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Back to Upsampling - Testimonials
The first interview of which the most relevant excerpts will be quoted
here is one with Sam Tellig, one of the world’s most respected audio
reviewers, giving his opinion on upsampling in Stereophile.
“ The big advantage of upsampling is that digital distortion and
noise are pushed well out of the way – above 30kHz. So the digital
and analog filters can be shoved out of band, too, minimizing phase shift
and group delay (In simple terms, phase shift wrecks spatial reproduction,
while group delay ruins harmonic reproduction.). Phase shift and group
delay are why conventional CDs often sound airless and harsh. “…”with
upsampling, I hear more space, more air and more low-level resolution,
and even, subjectively, wider dynamic range. The sound opened up and bloomed
– almost the way it does with SACD. I heard harmonic delicacy –
an extension, and sweetness to the treble that reminded me of analog at
its best, the way that SACD does. If you could take a six-buck CD sound
almost like a 20-buck SACD, that would be some trick, wouldn’t it
? That’s exactly what upsampling did for me. Upsampled sound also
seems more delicate, harmonically. It’s not just an easing of the
hardness and edginess so long associated with CD. With upsampling there’s
a rightness about the harmonic presentation. So natural was the sound
that I stopped trying to analyze the performance of the processor and
simply enjoyed the music. It doesn’t give you absolute SACD-like
quality, but it’s very near. Besides that, it also has the advantage
that you don’t have to buy a new player, ánd you don’t
have to buy your entire CD-collection all over again.”