Ok, I'm a bit of a newbe here, however I've done some homework and need some clarification. First, please confirm several facts as I understand them to be. I think I understand the relationship between DVD Audio and SACD in relation to 5.1 and 24bit/96Khz. I know that it requires a compatible DVD player to play these discs (except SACD Hybrid where you can play the CD channel on any CD player). My question is can you burn a 2 channel 24bit/96Khz CD and play it on a standard CD player, and if so, will it sound any better that a standard CD? Hope this is clear?
Yes, you can burn an Audio CD at 24 bit/96 kHz. It will be in Linear PCM, like an ordinary CD, but it will not play on an ordinary CD player, which is designed to recognise 16 bit/ 44.1 kHz only. The disc should play on a DVD-Audio player, or any DVD player if you choose the format "PCM" from the audio set-up (in contract to "Stream" or "Dolby Digital"). You also need PCM for DTS Audio, so PCM is available on most DVD players. Sometimes the player will switch automatically. It would probably be preferable to burn a DVD disc in the first place.
"Will it sound any better?" For two-channel stereo there might be a gain in resolution (but this is debated and it is difficult to compare like with like). Also, of course, it will only make any difference if the original source (what you are recording) is at higher resolution in the first place, for example a live microphone or mixer feed, from tape, from LP, or from hi-res digital source. If you record standard CD at hi-res you still only get 16 bit/ 44.1 kHz.
Thanks for your response. Based on this information, what advantage is achieved by using upconverting software like Cirlinca that claims to be able to upconvert to 96 Khz? If you start with 44 Khz, then you gain no improvement in quality to try to burn at 96 Khz. Or, if you begin with 44 Khz CD, burn to a DVD at 96 Khz, will the quality improve if you play it on a DVD player compared with how the the original CD sounded?