Hi-Rez Highway

Do you remember the Norah Jones SACD scandal ?

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AbeCollins

A

In Reply to: RE: I guess that birthday is not so happy posted by Feanor on May 23, 2024 at 04:11:28

Essentially the Norah Jones "Come Away with Me" SACD was praised by audiophiles for how incredible true SACD sounds. It was later discovered that the SACD was created by just running the 'redbook' PCM data through a DSD converter.
Oops! Now they all backtrack and say, "Oh, in hindsight and second thought it really didn't sound that great after all."
Or something like that. Correct me if I'm wrong.
Snicker snicker.

Edits: 05/31/24

Follow Ups:

I'll say this ... - Feanor 04:10:23 06/03/24 (0)
No, I don't remember that scandal, but I for me, (at my age), 16/44.1 is adequate and sonically I can't tell the difference from higher rez based on for hi-res downloads.

I'll also say as I have many times that the recording and mastering are far more important than the digital resolution, at least once you get to 16/44.1.

Dmitri Shostakovich
It is a really well recorded album. - G Squared 14:42:25 06/02/24 (6)
Her version of The Nearness of You is sublime. It is easier to enjoy now that the hype has subsided.
Gsquared
- I think they eventually cleaned up the scandal - AbeCollins 07:04:49 06/05/24 (5)
  I bought a later version of the SACD but since the music was so well recorded (as you mentioned) I could barely distinguish the SACD from the PCM redbook version. Which opens my other point that a well recorded PCM will sound just as good as the SACD. They might sound slightly different but I cannot in all honesty say that SACD sounds better.
  - RE: I think they eventually cleaned up the scandal - G Squared 15:34:53 06/06/24 (0)
    As far as influence over my listening experience, recording quality is king. I may be biased since my DAC tops out as 192,24 and my SACD player is stored with my TT.
    Gsquared
    
    Edits: 06/06/24
  - I can hear the difference - Freo-1 13:58:30 06/05/24 (3)
    Since I obtained a GeerFab DBoB, there is no doubt SACD sounds better than CD. My headphone DACs (PS Audio Direct Stream DAC, Chord Hugo TT), as well as the loudspeaker setup (Devialet 1000 Pro) does sound better with SACD over the CD version.
    
    With 192 KHz PCM, it's much closer.
    " Don't look back. Something may be gaining on you"
    
    Satchel Paige
    - RE: I can hear the difference - AbeCollins 08:06:35 06/07/24 (2)
      I can't argue with what you hear. In my experience SACD does sound a little different but not necessarily better. But that's just my take on it compared to well recorded PCM.
      - RE: I can hear the difference - SoundMann 13:17:21 09/01/24 (0)
        
        In Reply to: RE: I can hear the difference posted by AbeCollins on June 07, 2024 at 08:06:35
        
        High order DSD sounds significantly better, even when downconverted to PCM.
      - RE: I can hear the difference - Freo-1 08:27:12 06/07/24 (0)
        
        In Reply to: RE: I can hear the difference posted by AbeCollins on June 07, 2024 at 08:06:35
        
        That is why I put a caveat with hi-res PCM, which is (generally) a step up from Redbook CD. I certainly understand that each persons experience will indeed vary.
        
        FWIW, with my current systems, I have noticed that the deltas between SACD and CD are much easier to discern with a high end headphone setup.
        
        " Don't look back. Something may be gaining on you"
        
        Satchel Paige
RE: Do you remember the Norah Jones SACD scandal ? - pbarach 14:08:37 06/01/24 (1)
I think it sounds pretty good as a redbook CD. But I do remember the scandal. I don't know if Blue Note redid their SACD. They did a 20th anniversary remaster that I've never heard:
https://www.norahjones.com/news-1/2022/2/25/blue-note-announces-20th-anniversary-super-deluxe-edition-of-norah-jones-seminal-debut-album-come-away-with-me
And I see that Analogue Productions also remastered it, and then issued an SACD of that:
https://store.acousticsounds.com/d/81827/Norah_Jones-Come_Away_With_Me-Hybrid_Multichannel_SACD

Edits: 06/01/24
- The Norah Jones catalog is being released on SHM-SACD later this month (nt) - Soundboy 17:50:43 06/01/24 (0)
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