dBpoweramp CD Ripper

Uncompressed flac or better still wav

I rip to the default - level 5 I think - then transcode to wav on playback using Asset. All the FLAC levels are lossless, so if you have spare cpu cycles on your NAS or uPnP server do the transcription there when you play back. Best of both worlds IMO.

Dave.

+1 for .wav

Déjà vu me thinks.

re: https://forums.naimaudio.com/topic/wave-or-flac-1

Dave

i`m using asset and i did transcode all my flac files to wav but in your answers i see there is no difference on sound  between those options anyway thank you for your help

I rip to uncompressed flac and have my assetnas transcode to wav, I can hear a difference

DItto–this keeps the metadata intact while reducing the decoding load at the streamer (better sound quality).

Strangely, even using a UQ, I can hear a difference between playing FLAC and transcoding to WAV via Minimserver. I can't hear any difference between different levels of FLAC compression, which makes sense as it's WAV anyway by the time it gets to the UQ,

Same here as Solid Air on my UQ1 with minimserver. I also gave up ripping on my Vortexbox and simply use it as a server because ripping with db on my macbook is so much better and faster. 

I fi ripped to WAV instead of flac 5 my 1tb VB would probably be full or almost so, so it really makes sense from a storage point to transcode. Always best to not have your drives totally full as well. 

I set FLAC to level 5, and then transcode to WAV by Asset DLNA / UPnP server when streaming to Naim. I get a worthwhile improvement in storage efficiency.

However if you want to use WAV then dBPoweramp supports both methods of WAV metadata encoding for robustness. (ID3 and ListInfo)

Simon

I've always used the last option on the selection list - "Lossless Uncompressed", which is listed underneath "Lossless Level 8 (Highest)".

I thought this was the optimum level, but now wonder if I ought to have been using 'Level 5' like you guys .....

Any thoughts?

Mr Frog, it shouldn't make any sonic difference. 8 will take longer to encode than 5. I don't think there should be any difference in the decode effort.

Simon

Thanks Simon, that's reassuring.

Mr Frog, Simon,

Lossless Uncompressed FLAC is different from FLAC compression level 0.

In Uncompressed the data-stream is LPCM contained in a FLAC wrapper.

This should give the same results as WAV (i.e. LPCM in a RIFF wrapper).

I do the same as Simon (always a good idea ) - save in level 5 flac and transcode to wav. I can't hear the difference between this and native wav; I find flac streamed at any level including uncompressed to be slightly less preferable (although still excellent - to keep a sense of proportion, I'm very happy to listen to flac via QOBUZ).

Well this post has certainly enlightened me on transcoding formats. 

I have always ripped my music to level 5 FLAC via dBpoweramp and used Logitech Media Server on my Synology NAS to stream FLAC those files through my Naim system.  Never considered WAV as an option, particularly as I use LMS for Squeezebox devices around the house.  However having read the above posts I have checked out Synology’s own Media Server (DSM version 5.0) which offers the option to enable transcoding to WAV.  Have just checked the correct settings and pleased to see music via my NDX is being played as WAV. 

Too early to do any sound quality checks v FLAC but at least I now have the option.  So thanks!

Hi Pixies,

There's a problem with transcoding FLAC to WAVE in Synology DSM, it preserves sample rate, but it appears to truncate 24bit files to 16bit.

Thanks Huge.  I have a few high res Qobuz downloads so will check out this issue.

It's actually transcoding them to L16 (16-bit uncompressed linear PCM), which is a DLNA-required profile.

I can confirm it does change 24bit to 16bit

24/96 .wav reads as 4608kb/s .wav in the Naim display & nStream .app

24/96 .flac transcoded to .wav will read as 3072kb/s .wav

A HDCD (24/44.1) ripped to .wav will read 2116.8kb/s

The same HDCD ripped to .flac & played transcoded to .wav will read 1411.2kb/s  - i.e. the same as 16bit red book CD

If you have only a few why not experiment & see if your ears tell you what's worth it or not. 

Copy an album & convert it to .wav & try it against a transcoded .flac.  

Although I started out ripping everything (500 CD's) to .wav, when buying hi-res I noted some stores did not all sell .wav & offered only .flac or .alac.  So I (plus Mrs-B & a few others) tried transcoded .flac  & could hear a very subtle difference, a hint more space (air) in mid & treble & more texture in the bass.  So I now convert any bought albums that are 'flac or whatever to .wav & be done with it.  

Mike,

Have you tried Uncompressed FLAC (as opposed to Compression 0)?  Theoretically it should sound identical to the WAV file as the content is identical (LPCM).

Hi Huge

As stated earlier, I've always used the "Lossless Uncompressed" setting on dBpoweramp since I thought this was the absolute best way to rip my CD's for optimum sound quality - whilst others suggest that Level 5 is 'exactly the same' for the FLAC rips.

I still transcode from FLAC to WAV to match the preference of the Naim streamer.

Are you saying that there is no advantage to transcoding to WAV in my particular circumstances given that I use FLAC "Lossless uncompressed" and not a 'lower level'? Or have I just lost the plot altogether