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Study say No difference CD/SACD/DVD stereo streams

Anyone read the latest issue of AES? A year-long double blind study by Meyer and Moran with 554 people in the Boston Area (many from the Boston Audio Society) found that people were unable to discern when two channel digital streams were switched.

=> They can't identify high resolution audio from ordinary redbook CD stream!

This proves that either

1) CD is good enough for stereo playback
2) Boston audiophiles are not discerning

Will some people will say the test is meaningless as they can attest to having heard enormous differences themselves with their golden equipment and golden ears? If this is true then they should be able to prove this AES study and paper wrong in some sort of test...Meyer and Moran have thrown down the gauntlet to all those who claim to hear differences!

Note 1:
The authors readily admit that high resolution audio and the newer formats do have advantages in multi-channel and studio mixing applications. They also admit a lower noise floor is attainable with higher resolution formats (when volume is turned up very high and no music is playing)

Note 2:
This is the first test of this kind that I can recall. It may trigger lively debate for years to come. Obviously no audio equipment manufacturer will be pleased to see a result that claims 25 year-old technology is good enough!

I expect the audio rags to get hold of this and have a field day, imagine all those glowing reviewer recommendations and yet people can't even hear a difference.....lots of lively debate to come!

Remember you saw it first on A'gon.
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Showing 3 responses by heyitsmedusty

heyitsmedusty's avatar
heyitsmedusty
227 posts
 
There seems to be a lot of talk about how the study could be flawed due to the equipment used, the quality of the recording on the CD, and other factors, but these complaints seem to be pretty insignificant in evaluating the study. As Tobias hinted, there are differences that most people should be able to recognize right off the bat if they are truly significant differences.

For those that would argue it's a question of the resolution capability of the equipment, would you also argue that SACD's and DVD-A's are only for those wealthy enough to afford such equipment?

-Dusty
heyitsmedusty's avatar
heyitsmedusty
227 posts
 
The point I'm making in the end of my post is that (sticking with the same example) if you want to see HD television, you need a TV with the ability to show those extra lines of resolution, and the same goes for speakers and high definition sound; that is to say, the difference in quality from one media to the next will not be as apparent if the equipment cannot output the differential of quality from said media.

If the differential between redbook and SACD is such a small amount, or the resolution so high of the latter that only certain equipement (read: probably expensive) can output it, then SACD would be reserved for the wealthy who can afford such equipment.

Personal wealth wouldn't affect the outcome of the study, but if the outcome (i.e. no difference being heard) is attributed by some to the equipment being used, then the end result of that outcome is that only certain equipment would lend itself to SACD. That equipment being expensive.
heyitsmedusty's avatar
heyitsmedusty
227 posts
 
Fantastic job, Shadorne. This is very enlightening information, thank you very much for the link.
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