16-bit... It really is enough!

[tuga]

View attachment 106131

 

[danadam]

I bet that is 8-bit with 96kHz sampling and noise shaping to move the noise above 24kHz.
I have heard that before and it is pretty well indistinguishable from 16-bit, even on wide dynamic range.
without the noise shaping the hiss was audible.

]$ soxi audiocheck.net_gangnam8.ogg

Input File     : 'audiocheck.net_gangnam8.ogg'
Channels       : 2
Sample Rate    : 44100
Precision      : 16-bit
Duration       : 00:00:07.94 = 350218 samples = 595.609 CDDA sectors

I suspect that the bitdepth was reduced to 8 bits but then it was lossy compressed, so it is hard to tell from the file.

After donating one gets access to uncompressed files:

]$ soxi audiocheck.net_gangnam8.wav

Input File     : 'audiocheck.net_gangnam8.wav'
Channels       : 2
Sample Rate    : 44100
Precision      : 8-bit
Duration       : 00:00:07.94 = 350218 samples = 595.609 CDDA sectors

 

[Killingbeans]

Are my old ears imagining this or is this line of thought accurate?

The bit depth doesn't discriminate between loud and weak signals. Lowering the bit depth only gives higher risk of error = higher noise floor. And as long as the signal fits within the dynamic range (16bit = 96db, 12bit = 72db and so on) no information about amplitude is lost other than the stuff that gets overwhelmed by the noise floor.

In the best of the best situations vinyl has a dynamic range that's equivalent to 11 or 12bit digital, so no need to worry

 

[MusicNBeer]

That was my statement in the OP. Unless you're hearing the noise floor hiss with CD, there's zero advantage for higher bit depth playback

 

[Sal1950]

That was my statement in the OP. Unless you're hearing the noise floor hiss with CD, there's zero advantage for higher bit depth playback

There isn't any audible hiss in the noise floor of redbook. If you hear hiss, it occurred before the 16/44 recording process, or in the playback chain after the DAC

But, with current technology, I don't see why newer recordings cannot be made with 24bit/96kHz.

I don't believe any recordings have been made at 16/44 in many a year

 

[watchnerd]

Sweet Christmas.

I can't believe this is even a topic in 2021.

There are literally 13+ years worth of content going back to 2007 that come up if you Google 16 bit vs 24 bit audio.

There are 84,100 search results just in videos alone.

Everything meaningful about this whole topic has already been said.

 

[MusicNBeer]

Sweet Christmas.

I can't believe this is even a topic in 2021.

There are literally 13+ years worth of content going back to 2007 that come up if you Google 16 bit vs 24 bit audio.

There are 84,100 search results just in videos alone.

Everything meaningful about this whole topic has already been said.

It's a topic as long as audiophiles are being duped into buying the latest 24 bit remaster.

 

[watchnerd]

It's a topic as long as audiophiles are being duped into buying the latest 24 bit remaster.

It's really not.

Those that want to believe it's better already have ample evidence that they choose to ignore.

One more repeat thread isn't going to change that fact.

 

[ThatM1key]

My old pioneer tape deck has a 20 bit digital noise reduction system. I wish it had optical out but the higher end models have optical in for some reason. Anyways I heard 24bits is just 20 bits plus something else? If anybody is wondering about the model, its the CT-W606dr (US Version)

 

[MusicNBeer]

It's really not.

Those that want to believe it's better already have ample evidence that they choose to ignore.

One more repeat thread isn't going to change that fact.

Fine then don't participate.

 

[watchnerd]

Fine then don't participate.

Well, I was hoping it would at least go into a new direction, instead of just re-treading old ground.

 

[MusicNBeer]

It's really not.

Those that want to believe it's better already have ample evidence that they choose to ignore.

One more repeat thread isn't going to change that fact.

I don't disagree with your sentiment but for every thread like this, there's multiple spreading misinformation on the benefits of hi rez playback

 

[watchnerd]

Monty already did it best 7 years ago:

 

[MusicNBeer]

Well, I was hoping it would at least go into a new direction, instead of just re-treading old ground.

Okay you have the mic! I will follow.

 

[watchnerd]

Okay you have the mic! I will follow.

We just need a sticky post on the topic that archives the "Best of" content that is already out there.

People can submit their faves, edit for the best, have the mods sticky it.

 

[ThatM1key]

What about HDCDs, isn't that over 16 bits?

 

[watchnerd]

What about HDCDs, isn't that over 16 bits?

Might as well talk about Betamax.

Can one even buy HDCDs anymore?

Or play the 'extra stuff' on anything currently made?

 

[MusicNBeer]

I think HDCD was an unnecessary hack that created problems that weren't there in the first place. It was very creative but totally unnecessary.

 

[ThatM1key]

Might as well talk about Betamax.

Can one even buy HDCDs anymore?

Or play the 'extra stuff' on anything currently made?

They still make them but there odd genres. I owned a Alan Jackson HDCD and a Pasty Cline HDCD. I used an HDCD Extractor tool and thats how I play mine. I heard if you play hdcds without the decoder it sounds funny.

 

[watchnerd]

They still make them but there odd genres. I owned a Alan Jackson HDCD and a Pasty Cline HDCD. I used an HDCD Extractor tool and thats how I play mine. I heard if you play hdcds without the decoder it sounds funny.

Patsy Cline died in 1963.

Even if HDCD was true high rez (which it isn't really), you're not going to get high resolution audio from somebody who died before digital was even invented.

You're just wasting your time playing with that Extractor when it comes to content that old.