Parasound DTS 96/24 decoding and ...

[9f9c7z]

Hi. My first post to this forum after countless nights of reading, reading, and reading the info here. Fantastic site!!!

I’m at the point of what to buy for a ht processor. ‘She’ likes movies, ‘I’ like music, looking for a unit that can do both. Parasound’s Halo C2 looks promising, but so does the Integra Research RDC-7.1 A/V. Read both reviews here.

I called Parasound and inquired into the decoding of DTS 96/24 at 48khz, if it had been updated. It has not and there is no intention to. As per Parasound, the difference between the two is virtually inaudible. Is this true???

Parasound also suggested a higher rate could introduce audible jitter, so the 48khz was a more acceptable trade off. Does this sound right??? How is anyone else doing the DTS 96/24 decoding at a higher rate???

The ‘accountant’ has giving me a free hand in choosing the processor, as long as it’s “pretty”. Besides, she picked the speakers and recently added a SVS sub based solely on Clint’s July 2004 review of the PB2 (now PB12). But, I’m overwhelmed. Considering:

Anthem D1
Arcam A/V8
Lexicon MC8
Integra Research RDC-7.1 A/V
Parasound Halo C2.

If there is anything in that bunch that shines above the rest, what would it be??? And why??? Seems Gene likes the RDC-7.1 A/V but reading the ‘cons’ looks scary, but the overall rating at the end of the 10-page review was impressive. Any help would greatly appreciated.

 

[9f9c7z]

Ok, maybe I can try this a little differently…

Someone on this forum has to know if sampling DTS 96/24 at 48k has any noticeable impact on the quality of the analog signal that gets amplified. In a nutshell, can you/I hear the difference between 96khz sampling and 48khz sampling of the same DTS encoded source material???

 

[Brian JB]

Sound Quality

The best advice is to audition each component & listen for any differences.
Good luck!

 

[9f9c7z]

Thanks for the reply, Brian. Of course listening/auditioning any processor goes without saying. However, without something to compare to (a side-by-side comparison) I have no way of qualifying/quantifying any issue with Parasound’s decoding DTS 96/24 at 48khz as Steve DellaSala raises as an issue with the Halo C1/2 in his review of that processor on this web site. See the first page of the review here: http://www.audioholics.com/productreviews/avhardware/ParasoundHaloReview.html

Since Parasound does not have a Halo C1/2 with DTS 96/24 decoding at 96khz, there is no way for me to do a comparative listening. Parasound says the 48khz decoding is not an issue. Steve DellaSala mentions it as an issue. Who is right??? And if it is an issue, how much of an issue is it??? Is it something the average person is only going to hear with a critical ear and only under ideal listening conditions???

 

[cool miles]

I am not sure upsampling is necessary

Hi. My first post to this forum after countless nights of reading, reading, and reading the info here. Fantastic site!!!

I’m at the point of what to buy for a ht processor. ‘She’ likes movies, ‘I’ like music, looking for a unit that can do both. Parasound’s Halo C2 looks promising, but so does the Integra Research RDC-7.1 A/V. Read both reviews here.

I called Parasound and inquired into the decoding of DTS 96/24 at 48khz, if it had been updated. It has not and there is no intention to. As per Parasound, the difference between the two is virtually inaudible. Is this true???

Parasound also suggested a higher rate could introduce audible jitter, so the 48khz was a more acceptable trade off. Does this sound right??? How is anyone else doing the DTS 96/24 decoding at a higher rate???

The ‘accountant’ has giving me a free hand in choosing the processor, as long as it’s “pretty”. Besides, she picked the speakers and recently added a SVS sub based solely on Clint’s July 2004 review of the PB2 (now PB12). But, I’m overwhelmed. Considering:

Anthem D1
Arcam A/V8
Lexicon MC8
Integra Research RDC-7.1 A/V
Parasound Halo C2.

If there is anything in that bunch that shines above the rest, what would it be??? And why??? Seems Gene likes the RDC-7.1 A/V but reading the ‘cons’ looks scary, but the overall rating at the end of the 10-page review was impressive. Any help would greatly appreciated.

I am new too. Read the following link

http://www.onhifi.com/features/20010301.htm

I recently purchased an Audio Research CD3 MK2 which does not upsample but is one of the top CD players available. You need to put the processor with your system and compare. Hope this helps you with your query.

 

[9f9c7z]

Thanks Cool Miles! The info on your link kind of parallels what the folks at Parasound said. Unfortunately, the other links on that web page are broken.

I really don’t know where the roll-off is for sampling rates, i.e. what is the lowest acceptable sample rate to produce sound that appears natural (analog) to your ears. I think of it like a video display. You can’t see an image changing at 1/30th of a second. But on the other hand, some people go crazy around florescent lighting because they can perceive the 60hz flicker, tho they can’t identify it. My understanding is a similar thing happened with early generation CD technology. People that listened to them 'felt' the sound was unnatural but couldn’t identify why.

 

[TjMV3]

I don't anything about sampling rates or decoding, but both Parasound Halo C1 and C2 offer high quality, superb audio.

Both Halos have been praised by their owners and those who have audtioned them for audio quality.

Tha ears say so.