Should Sound Quality of Computer Audio be improved

Hmm....

Well, for older guys like us that recall 78s, then the advent of lps and stereo, then progress these days in terms of real sound quality improvements might not seem such a big deal.

I will say that my digital in my rig today is as much better than the digital sound off my first CD player I purchased back in 85 or so (a Magnavox) as MErcury Living Presence was compared to an Okeh 78 from years prior. I do not know how much better it will or can get, but I do not see a decline overall to date.

Well Pettyofficer, just don't understand you, now you turn around and speak reasonable again... what it comes down to with downloads is this... what ever the file type, MPEG4, Flac, DSD, WAV...whatever it is, it can be converted.. You can burn a file to disc... if the file integrity is good, you'll have a great CD. I suppose that you could burn it to BD-R, then use your Blu Ray player also... Computer Audio offers more flexibility than ANYTHING else, its here to stay and you will see it grow in many ways, including selection of music....
Appreciate your tenacity, man you do stay with it.

PO,

Timlub has made the point beautifully. This is why I don't understand your problem.

Today you still don't know which recording is the best. You still have all sorts of remasters etc on various disk types. Do you buy them all to see which one you prefer?

You are downloading the same material. You have to do the same research you would do with SACD etc. Obviously we are assuming you are using legitimate downloads from reputable vendors.

Petty, I don't think any reasonable person wants to deny you anything. Who here has any interest in killing off any format? Most of us pick our format(s) and get on with it. Personally, I've given up on SACD. I currently use vinyl, CD (ripped to my hard drive) and high resolution downloads. I am of the opinion that optical discs of all types will likely be replaced by downloads because the files are the same. This holds for audio and video. When you really get down to it, computer audio and CD are basically the SAME format (ie using the same files). Computer audio is COMPLETELY backwards compatible but has way more flexibility and the potential for higher resolution.

Does this mean that I (or anyone here) wants optical discs to disappear? Absolutely not! We're not trying to rob you of anything. Go ahead, enjoy music in whatever format you choose!

Timlub. My Downloading whatever Music File then burning onto whatever Disk. How can this compare to a Mastering
Studio Remastering in DXD, then burning to Blue-Ray Audio,
Multi-Channel High Rez. MLP, SACD,....etc? It would be like
comparing your own home made Cassette Recording to a Master Analog Recording. Can you Remaster these Computer
Downloaded Files prior to burning? Again it is garbage in,
burning in Blue-Ray Audio doesn't nullify garbage out.
Professional Recording Studios have access to DXD, Remastering Software, and lets not forget the Master Analog Recording. Even with this the Pro's still occasionally screw up a Remastering. You are suggesting
that Joe the Plummer can do better Remastering in his
garage, on his laptop? All that he needs is the Downloaded
File, no matter what File Type that may be? Low Res. MP3
Downloaded Music File, Joe can convert/Remaster into a
High Res. 24/192 Music File of perfection? Garbage in-
The Mona Lisa out? Everyone should be capable of producing
a Remaster (From a Downloaded File) that sounds as good,
if not better, than that produced by Professional Studios? We elevate ourselves to Studio Quality Master
Recording Professionals, without any College Education,
or decades of experience in this profession? I am sure that if I study hard enough, I could learn how to perform
brain surgery on myself. Just let me practice on you first
to get the hang of it- deal? At some point here, where do
I actually get back to enjoying Music instead of supplanting it with learning how it is made. I pay someone
else to make Music so that I can spend sometime actually
listening, and enjoying it. You are turning an obssession
over a Hobby into a Lifetime Career Study. I would like to
get back to listening instead of 100% Studying as to how
Music is made. By your standard I should be able to build/ design my own Turntable, SACD-MLP-CD Player, Music Server,
Media Player. Spend all of my time doing that, who needs
to listen to stinking Music? Who would have the time? This
all sounds like a self-defeating process that peels you away from spending more time actually enjoying listening to
Music. Imagine your first CD player requiring self assembly
from the lowest basic set of parts. You have never seen a
CD Player before, it could take you years to learn how to assemble. Instructions are sketchy, ambiguous, and incomplete. I would buy this, why? Why would I buy the Computer Audio Version of this? It is not that I couldn't
learn- I could. It just becomes extremely inefficient in
accomplishing my task of listening to my Music Y-E-S-T-E-R-D-A-Y! I think that there is a shorter route between point
A and B. Rumor has it that a straight line is that shorter
route. Anyone mind if I try that to see if it is indeed
shorter instead of having to pass through Wasapi, Kernel
Streaming, and all manner of Software Processing? Sorry,
I don't know what got into me. Sacriledge! Inserting things
definitely makes for a shorter route. Light bulb definitely
makes that clear.
O-kay, I will muddle through it. I like to have options including Computer Audio/ Downloading- sure! I still demand Music while I muddle. That can only mean an
Optical Disk since I am still muddling. THIS is asking too
much in a proposed single Downloading Format Market? This
sounds like Darth Vader closing all of the exits again.
Not a very comforting thought. Do you mind keeping atleast
one exit slightly open for me O' Dark Lord of the Sith?
Well, you can't blame me for asking! No more pre-designed
Music Servers whose Software is obsolete two days ago. Much
prefer J.R. River Media Center Version 14 through 10,000,000. Just wake me up in ten years! Imagine the money
that I could save just jumping on J.R. Version 10,000,000.
T-H-R-I-F-T-Y!!!