High-resolution audio in an age of universal playback

A workshop from the AES 117th Convention dealing with the topic of universal audio players for high-resolution audio is discussed. Malcolm Hawksford of Essex University in the UK reviewed some of the principles of DVD-Audio and SACD in the context of universal players. John Atkinson of Stereophile magazine addressed the question of whether multiformat players are compatible with high-resolution audio. Hajime Kawai of Texas Instruments spoke about a high-resolution digital-to-analog convertor capable of handling both PCM and DSD signals, using differential current segment technology. George Massenburg, the chairperson of the workshop concluded that some recording engineers were trying to decide whether it was really worth continuing to record at 96 kHz.