"Downmixing" refers to generating a stereo track from a multichannel track. You find that in DVD-Video discs that have a Dolby Digital 5.1 track and no stereo track. In those cases, DD can create a 2 channel track on the fly.
Similarly, in DVD-Audio discs a downmix can be greated in the DVD-Video zone by either a DD downmix or by the downmix parameters that are part of Meridian's MLP compression system.
In the case of Super Audio CD (SACD), the record labels create a separate stereo mix at the studio vs. having the player or processor downmix to 2 channel.
If you have a processor with 1 bit sigma-delta DAC's, then:
a) You won't notice much/any difference between PCM and DSD streams
b) You bought it in 1985
B,
I was being facetious- the point I was making is that a downmix is being performed, either with generic coefficients in the processor, or by the engineers in the studio.
I'm curious about this 1-bit thing. After the release of the white paper criticsing 1-bit DACs, didn't Sony acknowledge that they were, in fact, using 4-bit technology. Does this change the equations of effective sampling rate at all, or change people's outlooks on DSD?
Simon
I've just discovered the Meridian 506.24. Yeah, I know, not as good as what many of you have. But I'm absolutely over the mooon about the sound quality it brings to my system.