Mobile Fidelity Wants More Fidelity

F1nut

CES 2015 MEDIA ALERT
Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab to Debut Its GAIN HD With
4X DSD Digital Mastering Technology at CES 2015

At CES 2015 in Las Vegas, Jan. 6-9, Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab (MFSL), the world’s most renowned audiophile record and CD label, will be premiering its first releases featuring its new GAIN HD with 4X DSD digital mastering technology. We invite you to visit Mobile Fidelity in Suite 29-120 at The Venetian and hear the company’s latest digital and analog sonic achievements.
The GAIN HD mastering process utilizes 4X DSD direct-to-1X DSD conversion for the high-resolution SACD layer and 4X DSD direct-to-CD conversion for the CD layer. This newly implemented mastering chain achieves a higher level of musical accuracy, resolution and fidelity from MFSL’s ULTRADISC UHR Hybrid SACD series.
The GAIN HD 4X DSD process delivers a subtle but significant improvement in low-level detail, ambient information and "air", and perhaps most importantly, a relaxed ease in the musical presentation that simply sounds less "reproduced" and more natural and involving.
Mobile Fidelity’s GAIN HD mastering technology will make its debut with three iconic titles.


http://www.twice.com/news/audio/mobile-fidelity-wants-more-fidelity-discs/55259

F1nut

Hi Sal

tonyb

Maybe I'm missing something Jess, why does it downsample from 4x to 1x for hybrid sacd layers ? Be nice to see this tech in digital files sold.

My other problem with this is....are you suppose to now re-buy your music collection ? How will we know what is recorded/remastered this way ?

I dunno man, just like movie formats, audio formats seem to want you to keep buying the same music over and over again at different resolutions. Probably because they can't make any money selling todays music, most of it is garbage anyway imho.

drumminman

I'll be interested to hear this.

headrott

I'm interested in it too. I doubt MF is going to remaster all the SACD's they have done so far in the enhanced 4X DSD. I will be looking forward to the new releases they do in the enhanced format. Thanks for sharing this Jesse.

However, I am trying to figure out why MF has put so much time, effort and research dollars into such a dead format?

tonyb

Sacd itself may be a niche format, but DSD files are the up and coming new kids on the block.

F1nut

Tony, I don't know all the details, so I can't answer your question about downsampling. I do know they will not re-release titles they have already issued as they have licensing restrictions. As for downloads, they have stated they are absolutely not going to do that and I don't blame them. I believe more and more folks are realizing that is not the way to go.

tonyb

F1nut wrote: »

Tony, I don't know all the details, so I can't answer your question about downsampling. I do know they will not re-release titles they have already issued as they have licensing restrictions. As for downloads, they have stated they are absolutely not going to do that and I don't blame them. I believe more and more folks are realizing that is not the way to go.

Not the way to go ? C'mon Jess...SACD sales....even CD sales are not exactly outstanding. Don't get me wrong either, you and I are in the same camp on physical media, but to ignore trends could spell doom.

Besides, last thing I want is a 4x DSD transfer of Lady Gaga...on any physical media...well digital too, but you get the point.

I'm starting to liken this to the 4k TV's....whats the point if there's not much to play ? Just my opinion of course, but I think music wise, the best is behind 2015, not in front of it.

hochpt21

@tonyb‌ ... I think the music will always be there...we may just have to look harder.

And for rock fans...there's no doubt rock is going through a serious funk right now. It will come back, though...too powerful not to.

[Deleted User]

Nothing up-sampled is worth a damn. I am all for digital, just not remakes sourced from lower quality and marketing them as higher. If you do it is called distortion. But again, to the vast majority today, this distortion is considered high rez.. I believe Bit Perfect is the marketing. It is effin donkey nuts funny. Create an interface, read the source, and transmit it. Any API out there could do that, yet it is premium.

tonyb

halenhoang wrote: »

Nothing up-sampled is worth a damn. I am all for digital, just not remakes sourced from lower quality and marketing them as higher. If you do it is called distortion. But again, to the vast majority today, this distortion is considered high rez.. I believe Bit Perfect is the marketing. It is effin donkey nuts funny. Create an interface, read the source, and transmit it. Any API out there could do that, yet it is premium.

LOL....You really have a distain for up-sampling anything. Bad experience along the way ?

Just bustin' your nuts pal...

Seriously though, the devil is in the details so to speak. Music as a recorded up-sampled entity...I may agree with ya. The recording processes vary, thus the end result varies, but we never know what those processes are.

As an example....if you've ever bought a well recorded CD in 16/44, standard redbook from the likes of Mapleshade or others, the SQ is SACD good. How can that be ? Or are some SACD's just jazzed up....up-sampled as you like to say, bad 16/44 files ? I said "some"....so you SACD fanboys put your long knives away.

Up-sampling in the gear also is done by many different processes, but they are a little more forthcoming about how they do it. Some better than others too. Taking the signal apart, striping the jitter and re-clocking....re-building the signal in general isn't adding distortion.

Hard to find music these days that hasn't been tinkered with, upsampled, down-sampled, put in a Vita-mix until done....at least on CD or digital files. Gear is another story, like I said.....some do no up-sampling, down-sampling, while other have various ways to achieve their goals.

For me, I could care less if the file is dragged in a field of **** before slapping it on a cd, selling it as hi-rez. Bottom line is always the sound. If it's good, who cares how it got to that point.