I've always wanted to see how the waveform (ie time domain) differs between 44.1/16 and DSD, on a thing that has a lot and huge micro dynamics (eg drums, percussions)
There is a huge difference. You have probably seen reports on CD players. Even here, Philips/Sony decided to "cheat" - by giving the frequency of 400 Hz in almost all test CDs - because response to 1 kHz, the standard frequency used troughout the history of analog, really looks gaudy on 44.1 kHz sampling machines - no matter what the filtering. Only Stereophille did issue a test CD with 1 kHz square wave test signal.
Depending how PCM machine works, it CAN introduce interchannel lag - or phase distortion between the channels. There is no way one could test all the hardware and software combinations for this anomally - but, in real life , it could - and still can - rear its ugly head.
DSD is an entirely different animal. Unfiltered, it creates PERFECT square wave - no ringing whatsoever, rise time always faster than PCM of comparable file size. By default, it can not introduce interchanel lag/phase distortion between the channels.
But, DSD shifts it quantization etc noise above 20 kHz - an it is BAD. Only the square wave recorded at 0 dBFS in DSD128 looks "reasonably noise free" on the scope if left totally unfiltered. DSD64 - even at 0 dBFS - looks quite hairy/noisy. At say -30 dBFS, square wave OF dsd64 is no longer discernible from the ultrasonic noise - only by triggering properly noise modulated by 1 kHz square wave can be seen.
The higher the order of DSD, the less noise above 20 kHz - for each increase of sampling frequency, there is 12dB decrease of > 20 kHz noise. That is the reason behind DSD256 - 24 dB less ultrasonic noise than DSD64 aka SACD.
The actual square wave response is determined by the filtering the DSD output - and, as usual, lower slope filters produce better square waves than higher slopes, whereas for the amount of >20kHz noise it is exactly opposite. But, even filtered, it still has the upper hand over any comparable sized PCM file.
Although I have not yet seen a square wave recorded from an analog generator onto any digital gizmo with sampling beyond PCM 192 and DSD128, square wave of PCM/DXD at 384 ( or even twice that ) should come quite close to that of reasonably filtered DSD128. There are FAR too many options/settings in filtering available on already existing machines - but, suffice to say, taken as a group, they make mockery of whatever is possible in 44.1 sampling.
Percussion does go beyond 100 kHz - the most representative is gamelan from Bali. It has to be experienced live, as equipment that could do it full justice still is not available. Up to 100 kHz - yes, beyond not yet.