Hi res audio files that are no better than CD

Not that there’s anything wrong with a CD, when done right. Still, if you pay extra for something like a Linn Studio Master, at 96kHz / 24 bit resolution, you expect something which has better-than-CD audio quality (44.1kHz / 16 bit), even though some experts argue that you cannot hear the difference.

One audio enthusiast opened his Studio Master download in a sound editor and couldn’t make sense of what he saw. The conclusion, after some discussion: most likely the signal passed through digital conversion at 44.1KHz at some point in the recording process, making true 96kHz / 24 bit resolution impossible.

It would be interesting to know how many SACD or DVD Audio releases suffer from similar limitations.

Related posts:

1. Linn Records offers lossless, DRM-free 24-bit downloads
2. Is high-resolution audio (like SACD) audibly better than CD?
3. Another pro musician gives up on Vista audio
4. Why Audio Matters: Greg Calbi and others on “this age of bad sound”
5. Audio in Vista: more hell than heaven