Frequent visitors of the site will know that we’ve focused on Hi-Res music and the equipment, like the Sony Hi-Res Walkman and Benchmark AHB2 and DAC2 that can reproduce properly recorded and mastered Hi-Res music with its full potential. Just a few days ago, Dr. Mark Waldrep, also known as “Dr. AIX” because he is the founder of AIX Records, launched a Kickstarter campaign to publish a book and Blu-ray disc set called, “Music and Audio: A User Guide to Better Sound.”
The aim of the book and Blu-ray is to provide practical information about music production and audio systems with a special focus on how to improve the fidelity of your listening experience dramatically and inexpensively. The accompanying Blu-ray disc (or downloadable files) will contain demo tracks, test tones, and a unique set of tracks for comparing different file formats.
There will be twelve true hi-res music tracks in stereo and surround format and mastering comparisons. You’ll be able to instantly switch between 256k MP3 files and 96 kHz/24-bit master files and see if your system is capable of reproducing the benefits of hi-res music or if you can tell the difference. To get your audio system properly tested and configured, the Blu-ray will contain a complete set of test tones.
We’ve frequently referenced Mark’s writings on the topic of Hi-Res Audio at http://www.realhd-audio.com. This past August, we also conducted an in-depth interview with Mark on the topic of Hi-Res Audio, which we will be publishing soon. Mark has been a professional audio engineer and media producer for over 35 years and worked on hundreds of projects including discs for The Rolling Stones, Kiss, Tool, The San Francisco Symphony and countless others. It’s wouldn’t be a far stretch to call him “Mr. Hi-Res.”
For our part, we’re excited to see Mark’s efforts in this campaign and helping alleviate some of the confusion that has germinated from the misuse of the term hi-res music. We just pledged our support of the campaign and look forward to receiving our Blu-ray. You can learn more or contribute to the Kickstarter campaign here.
