Should Sound Quality of Computer Audio be improved

Is it heartless on my part that I enjoy watching Petty's outbursts get more and more ludicrous as his feeble arguments go up in flames? Kinda like watching people self-destruct on those old reality shows.

So let me get this straight...first it's "lower-than-CD MP3" that is the problem...and now it's Chad imposing a 24/192 bottleneck on downloads?

You got to be kidding!!!

Thanks Petty - I needed a chuckle!

Fair enough! I do get grumpy when I sense someone desiring to minimize my options in Audio Formats. Still trying to
figure out how one can Download a Blue-Ray Audio release that is not available yet as 24/192 High Rez. Download.
There within resides the dilema of limited selection in
High Rez. material- in a single Download Format Universe.
Even if the same release was available in both Formats,
would one always be of better sound quality in one Format
as opposed to the other? Would it be a mixed result with
different releases in each Format? I will buy one release
in Blue-Ray, because I discover it sounds better than it's
24/192 Downloaded counterpart. I will buy another release in 24/192 Downloaded File, because I discover it sounds better than it's Blue-Ray Audio counterpart. Ditto the same
comparisons via SACD, MLP, DVD-Audio, XRCD, XRCD24, K2 HD
CD.
Of course it is the Music that matters; but, it is
usually the Mastering (Or Remastering) process that sometimes gets screwed up. This cuts across all Formats,
including High Rez. Downloads. You will end up with some
CD versions of a release that will sound better than their
High Rez. counterpart- simply because someone screwed up the Remastering process. These anomalies can apply to all
Formats. It might not happen often; but, it happens often
enough that someone will lose any High Rez. Potential of
their favorite release- their favorite Music. High Rez.
can sound better (In all Formats including Downloading);
but, no guarantee.
My issue is the loss to the consumer to descriminate
what sounds good to him in a single Format Market. You are
going to end up with some 24/192 Download Releases sounding wonderful, others not so much. Why is it so
rediculous to have a back-up Format of your favorite Music
when the Downloaded version doesn't come out as expected?
Reasonable people can reasonably disagree. When it
comes to "Soon all New Music will only be available as Music Downloads", where is the room for reasonable
disagreement as to how this may negatively affect the
sound quality of SOME Music Releases? What alternatives will exist for THOSE instances? Are we being forced to buy
"The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly" of High Rez. Downloads,
because that is the only High Rez. Format that is left?
What if it becomes the only source of the favorite Releases of our particular Music? How does limited selection in High Rez. Downloads affect our access to our
favorite releases. Can you always say that the 16/44.1
Downloaded version will always sound better than the Blue-
Ray Audio Version? The Multi-Channel MLP Version? The SACD
Version? The XRCD, XRCD24, K2 HD CD, versions? If 16/44.1
Download Version of my favorite Music Release is the only
one available, you will be cutting me out of any High Res.
access to these Music Releases on Disk. This will happen in the elimination of other High Res. Formats. Music may Matter most; but, I have heard some of these other High Rez. Formats on Disk. The Sound Quality on these Disks- DOES MATTER to me! Yes, sometimes they do sound better than the 16/44.1 Downloaded version when High Rez. Download selection remains very limited. This is not always true. Please allow me the ability to fill in the blanks. Allow me the ability to discriminately listen, and select best sounding across many Formats. This is no different than when you discriminately listen, and select when you Download. My hope is that a larger selection would give me more access to the best sounding versions of my favorite Music. I haven't found many in High Rez. Downloads yet. Let me listen to my favorite Music till they do become available. If that makes no sense, I don't know what to tell you.
As far as I am concerned: I am only a 50 year old Man.
I have been Retired from the U.S. Navy for about 10 years.
Had 20 years of Naval Service, served as a "Pettyofficer".
Pick a number to get your free pop shot!

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.