Some reflections on file downloads

a little aside....

It is also very nice to be able to buy DIRECTLY from the artist when one can, and download from their site. (if they are even charging)

I have no problems with basically 100% of the proceeds going right to the source rather than getting siphoned off by any number of parties.

Mr. Underhill,

Although I have not tried it with a Naim CDP, I have A/B/C'd the actual CD and a FLAC file through the Beresford, as well as a CD-R created from the cue sheet of my intial rip.

I couldn't tell much of a difference between any of them. They all sounded fantastic. The Arcam sounded slightly smoother, or rounded off. But barely. It could just be the Arcam "house sound" though.

Certainly the original disc and the CD-R sounded identical through the Arcam.

-patrick

quote:

I have A/B/C'd the actual CD and a FLAC file through the Beresford, as well as a CD-R created from the cue sheet of my intial rip

Thx pc.

I am wondering whether to investigate HOW I burn these files to disc.

To my ears the SACD CD layer simply had more weight, better separation and was more musically engaging. Not the result I was hoping for!

M

quote:

Originally posted by pcstockton:

It is also very nice to be able to buy DIRECTLY from the artist when one can..

Yep.

quote:

Any of you with SB / SB+ / Transporters done any comparisons in this area? Thoughts?

Squeezeboxes and SB+s aren't equipped to stream resolutions above red book cd. Only Transporters can stream higher res.

Mr U,

Use exact audio copy (EAC) if using a PC. If Mac? you are on your own. I own both Mac and a PC and use the PC for all things audio.

You will want to correct your drives WRITE offset in EAC to make a perfect copy. It isn't a simple process but by no means difficult. But you only need to do this once.

I can tell you exactly how to do everything as best we can.

quote:

WRITE offset

pc thx.

My main OS is linux. Found this:

http://code.google.com/p/mktoc/

Doing some digging!

M

mmmm,
interesting.

I couldn't follow it exactly. But i think I get the gist.

In EAC, you burn a CD-R and have EAC compare it to the WAV files it was made from. It then tells you your offset.

You then correct the offset and redo the test. Upon comparison it will show you no missing or added samples. A bit for bit perfect copy.

quote:

Originally posted by Keith L:
Squeezeboxes and SB+s aren't equipped to stream resolutions above red book cd. Only Transporters can stream higher res.

My SB2 streams 24/48 just fine. Will not stream 24/96. Do the new SBs not support 24/48?

quote:

My SB2 streams 24/48 just fine. Will not stream 24/96. Do the new SBs not support 24/48?

24/48 is not a common format and may not be supported by some DACS. You are better off staying with common 16/44.4, 24/96 etc. I say this from experience when one DAC kept clicking and popping. I spoke to the DAC manufacturer and explained how my bare sb3 streamed fine but had problems when their dac was connected. I was told 24/48 wasn't supported by their product.

Keith

Mr. Underhill.

I wish you were an XP user and I could get you past ANY hurdle.

....

What player are you using?



Hi pc,

Despite working prof. mainly with MS products I always try and use Open Source whenever possible.

My main players are:

Naim DVD5 / Benchmark DAC1 & Meridian 596.

I bought the 596 a couple of weeks ago for a VERY good price.

The advantage of the 596 is that it outputs 9624 via the spdif.


For the past few weeks I have been doing some extended testing ...and now think I've JUST got it right.

The results - the 9624 DVDs are sounding great - depending on the recording / performance of course!

Just finished listening to the Romeo & Juliet from HighDefTapes - had an issue converting it to wav from flac. Bob re-encoded it. It is NOT a perfect recording, few blips on the left channel - BUT, it is very good; Feel slightly sorry for the neighbours!

The thing I notice with the 9624 files is really good dynamics ....now that I've got things singing.


I've been doing some digging around the write offset.

I'm not sure it is relevant for my DVD burning, as I am not ripping them from media but creating an ISO from a DVD file structure that is based on downloaded HiRes files.


Lots of new sites coming on-stream for HiRes non-DRM download.

I really like 'The Tone' Mag. idea of including a link to a download site with their (extensive) music reviews.

Been quiet impressed with the B&W Music Club - still on the limited 4 track free trial, but think I will take out a subscription; always interested in any way to expand my musical horizons for a reasonable cost.

M

Mr Underhill,

Thanks for the info on the burning of the hires files. It is truly amazing isn't it???

In my opinion a good 24/96 vinyl rip from a nice table far surpasses the real thing on an one.

Unfortunately, that is where my hi-res experience ends. Other than some free hi-res NIN that my friend gave me, all of my 24/96 are my vinyl. And sweet it is. Listened to Pixies Surfer Rosa in 24/96 last night!!!

I have never tried burning hi-res to a DVD and playing on my DVDP. I simply play them in Foobar.... No need to burn to DVD as I have a $60 DVD player. But i am going to give it a go tonight just for fun.

I have started to look into burning a video DVD from my friends studio material. I have only played in VLC up to this point. I am sure it is similar????



Sorry for being misleading, but my question was how you play the files from your PC? what "player" do you use there? Upon further reflection you might not be playing them on your computer at all.

FYI, Windows aside, I am a open source, freeware kinda guy as well. Hence my love of FLAC, Foobar, EAC etc....

If a DVD-5 could only play FLAC from a data DVD. .... Id have one.

quote:

I've been doing some digging around the write offset.

I'm not sure it is relevant for my DVD burning, as I am not ripping them from media but creating an ISO from a DVD file structure that is based on downloaded HiRes files.
M

Well if would only matter if your burning software can accommodate it. For example, WMP does not allow for any correction to either write or read, and can therefore never produce a perfect rip or burn.

But, assuming the rip was done correctly/professionally, you can only reproduce that if you correct your drives write offset. Otherwise you might be adding or subtracting samples.

Whether or not that matters, sonically speaking, is a different issue.

have fun with your new R&J!!!!

patrick

In the last couple of weeks I have handled a number of 9624 files that are of a high quality. I am now reasonably confident that the methodologies I am using to produce DVD-V are NOT compromising the quality of what I am listening to, the tools being: Lplex; Brasero; flac & Audacity.

If I am hearing issues I believe they are due to the quality of the downloaded files.

M