Yet when it comes to audio, the unassailable imprimatur of ‘Hi-Res’ carries all before it, to the point where ‘Hi-Res’ replay becomes an end in and of itself. We stop questioning hardware. We stop questioning network integrity. We simply ignore the impact that a whole bunch of switch-mode, computer power supplies has on the rest of our system. All sacrificed on the promise of bigger numbers – ‘cos they MUST mean better sound. Walking around the Munich show it was remarkable how many rooms featured truly dreadful sound – generally accompanied by somebody scrolling through a tablet, seeking another sonic marvel to wow the crowds. Rather than taking things for granted, perhaps they should have stopped for a moment and taken a listen…
In hardware terms we are, slowly but inevitably, catching up. But, speaking relatively, file replay is still in its infancy and, not surprisingly, it generally struggles to compete in performance terms with the established, mature technology of optical disc replay. I finally have a streamer in-house that actually compares with my CD transport – at a price. It shows what’s possible. But it also demonstrates that when it comes to streaming and file replay – high or low-res – it still matters HOW you do it. Basically, all the stuff that mattered before still matters, whether your music is physical or virtual. If high-end audio wants to remain relevant it has to do file replay a whole lot better than it is right now. That starts with questioning the performance rather than accepting it as a given. It starts with remembering that execution is everything and that means sweating the details and doing the engineering. It’s not that file replay can’t work, or won’t work. It just isn’t working as well as it should or as often as it could – and big numbers writ large ain’t changing that. Anybody who tells you different, either doesn’t know, isn’t listening or doesn’t care. Of the three, I find the last the most worrying.
If you want to enjoy your system and your music, trust your ears, rather than the digital arithmetic. The numbers – no matter how big they get – are no guarantee of musical performance. But then that’s not exactly news either.
