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What comes after CD`s?

Hi! So what will the future bring in with regards to audio technology? We`ve seen the great vinyl and cassette come and go, then came the compact disc which is durable,good life span when stored correctly, plus it`s digital sound allows audio to remain the same quality use after use, but it`s down flaw is the 16bit 44.1khz! which just cannot re-produce the full and rich sound of analogue and therefore costing the audiophile a fortune in essential converting devices. Then came the mp3! which is perfect for listening to with earphones, but fails horribly when played in an uncontrolled environment.

There is a pattern developing in the world of audio innovation and that pattern is a noticeable decline in sound quality! So what`s next? Will the DAC converter 24bit 96khz,192khz become the standard converter found within the common hi-fi and cd player? or will music be distributed in chip form!

I`d appreciate your input on the issue :)
rootsdub
audioholik
90 posts
 
when it comes to physical media SACD is definitely it, if you're interested in PC audio, hi-rez PCM downloads are best option IMO.

Personally I prefer SACD's because they are cheaper than downloads and have both Hi-rez layer which I can play on my main system, and low resolution layer I can play on my portable player.
blackstonejd
153 posts
 
MP3 will not be as ubiquitous for much longer for the following reasons:

1. The concept of "high definition" has greater penetration among consumers thanks to high-definition televisions, video game consoles, blu-ray and the 2009 digital transition.

2. Manufacturers of portable music players will inevitably need to pitch new generations of devices to consumers. As small profile hard drives increase in capacity and cost/megabyte, manufacturers will inevitably brand their players as "HD" and introduce higher bit rate downloads to justify the larger storage capacity.
blackstonejd
153 posts
 
Sorry I meant decrease in cost/megabyte, meaning storage is getting cheaper and cheaper. This trend will probably continue indefinitely. At a certain point, to justify the sale of newer, larger capacity players, companies like Apple will discover they have an interest in offering files above 44.1KHz.
blackstonejd
153 posts
 
Actually based on what I saw of the dCS Puccini clock this weekend, the future is asynchronous USB DACs. Ayre is coming out with one for less than $2,000 soon. USB seems to be the big thing at CES this year.
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