As of your last post, I don't recall a true blind test having been conducted. Have you had the chance to do that yet?
On 7/19/05, Timbo <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > m1abrams Wrote: > > Why? FLAC produces bit for bit identical to the WAV file, you can test > > this by ripping a CD to PCM wav, then taking that wav encoding it to > > flac but save the original wave. Now decode the flac back to wav and > > perform an md5sum of the two wave files, unless your encoder/decoder is > > broken they will be identical. This is the procedure that is even on > > the FLAC website on how to verfiy the encoder/decoder. > > > > With FLAC you get the quality EXACLY the same as WAV plus you get > > about 2x the storage and 1/2 the needed bandwidth, and you get TAG > > support. > > Hi there - I hear what you say and agree that if space is an issue (or > bandwidth if you are wireless) then FLAC certainly adds up to a good > idea - but - in my case, in my system, with my ears, I don't *hear* > EXACTLY the same quality (and I am not alone) - when it comes to audio > quality a few extra quid spent on more HD space (under £70 for a 250gb > HD!) is not an issue here. > > What goes in may be what comes out when you compare 'bits' - but I have > played with this some more over the last few days (I don't take lightly > the format I will choose to archive some hundreds of CDs) and on a well > recorded CD track I can spot a FLAC decode instantly on the first few > bars. This means for me it's a no-brainer. > > Just let me say obviously if your system isn't able to deliver the > subtle nuances involved you will of course not hear any difference - > and the system is only as good as it's weakest link - which might be > our ears of course (I know mine aren't what they were after 35 years of > interest in the hobby!). > > I am not sure what is going on here, but perhaps the analogue audio > circuits in my pre-amp may be ultra sensitive to digital noise > generated by the SB2 doing it's internal decoding of FLAC sat just > above it (it would be interesting to measure this against the same > noise generated by internal WAV decoding?). I know that Meridian all > digital systems support the digital domain right up until the last > moment, only converting to the delicate analogue domain (with all it's > susceptibilities to outside interference) at the very last minute. I > prefer the analogue sound however, so my Meridian system contains > mostly analogue components. > > Who knows the exact reason why I can hear the difference between WAV > and FLAC, I certainly don't, but it doesn't worry me or cause me > anxiety. I am not one of those technical guys who can't envisage > anything effecting sound other than that which can be measured - we are > talking Hi-Fi here remember. Technical measurements are what design the > goods and get us to the gate - but to go through the gate every hi-fi > manufacturer understands you have to listen and then fine tune the > product with your ears. > > If technical measurements were all that mattered in hi-fi then we > wouldn't bother upgrading cables with exotic mixes (and even stranger - > exotic cable insulating materials!). We wouldn't be discussing whether a > CD sounds better if you don't pause it during replay (ok that's really > weird but just ask Jimmy Hughes!), there wouldn't be such things as > turntables with cartridge and arm combinations costing more than my car > - and there wouldn't be those who still prefer glowing valves and a nice > set of horn speakers! And I wouldn't be able to hear a better sounding > system after running the Denson De Magic CD - but I can :-) > > But please let's not forget we are talking about a £150 box with an > Ethernet adapter sat on top of my hi-fi, streaming digital data from > my PC - and it wasn't long ago I would turn off my PC to listen to my > hi-fi as the digital noise down the mains had a negative effect on the > sound (this is common practice and if you have one of Russ Andrews > mains sniffers you will actually 'hear' the noise yourself). > > No - this Squeezebox (V2) is unbelievably good and in every respects > approaching audiophile quality (and not by accident either if I read > the specs right!) so a little debate about file encoding preferences > is to be expected in the audiophile forum. Oops, and I have just > noticed how long this 'little debate' post is - please forgive my rants > and I hope at least someone might find my remarks of interest :-) > > > -- > Timbo > _______________________________________________ > audiophiles mailing list > [email protected] > http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles > _______________________________________________ audiophiles mailing list [email protected] http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
