Universal Players that do not convert DSD to PCM?

Marantz Dv9500 (has a switch).

Eldart,

You would be surprised to find out how many music (and mastering) studios did NOT rush out and by PCM gear! Analog is pretty ok.
Most music studios today will still mix on an analog desk, SSL or NEVE, and sourcre from PCM or analog.

There is no professional DSD mixing solution.
The only PURE DSD is the SONY Sonoma Workstation. (8 Ch).
There is only a few of those around.
This is a complex topic,I was personally involved with a high channel count DSD mixing solution, that found no market. Doing DSD is super expensive at this point since traditional DSP chips are illsuited for the task.

Now, there are still planty of people who record analog.
The best (pop) SACD's I have are all sourced from Analog. Tracked analog mixed analog and EVEN mastered analog, then turned to DSD at the last step.

For popular music where you need high channel count, you can use an analog desk and analog recorder. For classical and jazz you seldom need more then 8 tracks for a good recording. So there are ways to make DSD that has not touched PCM. And indeed these will sound the best.

I can't argue the Analog, PCM DSD thing anymore. I've been there and done it many times over. For those who want to argue the difference, please list your qualifications or experiences first.

If you are serious about your DSD, better get a player that does not convert.

Correction, to be fair. The sony worksation was never for sale. Sadie is realy the only true DSD workstation.
There is also DXD from Merging, but it is essentially 384khz PCM NOT dsd.

Listen to the new John Coltrane blue note reissue!
I mean a 40 years old recordin! It sounds insane good!

Eldartford! you are wrong on most being mixed digitally!
The matter of fact is the the process mostly involves a PCM workstation of some sort for edit and clean up, and then the outputs are going into an analog desk mixed (usually a Neve, SSL or euphonix) to analog 8 track and then DSD'd. Roxy Music, Franky Goes to hollywood, DOTM, all done like that.

DVD A crowd is a bit different, there are some studios like 5.1 entertainment who use PCM desks @96/24.

For PCM sourced DSD stuff, listen to Peter Gabriel So. Or Sting. None of them have the "emotinal" levels of analog sourced or pure DSD. They sound clean as any record can, but they don't make me purr.

Eldart,.

You are so in in theaory, but it is exactly the timing that makes it so bad. Let me explain.
There are no PCM mixing solutions out there that have proper "delay managment", meaning that all inputs arrive at the output different times depending on processing used.
(Like EQ, Dynamics all will add a few samples of delay to the processed tracks.)
In other words, PCM MIX is never time coherent.

Many companies have tried to fix this, with no avail.
It is a complex issue. But this is exactly why PCM mixing is out of question when it comes to proper sound.

Mastering is different becouse your apply processing in the same manner to all tracks.

Oh boy. ADAT, Pro TOols all the evil tools for sound.
Yes I agree, unfortunatley this is the case, especially lately. Almost all pop records and even some jazz now are produced on ProTools, the worst sounding PCM gear, but also the tool that allows a not so popular artist to make a record cheep and easy.

All that told NOT ALL PCM created equal. Like some early PCM recording off of SONY and Mitsu DASH machines are actually really ok, thanks to the descrete converters they used a the time. ADAT (Black 16bit) was probably the worst in terms of sound quality ever. But then again if it wasnt for ADAT's Alanis Moriset would have not been able surface.

What really is bothersome, that we as consumers don't have anough to go on prior to purchase. Like I would really like to know ADAT and ProTools Recorded material so I would not buy it AGAIN on high res if I already own the CD anyway.