On Mon, 23 Jan 2012 06:13:06 -0800, Gary Eickmeier wrote
(in article <
9o587i...@mid.individual.net>):
24-Bit CAN, theoretically, have sonic advantages over 16-bit simply due to
dynamic range - especially on low-level end of the recording. There are
simply more bits to toggle for ambience and other quiet sounds. Higher than
Red Book sampling rates move the Nyquist frequency further out of the normal
passband for human hearing. Some say that this reduces phase-shift in-band.
With today's digital filters, though, I'm not sure that this is the problem
it (might have been) back in the days of brick-wall analog filters at 22.05
KHz. If the latter IS still a problem, 88.2 KHz sample rate would be more
than sufficient to move the filter frequency far enough out of the passband
to no longer be a problem.
But all of this is hypothetical and wildly speculative. The fact is that the
problems associated with modern recording practices aren't addressed by
either high-data rate PCM or by DSD. Most modern recordings are so
over-produced with the emphasis on things other than sound quality (like
loudness) that using "high-resolution" formats for most modern recordings is
akin to gilding a turd.
I really have no opinion about surround. I feel that most recording producers
can't even get two-channel right any more and isn't there an old saying about
having to learn to walk before you can run?