DSD is a subset of the generic format Sigma-Delta Modulation (SDM), just as Red Book CD is a subset of the generic format PCM. In more than 99% of all PCM DACs the actual digital-to-analog conversion is done in SDM format. The name stands for Direct Stream Digital Interchange File Format (file extension.dff). You could transform it to DSF with some highly priced editing software. Note that PS3 can play DSF (Direct Stream File and extension is.dsf) which is a 1-bit audio file format developed and used by Sony.

“Comparison is the death of joy.” ~ Mark Twain “Audiophiles care too much about sound.” ~ Stephen Mejias Preamble The sure sign of an addict is the recursive 'I'm never going to.again'. I'm never going to buy another version of Kind of Blue but I did. The most interesting question here is exactly what are we addicted to? Is it the music? Or is it the sound?

If we go by the strict definition according to Merriam-Webster, an audiophile is 'a person who is enthusiastic about high-fidelity sound reproduction'. Sound reproduction? Not 'music reproduction'? According to the Urban Dictionary, an audiophile is also a bunch of other things including, 'One who enjoys sex acts involving the ear.' , 'Someone who usually looks at young audio equipment.

And rapes it through various input and often output sockets.' , and 'This is a person that makes you break out in a cold sweat and shudder when he says 'So something interesting happened today.' ' So something interesting happened today—I compared the 24/192 PCM version of Kind of Blue from HDtracks to the new DSD version from Acoustic Sounds. But did I really? Or did I necessarily also compare the conversion processes from tape to digital, the hardware involved in the conversion processes, and the way the particular DAC I used for the comparison, the Auralic Vega, handles PCM versus DSD? The answer is D) all of the above.

Since we are not comparing file formats when we compare file formats, what are we doing? The answer for me is finding the version of a given recording we prefer listening to. Thinking that we are in fact determining which is the best format is not only misguided, it misses the main point which is the best version of Miles Davis' Kind of Blue is the one we own and enjoy listening to. When we begin fretting over file formats and arguing over how bits are handled within a DAC chip and is it 'true' DSD, multi-bit DSD, delta-sigma'd PCM, or 'real' parallel resistor PCM.we begin to lose the music. Comparison may also be the death of music. The music gets lost in the dust up and we end up talking about sound. I suppose this kind of thing is inevitable in any enthusiast perfectionist endeavor but it seems especially egregious when it comes to music.

The Comparison Through the Auralic Vega DAC, the DSD download of Miles Davis' Kind of Blue sounds simply stunning. Gee, where have I heard that before? 'But more importantly, the remastered Kind of Blue sounds simply stunning.' American psycho script pdf.