Tsuyoshi Yamamoto Trio – Sweet For - Is vinyl record losing its quality? Comparison between vinyl record, SACD and streaming

[Jean.Francois]

Hello,

Released in 2024, “Sweet For K” is the latest album by the Tsuyoshi Yamamoto Trio. This contemporary jazz album includes tracks like “Night Wind,” “Paris Bounce,” and the title track “Sweet For K.” The album is a tribute to Erroll Garner, a pianist whom Tsuyoshi Yamamoto deeply admires. With Hiroshi Kagawa on bass and Toshio Osumi on drums, the trio offers a collection of ballads and jazz standards,

So it’s a digital recording, but with a 24-track studer multitrack before digitization. This preserves the characteristics of tape recording.

For this review, you will find 3 versions tested: Japanese Vinyl and SACD, Amazon UltraHD



The graph below compares the spectrum of the Vinyl – 2024 (white curve) with the spectrum of the SACD – 2024 (blue curve).The 2 curves are similar, with a treble boost (1 or 2 dB) above 4 kHz and an attenuation above 15 kHz (8 dB at 20 kHz) for the vinyl record (yellow zone). In the bass range, the difference in level is very significant, with up to 10 dB less for the vinyl record below 120 Hz (green zone). With this difference, the vinyl record will have a different tonal balance, particularly with a lack of bass compared to the digital version, but it would have been preferable to offer a double LP or witout all the track than to mat the vinyl record with a strong bass attenuation.

Very nice SACD edition of this Tsuyoshi Yamamoto Trio album. The streaming on Amazon Music is also similar to the SACD.
But the disappointment comes from the vinyl record, which with an equalization carried out for the mastering of the vinyl record with 10 dB less in the bass, loses all the sound balance as the extract on the track “Garner Talk” shows.

Find samples from the different versions for comparison here, as well as all the measurements (DR, waveforn, spectrum).

Enjoy listening
Jean-François

 

[dualazmak]

At present, I am sorry to tell you that I have almost no intention nor time for intensively analyze the DFS (DSD) layer and the CD layer of this hybrid SACD, but this remote thread entitled "Is DSD 11.2 MHz "required" for recording taiko drums and Japanese stringed instruments?" and my posts #42 and #56 thereof would be of your reference and interest, I assume.

Edit:
I could successfully download the three sampler tracks from the site you kindly linked. I hope I could spare some of my time by the beginning of next week to quickly analyze the tracks, as I shared in my post #42 on the remote thread linked above, using ADOBE Audition 3.0.1 and MusicScope 2.1.0.

Edit:
I just found;
the SACD release SCOL1073 (JPYen 3,850 incl. 10 % VAT) is not a hybrid one but it is single-layer DSF only SACD; no CD layer included,
the CD release SCOL1071 (JPYen 3,300 incl. 10% VAT) is of course CD 44.1 kHz 16-bit format,
the LP release SCLP1071 (JPYen 4,950 incl. 10% VAT) is one double-side vinyl LP.

Even though I have "a reliable method" of extracting the native DSF(DSD) track into my PC from the SACD disk, and of course exact ripping method of CD into 44.1 kHz 16 bit PCM (using dBpoweramp CD Ripper), as well as on-the-fly LP listening/recording using my TT DENON DP57L + DENON DL-301MkII MC Cartridge (ref. here and here), I am (at least now) rather reluctant to purchase all the three disks (SACD, CD and LP).

To start with, therefore, I still would like to simply analyze the downloaded three sampler tracks from the site you kindly linked using ADOBE Audition 3.0.1 and MusicScope 2.1.0.

 

[Jean.Francois]

At present, I am sorry to tell you that I have almost no intention nor time for intensively analyze the DFS (DSD) layer and the CD layer of this hybrid SACD, but this remote thread entitled "Is DSD 11.2 MHz "required" for recording taiko drums and Japanese stringed instruments?" and my posts #42 and #56 thereof would be of your reference and interest, I assume.

Edit:
I could successfully download the three sampler tracks from the site you kindly linked. I hope I could spare some of my time by the beginning of next week to quickly analyze the tracks, as I shared in my post #42 on the remote thread linked above, using ADOBE Audition 3.0.1 and MusicScope 2.1.0.

Edit:
I just found;
the SACD release SCOL1073 (JPYen 3,850 incl. 10 % VAT) is not a hybrid one but it is single-layer DSF only SACD; no CD layer included,
the CD release SCOL1071 (JPYen 3,300 incl. 10% VAT) is of course CD 44.1 kHz 16-bit format,
the LP release SCLP1071 (JPYen 4,950 incl. 10% VAT) is one double-side vinyl LP.

Even though I have "a reliable method" of extracting the native DSF(DSD) track into my PC from the SACD disk, and of course exact ripping method of CD into 44.1 kHz 16 bit PCM (using dBpoweramp CD Ripper), as well as on-the-fly LP listening/recording using my TT DENON DP57L + DENON DL-301MkII MC Cartridge (ref. here and here), I am (at least now) rather reluctant to purchase all the three disks (SACD, CD and LP).

To start with, therefore, I still would like to simply analyze the downloaded three sampler tracks from the site you kindly linked using ADOBE Audition 3.0.1 and MusicScope 2.1.0.

Thank you for your feedback and your links.
The spectrum clearly shows the difference with the vinyl record treatment, which is strongly attenuated in the low frequencies. It's really a shame not to have switched to 2 LPs to avoid removing so much bass.
Unfortunately, I'm increasingly noticing that the quality of vinyl record pressings is declining.
Here, it's an attenuation in the bass to fit on a single disc. On other discs, it's the dynamically compressed digital master that's used to cut the vinyl. Unlike the digital version, this results in a vinyl cut with a lower sound level!

Enjoy listening

 

[DVDdoug]

Unfortunately, I'm increasingly noticing that the quality of vinyl record pressings is declining.

I grew-up with vinyl and they've always rolled-off the bass, and often the highs. (That's not the "pressing" it's the mastering.) The bass is mostly lowered for tracking - so the stylus stays in constant contact with the groove. Maybe this one is worse than most... I wouldn't know.

Even at its best, it's an inferior format.

Note that if "DR" is defined by the crest factor the record cutting & playback process changes the waveshape increasing some peaks and reducing others. The makes a "better" DR measurement without affecting the sound of the dynamics. MP3 does something similar.

 

[Jean.Francois]

I grew-up with vinyl and they've always rolled-off the bass, and often the highs. (That's not the "pressing" it's the mastering.) The bass is mostly lowered for tracking - so the stylus stays in constant contact with the groove. Maybe this one is worse than most... I wouldn't know.

Even at its best, it's an inferior format.

Note that if "DR" is defined by the crest factor the record cutting & playback process changes the waveshape increasing some peaks and reducing others. The makes a "better" DR measurement without affecting the sound of the dynamics. MP3 does something similar.

Indeed, it's during vinyl mastering that we deal with bass limiting, bass mono, crosstalk reduction (around 30 dB on vinyl versus at least 90 dB for digital media), and also a deesser for the top end of the spectrum.

But here, the extent of the reduction (10 dB) clearly shows that this was a choice that does not enhance quality.

As far as the DR is concerned, the result can change after a treatment or a lacquer cut. It all depends on what you want to cut. A vinyl record is analog, and you have to treat it as an analog medium and not want to use treatments like the brickwall limiter. I've measured the impact of compression on vinyl cuting, and this phenomenon is well illustrated. The same applies to magnetic tape.

 

[dualazmak]

Unfortunately, I'm increasingly noticing that the quality of vinyl record pressings is declining.

Well, I think it is greatly depending on LP production "policy" (including mastering/re-mastering policy and practice) and "quality control" of each of the production companies.
Of course, the LP listening sound quality also very much dependent on how-HiFi our LP playing audio gears would be.


Just for your reference and interest, you would please find three cases of my LP vs. CD comparative listening sessions on my project thread;

- in the bottom of my post #688 (organ music)

- Another comparative listening, on-the-fly vinyl LP vs. Remastered CD: analog piano solo recorded in 1967: #722

- Another comparative listening; on-the-fly remastered vinyl LP vs. remastered CD: Bill Evans jazz piano trio, analog recorded in 1977; remastered (2021) vinyl LP (45-RPM 188-gram) vs. its CD release: :#740


My post #1,241 sharing "Sony's revived vinyl LP production factory" on a remote thread would be also of your interest, I assume.

Spoiler: Sony's revived vinyl LP production factory

Sony's revived vinyl LP production factory

Even though I assume we have many similar articles/reports on recently opened renovated and/or revived vinyl LP production facilities, let me share with you the following two reports just for reference; I do hope your web browser would properly translate these interesting (at least for me) reports into English;

"I saw the revived Sony record production site. 'How to make with the equipment of the 70's and the latest technology?"
https://av.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/series/dal/1087493.html

"I saw Sony's revived record production factory for the first time in 29 years. What kind of analog can be made now?"
https://av.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/news/1122226.html

You would please note, however, I myself have little intention of bringing many vinyl LPs onto the recently revived DENON TT DP-57L + DL-301II (MC) in my software DSP-based multichannel multi-driver multi-amplifier fully active stereo system, as I wrote here on my project thread.

 

[kemmler3D]

The dynamics of the vinyl look great, but tend to agree that losing 10dB in the <100 range seems excessive. Is that normal for vinyl pressings? I have noticed that a certain number of 2020s jazz mixes have a ton of low bass, almost too much for a decent full range system or headphones... perhaps the digital mix was really hot in the bass to begin with?

 

[dualazmak]

The dynamics of the vinyl look great, but tend to agree that losing 10dB in the <100 range seems excessive. Is that normal for vinyl pressings? I have noticed that a certain number of 2020s jazz mixes have a ton of low bass, almost too much for a decent full range system or headphones... perhaps the digital mix was really hot in the bass to begin with?

Let me share just one excellent case of LP release of digitally recorded pipe organ performance which I shared in bottom of my post #688 on my project thread. I have also analyzed the excellent CD release of the specific album in my post #641.

As I wrote in my post #688, the original LP release (even digitally recorded!) is amazingly nice in reproduction of lowest 32 Hz pipe organ tone in rather high gain, and the total sound quality of the LP album is almost identical/comparable with its excellent CD release;

Spoiler: in near bottom of post #688 on my project thread, I wrote

Ref. my post #688;
I am much impressed by the excellence of the LP sound quality (originally digitally recorded by ARCHIV) and by the still amazing performance/traceability of DP-57L+DL301II together with the stunning transparencies of AT-PEQ30 and US-1x2HR; really nice revival of DP-57L+DL301II in my multichannel multi-amplifier setup, and my nostalgic enjoyment of the "ceremonies" for playing LPs.

Even though I seldom perform my "vinyl ceremonies" nowadays...
as wrote in my post #758;
- Summary of my motivations reviving vinyl TT (turntable) in DSP-based multichannel time-aligned multi-SP-driver multi-amplifier fully active stereo audio setup: #758

 

[MAB]

The dynamics of the vinyl look great, but tend to agree that losing 10dB in the <100 range seems excessive. Is that normal for vinyl pressings? I have noticed that a certain number of 2020s jazz mixes have a ton of low bass, almost too much for a decent full range system or headphones... perhaps the digital mix was really hot in the bass to begin with?

Yes, bass is typically rolled off, usually not this dramatically. You can typically get just over 20 mins per side, additional run-time requires sonic compromises. Brick-walling the bass allows much longer play times. It appears the bass was compromised to allow all 11 tracks to fit on both sides of a single 12" LP. A good example of and LP with long run-time and large sonic compromises is Todd Rundgren's A Wizard a True Star, runtime is almost an hour on one LP, music is great, sound quality is not great!

 

[kemmler3D]

Yes, bass is typically rolled off, usually not this dramatically. You can typically get just over 20 mins per side, additional run-time requires sonic compromises. Brick-walling the bass allows much longer play times. It appears the bass was compromised to allow all 11 tracks to fit on both sides of a single 12" LP. A good example of and LP with long run-time and large sonic compromises is Todd Rundgren's A Wizard a True Star, runtime is almost an hour on one LP, music is great, sound quality is not great!

Let me share just one excellent case of LP release of digitally recorded pipe organ performance which I shared in bottom of my post #688 on my project thread. I have also analyzed the excellent CD release of the specific album in my post #641.

As I wrote in my post #688, the original LP release (even digitally recorded!) is amazingly nice in reproduction of lowest 32 Hz pipe organ tone in rather high gain, and the total sound quality of the LP album is almost identical/comparable with its excellent CD release;

Spoiler: in near bottom of post #688 on my project thread, I wrote

Ref. my post #688;
I am much impressed by the excellence of the LP sound quality (originally digitally recorded by ARCHIV) and by the still amazing performance/traceability of DP-57L+DL301II together with the stunning transparencies of AT-PEQ30 and US-1x2HR; really nice revival of DP-57L+DL301II in my multichannel multi-amplifier setup, and my nostalgic enjoyment of the "ceremonies" for playing LPs.

So clearly they threw bass out the window in favor of runtime. Not cool!

 

[dualazmak]

So clearly they threw bass out the window in favor of runtime. Not cool!

Generally speaking, I understand your point, but this would be not always true especially in very carefully produced well-QCed LPs, I believe.

The total runtime of "Bach trio sonatas" 2-LP set album of pipe organ music (LP 52MA 0091-0092 ARCHIV, ref. here) is 79 min on A and B side of LP-1 and A side of LP-2 (as in its one CD release of runtime 79 min), and even in these rather long runtime LP, the sound quality of the lowest 32 Hz pipe tone (heard simultaneously with higher tones up to 22 kHz) is still really amazingly excellent thanks to the very careful variable LP groove-width control; I can easily confirm it by looking the grooves through a microscope. Of course, we need rather HiFi "vinyl ceremony" audio gears, though.

 

[MAB]

So clearly they threw bass out the window in favor of runtime. Not cool!

Exactly. It's a problem of geometry. Some cutting lathes use a second signal to adaptively widen the track-pitch ahead of bass-heavy passages. But you are still limited by the pitch as you lengthen the run-time.

Generally speaking, I understand your point, but this would not be always true especially in very carefully produced well-QCed LPs, I believe.

The total runtime of "Bach trio sonatas" 2-LP set album of pipe organ music (LP 52MA 0091-0092 ARCHIV, ref. here) is 79 min on A and B side of LP-1 and A side of LP-2 (as in its one CD release of runtime 79 min), and even in these rather long runtime LP, the sound quality of the lowest 32 Hz pipe tone (heard simultaneously with higher tones up to 22 kHz) is still really amazingly excellent thanks to the very careful variable LP groove-width control; I can easily confirm it by looking the grooves through a microscope. Of course, we need rather HiFi "vinyl ceremony" audio gears though.

I'm sure you have a good copy, but the longer the runtime the more bass EQ needs to be applied. It would be interesting to compare the spectra of the CD vs. the LP. Also, I thought this LP was quite long with side 3 being almost 28 mins, it's ~93 mins spread across 2 LP. Side 3 would be an interesting comparison to the CD, which I don't have.

 

[Jean.Francois]

Indeed, all these examples are very interesting. You can find very strong attenuation in the low frequencies, especially below 35 Hz (the organ is a good example), which is designed to be compatible with the physical medium in terms of playback reliability and face duration. In the 40-50 Hz range, however, there's a slight attenuation of a few dB maximum, or no attenuation at all, depending on the album and the style of music (observed on over a hundred vinyl records measured).
Here, it's really excessive, over 10 dB, which distorts the listening experience on vinyl compared with digital (the master of this album is digital). This is surprising from this trio.

 

[MAB]

Indeed, all these examples are very interesting. You can find very strong attenuation in the low frequencies, especially below 35 Hz (the organ is a good example), which is designed to be compatible with the physical medium in terms of playback reliability and face duration. In the 40-50 Hz range, however, there's a slight attenuation of a few dB maximum, or no attenuation at all, depending on the album and the style of music (observed on over a hundred vinyl records measured).
Here, it's really excessive, over 10 dB, which distorts the listening experience on vinyl compared with digital (the master of this album is digital). This is surprising from this trio.

It does seem excessive.
I wonder if the artists were aware of this.

 

[dualazmak]

It would be interesting to compare the spectra of the CD vs. the LP.

I essentially agree with you.

As for spectrum comparison between the same album/recording of LP release and CD release, however, I always encounter one critical issue/concern; for the spectral analysis of CD digital track, I can easily and reproducibly utilize Adobe Audition 3.0.1 and/or MusciScope 2.1.0 (or Audacity, if you like) all in digital domain within a PC (or Mac).

On the other hand, when I (we) would like to analyze spectrum (time-gain-Fq) of LPs, we always need to "play vinyl disk" with our TT+(MC)Cartridge into phono preamplifier then feed the analog audio line-level signal into an audio interface for ADC processing for digital recording to be analyzed by Adobe Audition and/or MusicScope.

Consequently, such spectral analysis of LP sound (LP sound quality) is always inevitably very much dependent on "performances" (or how HiFi enough) of our "LP ceremony" audio gears...

Even though I assume (or almost believe) my home audio "LP ceremony" gears (ref. here and here) are excellent enough for my private LP listening enjoyment, I know well they are far inferior to professional or most high-end "LP ceremony" setup. I have been, I am, rather reluctant, therefore, to share my comparative spectrum analysis of LPs which are strictly "unique" to my audio setup, and which cannot be commonly discussed with other people...

As for my "digital audio reference/sampler playlist" (summary ref. this thread "An Attempt Sharing Reference Quality Music Playlist: at least a portion and/or whole track being analyzed by 3D color spectrum of Adobe Audition"), I have already shared so many spectral data (Adobe Audition and/or MusicScope), but in my rather intensive comparative sessions on LPs and their CD releases (ref. #688, #722, #740), the results are/were inevitably "subjective" listening comparison to share with other people about my "subjective" hearing impression using my unique audio setup/system especially the "LP ceremony" gears.

By the way, you would please let me share again my important post regarding my policy and stance on "LP listening ceremonies";
- Summary of my motivations reviving vinyl TT (turntable) in DSP-based multichannel time-aligned multi-SP-driver multi-amplifier fully active stereo audio setup: #758

 

[dualazmak]

I thought this LP was quite long with side 3 being almost 28 mins, it's ~93 mins spread across 2 LP. Side 3 would be an interesting comparison to the CD, which I don't have.

Yes, and the B-side of LP-2 is also very much attractive and impressive, as well as amazingly excellent recording quality (on my own LPs). The whole 2-LP album is one of my best "preferences" and my treasure! Of course, I have already digitized the whole album including the B-side of LP-2 as I wrote here and here.

If you would be seriously interested in listening to B-side of LP-2 "Six Shübler Chorales BWV645-650", or any of the other tracks of the 2-LP album (side-3?), please simply contact me by PM-system writing your wish.

The CD release of the "Trio Sonatas" is like this;

If you would be seriously interested in listening to BWV529 and BWV 530 (track-13 through track-18) which looks you do not have, please simply contact me by PM-system writing your wish.

 

[MAB]

If you would be seriously interested in listening to BWV529 and BWV 530 (track-13 through track-18) which looks you do not have, please simply contact me by PM-system writing your wish.

I have the album. I'll get it out and listen again this weekend, and evaluate the spectra, particularly side 3.
My recollection, for what it's worth (not worth much ) is the LP has good music but weak bass. Perhaps it was expectation-bias based on experience with LPs that have long runtimes. We won't know without measuring the actual spectra.

 

[Jean.Francois]

I essentially agree with you.

As for spectrum comparison between the same album/recording of LP release and CD release, however, I always encounter one critical issue/concern; for the spectral analysis of CD digital track, I can easily and reproducibly utilize Adobe Audition 3.0.1 and/or MusciScope 2.1.0 (or Audacity, if you like) all in digital domain within a PC (or Mac).

On the other hand, when I (we) would like to analyze spectrum (time-gain-Fq) of LPs, we always need to "play vinyl disk" with our TT+(MC)Cartridge into phono preamplifier then feed the analog audio line-level signal into an audio interface for ADC processing for digital recording to be analyzed by Adobe Audition and/or MusicScope.

Consequently, such spectral analysis of LP sound (LP sound quality) is always inevitably very much dependent on "performances" (or how HiFi enough) of our "LP ceremony" audio gears...

Even though I assume (or almost believe) my home audio "LP ceremony" gears (ref. here and here) are excellent enough for my private LP listening enjoyment, I know well they are far inferior to professional or most high-end "LP ceremony" setup. I have been, I am, rather reluctant, therefore, to share my comparative spectrum analysis of LPs which are strictly "unique" to my audio setup, and which cannot be commonly discussed with other people...

As for my "digital audio reference/sampler playlist" (summary ref. this thread "An Attempt Sharing Reference Quality Music Playlist: at least a portion and/or whole track being analyzed by 3D color spectrum of Adobe Audition"), I have already shared so many spectral data (Adobe Audition and/or MusicScope), but in my rather intensive comparative sessions on LPs and their CD releases (ref. #688, #722, #740), the results are/were inevitably "subjective" listening comparison to share with other people about my "subjective" hearing impression using my unique audio setup/system especially the LP ceremony" gears.

By the way, you would please let me share again my important post regarding my policy and stance on "LP listening ceremonies";
- Summary of my motivations reviving vinyl TT (turntable) in DSP-based multichannel time-aligned multi-SP-driver multi-amplifier fully active stereo audio setup: #758

I agree with you, it's important to control the vinyl reproduction chain.

So I went about it in several steps:
the choice of an MC preamp and RIAA preamp, after many tests, I ended up building myself a modified Xono clone with a DC servo so as not to have a capacitor on the main signal path.
After several tests, I took a Project RPM 5.1 modified with an acrylic plate and an external motor with regulator. For the cell, I chose an AT33TPGii.

In addition to these parts, I worked on linearizing the frequency response of a cartridge. I applied the principle to several cells, enabling me to achieve a linear bandwidth (~1dB). All this work was carried out using measurements based on test discs.
Crosstalk was also adjusted with a test disk (more reliable than a visual adjustment of the cell).

It's with this work that I'm able to have a linear response to make the measurements and allow me to make comparisons between digital and LP. Otherwise, it's not very representative.

All this work is described on another Blog (in French, but the automatic translation works quite well).

 

[dualazmak]

As I announced/promised in my post #2 on this thread, I downloaded the three sampler tracks (beginning portion of track-11 "Garner Talk") from the linked website, and analyzed them with "my familiar" Adobe Audition 3.0.1 and MusicScope 2.1.0.

The downloaded three sampler tracks are;

1. Amazon_UltraHD_Ulsample-Tsuyoshi-Yamamoto-Trio-Sweet-For.wav (96.0 kHz 24 bit PCM, 17,305,214 Byte)
2. SACD_88_sample-Tsuyoshi-Yamamoto-Trio-Sweet-For.wav (88.2 kHz 24 bit PCM, 15,886,934 Byte)
3. Vinyl_96_sample-Tsuyoshi-Yamamoto-Trio-Sweet-For.wav (96.0 kHz 24 bit PCM, 17,298,368 Bute)

I do hope and believe the following analysis diagrams are self-explanatory for your easy understandings.

Let's start with analysis using Adobe Audition 3.0.1.

Then, each of the whole tracks were selected and scanned for FFT spectrum with the parameters of FFT Size 65536, Blackmann-Harris window, Reference -12 dBFS; these parameters give reliable and reproducible Fq spectrum throughout 25 Hz to the maximum limit high Fq of the digital music tracks.

As I emphasized in my post #15, analysis of vinyl LP sound/signal is very much dependent on "LP itself" and on the performances of the "LP ceremony" audio gears/chain; I know little about the "LP ceremony" gears and their performances of the writer of the specific web site. Nevertheless, my observations on the comparative spectrum seem to be almost identical to the review comments thereof.

Next, Let's move to the analysis with MusicScope 2.1.0.

The comparison of the Fq spectrum given by quick scan of MusicScope 2.1.0;

And the comparison of the Phase Rader Charts given by MusicScope 2.1.0;

Your comments and discussions on the above results given by Adobe Audition 3.0.1 and MusicScope 2.1.0 will be much appreciated.


By the way, after listening to these short sampler tracks (beginning portion of track-11 "Garner Talk"), I became very much interested in listening to the SACD release (SCOL-1073) of this album "Tsuyoshi Yamamoto Trio: SWEET FOR K", recorded in November 2023, released in early 2024, and I placed my purchase order for it the day before yesterday. The SACD will come to my hands hopefully afternoon today. You may understand my preferences on jazz piano trio music and performance if you would kindly notice that I have (almost) all the CD releases of Karel Boehlee Trio (ref. post #640 on my project thread).

You would please stay tuned, therefore, for coming my analysis of the digitally extracted DSF=DSD64(1x) tracks of the SACD SCOL-1073 "Tsuyoshi Yamamoto Trio: SWEET FOR K"; I will share the analysis results hopefully within a few days, this weekend. (Please allow me for possible delay may be due to good performances of Japanese athletes in Paris.)

Edit:
You would please note that for my listening enjoyments of actual room air sound reproduced by my multichannel audio setup, I have very much flexible relative gain control (tonality control) over my SP drivers (L&R subwoofers, woofers, midranges, tweeters, super-tweeters) in digital domain and analog domain. If you would be interested, please refer to my post #931 for the latest system setup.

 

[dualazmak]

Hello friends,

As shared/announced at the bottom of my above post #19, the physical SACD SCOL-1073 "Tsuyoshi Yamamoto Trio: SWEET FOR K", recorded in November 2023, released in early 2024, has arrived on my desk in the afternoon of this past Saturday.

This SACD is pure SACD-only disk (not a hybrid SACD), i.e. having only DSF=DSD64(1x) layer and no CD=Red-Book 44.1 kHz 16 bit layer.

I quickly extracted the all the DSD layer tracks into DSF=DSD64(1x) 1-bit digital tracks into my SSD digital music library; here, I dare not describe the details of how I can/could extract the DSF digital format from the SACDs. (If you would be seriously interested in this regard, I can discuss it in PM messages with you.)

Then, after giving various tag info on the tracks, I converted the DSF tracks into non-compressed PCM format, actually I like AIFF format (identical to WAV) for unlimited tag info addition/preservation, by JRiver MC32's format conversion utility with default parameters which gives very-large-file-size 352.8 kHz (!) 24-bit non-compressed AIFF tracks.

Using dBpoweramp's Music Converter (ver.17.3 [64-bit]), I also converted the DSF tracks into 96.0 kHz 24-bit AIFF tracks.

Consequently, now I have these 33 (=11 x 3) tracks in my JRiver MC32 music library; you would please note the file format and the size of the tracks.

For my objective analysis of the tracks, let me use the whole track-11 "Garner Talks", since the writer of the specific website shared the beginning 30 sec portion of this track-11 in three sampler formats, and I have analyzed them in my above pots #19.

I hope and believe the following diagrams (figures) would be self-explanatory for your easy understanding.

Let's start with analysis using MusicScope 2.1.0.

As usually and very often seen/found in SACD DSD64(1x) format, the DSF track contains considerable amount of quantization UHF (ultra-high frequency) noises even though these UHF noises are inaudible with human ears and brain if they would be transparently reproduced by our audio gears, tweeters and/or super-tweeters (I will touch on this later in this post).

During the conversion into 352.8 kHz 24-bit PCM (AIFF) format by using JRiver MC32, the specific format converter seems to well suppress the UHF noise potion;

You would please be reminded again that the 352.8 kHz 24-bit PCM (AIFF) tracks are very large in file size as well as all the digital signal in 35 Hz - 176.4 Hz zone is bellow -140 dB gain; the converted 352.8 kHz 24-bit PCM (AIFF) tracks, therefore, have almost no actual purpose/reason to be kept in the digital music library except for present initial objective analysis.

The analysis of the converted 96.0 kHz 24-bit track (by dBpoweramp) gives expected preferable results;

Now, let's move on to analysis using Adobe Audition 3.0.1.

Since Adobe Audition 3.0.1 cannot accept/analyze DSF format, I analyzed the 352.8 kHz 24-bit PCM (AIFF) track and 96.0 kHz 24-bit PCM (AIFF) track, as follows.

First, 352.8 kHz 24-bit PCM (AIFF) track-11;

Next, 96 kHz 24-bit PCM (AIFF) track-11;

And this figure/diagram shows comparison of FFT Fq spectrum of the whole track in same/identical X-Y (time-gain) scale;

As shown in all the above figures/diagrams, I (we) can easily understand the excellent recording quality of this SACD album with no gain clipping at all.

Furthermore, at least for myself, this SACD album (and its ripped/converted) tracks are also well fitting/compatible with "my music playback policy and practice" of on-the-fly conversion into 88.2 kHz or 96.0 kHz PCM into multichannel DSP (XO/EQ/Phase/Group-Delay/Gain) processing using systemwide DSP Center EKIO digitally feeding into multichannel DAC OKTO DAC8PRO; please refer to
- Summary of rationales for "on-the-fly (real-time)" conversion of all music tracks (including 1 bit DSD tracks) into 88.2 kHz or 96 kHz PCM format for DSP (XO/EQ) processing: #532
For my listening enjoyment of this SACD album, therefore, I will mainly use the converted "96.0 kHz 24-bit" tracks, as you may agree with me.


By the way, what would be my preference (like and/or dislike) of the music and performance/style, as well as recording quality/policy, of Tsuyoshi Yamamoto Trio in this SACD album, especially in comparison with my beloved Karel Boehlee Trio CDs??

Even though I can write a lot in this regard, here I dare not go into such direction in this post since my possible intensive personal/subjective description would fly far away from the scope and objective of this thread.