DSD vs PCM .. Truth or Myth

Most SACDs are SQ compromised IMO because they are converted from PCM originals, or PCM intermediate stages even if they are originally recorded in DSD. That is because mastering is a practical impossibility in DSD.

So the best sounding SACDs are often directly from analog material, all the mastering having been done in analog. AAD disks with no PCM involved.

@mzkmxcv

You continue to display what you don’t know. In addition to the original DSD recordings currently being made available, hundreds of analog titles have been released as AAD SACDs from companies like RCA, Mercury and EMI. All of their editing and mastering is done in analog, NOT PCM. I am more familiar with the classical releases but there are hundreds of pop releases as well. Many record collectors are transferring their LPs directly to DSD using a Tascam DA-3000, for example. No PCM involved.

DXD is just a high rez PCM format Nothing special except that the rez is very high.

In defense of the SQ of SACDs, Sony has restricted the ability to feed the SACD digitally into sophisticated DACs. Only those with special DAC units as from PS Audio, or those who have ripped their SACDs can hear what they can really do. This is not to deny that DACs are becoming so good at reproducing Red Book, that the differences are getting smaller.