CDs by the dCS gear that had been reviewed
that year in _Stereophile_ and elsewhere):

> I just wanted to let you know that I was very interested
> indeed in your post on rec.audio.high-end, "Listening at
> 24/192", from several weeks ago. . .
>
> The question of overriding importance now, for me
> and for that vast majority of audiophiles who will never
> be able or willing to spend $20,000 on the dCS boxes, is
> whether this sonic improvement can be reproduced in a
> much less expensive DAC using off-the-shelf merchant
> chips. . .
>
> I'll just have to be patient, and let the audio elves
> do their jobs, so that in another 6 months or a year
> I'll have some new toys to spend my
> nickels on. Meanwhile, this Christmas, I can content myself with
> the halfway-to-heaven (here's hoping!) Bel Canto DAC-1. . .
>
> Since having had my appetite for upsampling whetted by your Usenet post,
> I have read and re-read Scull's _Stereophile_ article from last
> February. . .
>
> Scull does wax unusually poetic in his description of the
> music from CDs reproduced by the 972/Elgar:
>
> "...somehow, from deep in the soup of high-speed floating-point
> calculations, the true nature of the music emerged completely
> unscathed. I reveled in 24/192 [upsampling]'s apparent felicity
> to timbre, timing, pace, its naturally quick rise
> time, the highly detailed leading edge and follow-on bubble of
> acoustic information rife with detail. Acoustic bloom lingered
> in the air before twinkling out into the ambient noise floor
> with the grace and naturalness of an Olympic diver."
>
> I especially like the first sentence about the music emerging "from deep
> in the soup of high-speed floating-point calculations", and the last one
> about the acoustic bloom lingering in the air and then "twinkling out
> into the ambient noise floor". That's poetry.

Well, it's been six years, not six months, and I've
tried a number of products -- the Bel Canto DAC-1 mentioned
above (Crystal CS8420 SRC-based 24/96 upsampling,
Burr-Brown DF1704 digital filter in "slow-rolloff" mode,
and Burr-Brown PCM1704 multibit DAC), its successor
the Bel Canto DAC-2 (Analog Devices AD1896 SRC-based
24/192 upsampling, Burr-Brown PCM1738 delta-sigma DAC
with integral digital filter), the pricey Camelot Uther
v2.0 Mk. 4, with the 24/192-upsampling Swiss "Anagram"
DAC, with proprietary upsampling software running
on an Analog Devices ADSL-21065L "SHARC" 32-bit floating
point DSP feeding (I believe) one or more
Analog Devices AD1853 24/192 delta-sigma DAC chips.

I've also used the Perpetual Technologies P-1A upsampler
with proprietary "resolution enhancement" software
(also running on a SHARC DSP) providing 24-bit word-length
expansion of 16-bit CDs on top of that generated
by the CS8420 SRC.

All of this has offered benefits, IMO, but nothing has
quite fulfilled the promise of that lurid 1999 _Stereophile_
review.

Until now.

It had crossed my mind that somebody would eventually do
this, but I missed the actual launch of the product, which occurred
last spring while I was looking elsewhere. I only found it because
the possibility crossed my mind again, and I went **looking** for
such a thing on the Web. There hasn't been much of a buzz
about it in general audiophile circles (yet) -- possibly because
the overlap between the audiophile community and the
population of the computer-savvy is far from 100%.

For $60, a Dutch company[*] is selling a computer program
which upsamples and bit-extends 16-bit/44.1 kHz CDs
(ripped to WAV files on your hard drive via something like
Exact Audio Copy) to 24-bit/96kHz data. The result is a
DVD-Video (**not** DVD-Audio!) compilation (the
usual VOB, BUP, etc. files) that can be burned to a DVD-R
using something like Nero Burning Rom (just pick
DVD-Video, drag the files to the VIDEO_TS directory,
and burn). The video program is just a black screen,
but the audio is a high-resolution 24/96 linear PCM
track (a nice addition to the DVD-Video standard,
which essentially no commercial discs take advantage
of). Then, **if** you have a DVD player that supports
non-downsampled 24/96 digital output, and also supports
the multiread standard (DVD-RW compatible) -- inexpensive
Pioneer decks, such as the DV-588, qualify on both
counts -- then you can feed the pseudo-high-resolution data to
your favorite 24/96 outboard D-to-A converter and enjoy
it through your stereo system.

The **enormous** advantage of doing this off-line
(rather than in real time via a multi-kilobuck box
containing DSP processors) is that -- 1) you don't
need to spend multiple kilobucks, 2) the arithmetic can
be carried out to higher precision than would be
practical with a DSP chip and 3) the algorithm can do
as much processing as the designer wants -- it could run
overnight if it needed to (though it generally only takes
10-15 minutes on my Athlon XP 3200+ to convert a typical
CD with this particular program). The disadvantage,
of course, is the time and hassle you need to
spend ripping, processing, and copying
your CDs to DVDs (and labelling them, if you want to
keep them on permanent DVD-Rs, rather than temporary
DVD-RWs).

But the best part is the sound. It sounds f'ing **fantastic**!
Much better than upsampling via an off-the-shelf
sample-rate converter chip. One commentator has
suggested (via the guy who sells the program, but
still. . .) that it's **better** than the dCS stuff. At any rate,
it rings **my** chimes, big-time, and finally brings
utter fulfillment to the promise of that '99 _Stereophile_ review.

You have to hear this thing to believe what it does.
It doesn't simply add a hint of sweetness and airiness
to Redbook CDs, a la SRC upsampling (or even the
Perpetual P-1A). It **radically** shifts instrumental
timbres (in a good direction!), brings out an incredible
amount of detail, and (on the right DAC) causes the
soundstage to blossom like I've never heard before
in my own system.

So far, I've listened on the Bel Canto DAC-2 (which
has its own SRC in the chain) and a 24/96-upgraded
(Burr-Brown PCM1728 chip) California Audio Labs Alpha
DAC (with 12AX7 tube output stage). It's a toss-up --
the CAL is tonally more beautiful; the Bel Canto
resolves more detail and soundstage. But **both** show the
resolution enhancement, in spades. I'm about to
try out some more exotic and expensive DACs with
this software, including, in coming days, an
MSB Platinum Link II (with MSB's newest 16x SHARC-based
proprietary digital filter) and a Tube Technology
Fulcrum DAC64 (which is basically a Chord DAC64
with a tube output stage). Both of these are custom
DACs -- the MSB is multibit, and the TT/Chord is
a sort of delta-sigma. Both also have integral
RAM buffers (like the old Genesis Digital Lens, but
**inside** the DAC), which should take the
Pioneer DVD transport out of the picture, sonically.

(I've also, in recent years, flirted with Audio
Note's "zero-oversampling" DACs, and I currently
own both a "cheapie" kit DAC 1.1x, and a not-so-cheap
4.1x Signature. These are both currently, IMO
[don't tell Peter Qvortrup!] a waste of glorious
tube output stages -- they need new digital sections
with full 24-bit data paths. They can stay "zero-
oversampling", as far as I'm concerned, they just
need to be able to process full 24/96, and not
truncate to 18 bits with the Analog Devices AD1865N
18-bit multibit DAC, which Qvortrup says sounds
better than the 24-bit Burr-Brown/TI PCM-1704
24-bit multibit DAC [which Kondo of Audio Note
Japan is nevertheless using in his latest
"Ongaku" DAC]. Qvortrup would, needless to say,
never consider a delta-sigma DAC, so the
PCM1792 is out of the picture. Well, maybe he'll
license the custom MSB multibit DACs! Or maybe
UltraAnalog will make a comeback with a satisfactory
24-bit multibit. Something's gotta give,
sooner or later, so I'm holding on to my
Audio Notes in the hopes of a future digital board-
ectomy [which will be $5,000 a unit if it's a
penny, just wait and see! -- the MSB "Signature"
DAC upgrade for the Platinum is $3,000!]).

Anyway, you've gotta try this software. If you've
already got a 24/96 and DVD-RW compatible DVD
transport (or can borrow one), and a DVD burner,
there's no risk -- you can download a trial
version (which is restricted to processing 4
tracks at once, or something like that) and
give it a spin. I think you'll be blown away!

Cheers.

Jim F.

[*] Eximius 'DVD+Audio' or 'DVD2One Audio Remaster'
http://www.eximius.nl

Erwin van den Berg (evdberg)
Rene Bakx

http://stereophile.com/news/031504pcaudio/
http://www.meridianunplugged.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=5;t=000253;p=3#000043
http://www.cdr-zone.com/reviews/dvd_software_reviews/dvd2one_audio_remaster_reviewed_page_1.html

P.S. I also wrote, six years ago:

> It's a delicate business -- we're trying to convince companies to
> risk money and effort on something that the engineers will say
> shouldn't make a difference -- and **could** end up evaporating
> as quickly as the fad for Armor-All'ing your CDs, or painting
> the edges green. Unless the guy who makes the decisions is
> himself a tweak (like Ric Schultz at EVS), then it's probably
> a hopeless cause -- unless the marketing people get in the act
> and insist that it's a necessary gimmick to sell product (as
> will, no doubt, eventually happen).
>
> Audio personalities can be unpredictable in their prejudices --
> as we know from some of the Usenet postings made by certain
> well-known audio designers.
>
> Here's something modestly humorous I thought of today. . .
> You know Theta's slogan in their magazine
> advertisements for their DACs -- "Digital done right"? Well, here's
> a slogan for upsampling: "Digital done wrong -- but it finally
> sounds right".

To wit, there was an **unfavorable** review of the Eximius
software in well-known British mag _Hi-Fi News_
which makes me reflect that the audio business
is all-too-often a parade of the blind leading
the deaf!
------------------------------

I suppose I should talk about my system(s). I've been
doing all my listening to these converted discs on
a mini-system consisting of Gallo Nucleus Micro satellite
speakers with the matching Gallo MPS-150
powered woofer, but crossed over ahead of the main
amplifier via a Bryston 10B-SUB electronic crossover.
The main amp for the Gallos is a pair of Cary CAD-300SE
single-ended triode amps. The line-level preamp
is a conrad-johnson PV12L, also tubed. DACs have (so
far) included a Bel Canto DAC-2 and a (24/96 upgraded)
California Audio Labs Alpha (the latter with
a tube output stage).

I also have a system with Quad ESL-63 electrostatics
crossed over (also via a Bryston 10B-SUB) to a Velodyne
HGS-12 subwoofer. Amplification is via a pair
of AtmaSphere M60 Mk. II output-transformerless
triode amps.

A third system consists of a pair of Infinity Composition
Prelude towers (with integral powered woofers) driven
by a pair of homemade GainClone op-amp (National Semiconductor
LM1875) amplifiers powered by four lead-acid gel-cell
wheelchair batteries per side (after 5 years the batteries
are no longer holding a charge -- I'll have to
shlep them to Sears one of these weekends and buy
replacements).

DACs currently in-house include the Bel Canto DAC-2;
the CAL Alpha 24/96; a Camelot Uther v2.0 Mk 4
(with 24/192 upsampling "Anagram" DAC); Audio
Note 1.1x kit, 4 Signature (with the old oversampling
DF1700/PCM63PK digital filter/DAC combo), and
4.1x Signature; and a Lector Digicode 2.24 (still
in the box!). DACs soon to be in-house include
an MSB Platinum Link II upgraded with the new 16x
filter (which I will have this evening if FedEx
is on time), a Tube Technology Fulcrum DAC64 (basically
a Chord DAC64 mated to a tube output stage),
and a Cary CD-306 SACD player/DAC.

At the moment I'm having so much fun listening to
the Eximius-converted discs that I'm spending all my time
ripping, processing, burning, and listening.
Like a kid stuffing handfuls of chocolate candy
into his mouth.

Last night I had an interesting experience. I was
listening to a newly-converted DVD of Judy Collins'
1975 album "Judith" (it was the HDCD remaster, FWIW --
the Eximius processing certainly doesn't preserve the
HDCD control bits! -- but HDCD mastering does
guarantee the use of an excellent A-to-D converter).
The first track, "The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress"
sounded absolutely ravishing -- and this is a track
which can indeed (and normally does) sound all
too harsh. When I heard the second track, "Angel Spread
Your Wings", I was carried back almost 30 years to when I
bought my first high-end system, including a
(used) Audio Research Dual 75 tube amp, and a
(new) Audio Research SP-3a-1 preamp. The preamp
took **months** to arrive, and when it finally
did, in the fall of 1976, one of the first LPs
I listened to was "Judith". I was particularly
struck by the wet, shimmering sound of that second
song "Angel" through the new ARC preamp (and the
D-75 amp, driving a pair of Stax SRX-III electrostatic
headphones), and last night, via the Eximius-converted
24/96 DVD, that track sounded **the same way**.

**That's** what I've wanted from digital audio all
along -- the sound of that Audio Research preamp,
without the clicks, pops, mistracking, inner-groove
distortion, record cleaners, anti-skate adjustments,
cartridge replacements, ad nauseam. That wasn't
too much to ask, was it? :-0 :-0

As I said, I'm surprised this jewel hasn't
garnered more attention. It's $60, but it offers
the kind of sound that a lot of folks would
be willing to spend $6,000 (or $60,000, if they
could afford it) on. If you know and love the
sound of vinyl, and have (with greater or less
enthusiasm) had to accommodate yourself to the
digital age, you **owe** it to yourself to give
the Eximius software a serious tryout.

Jim F.


This post is made possible by the generous support of people like you and our sponsors:
  Signature Sound   [ Signature Sound Lounge ]



Topic - Hallelujah! I'll never have to listen to a CD again! - JimF 08:27:07 10/20/05 ( 34)