richidoo Wrote: > Flac is not wav, it is flac. > > But don't forget the layer of hardware and software added between the > flac file and your ears which is not present with wav. Flac is far more > dependent on the quality of these resources than wav is, and so is more > sensitive to the playback equipment than wav. SQB can play both, so a > comparison is easy to perform and is valid since all other system > components remain equal. > > The difference in audio quality between wav and flac formats as played > by SQB3 is definitely audible if both the listening equipment and the > listener's expectations are sufficiently transparent. > Rich
This has been raised many times before, and there are some observations that are worth noting. 1) the path when playing FLAC is server -> SQB -> decode FLAC -> internal DAC -> analogue out or server -> SQB -> decode FLAC -> digital out 2) the path when playing WAV is server -> SQB -> internal DAC -> analogue out or server -> SQB -> digital out 3) The result of decoding FLAC is identical to the original WAV and this can be verified in a number of ways (various users have save the output digital stream of the digital outs of a SQB and shown they are bit perfect identical) 4) If there is an audio difference between the 2 it could be caused by: a) differing levels of jitter due to processor load while decoding FLAC. b) a different EM environment caused by the processor when decoding FLAC impacting the analogue out. 5) No user has yet been able to detect a difference in blind AB testing. (Just to be clear that's no-one, not 'very few', no-one) 6) This includes users that believed 'FLAC must be different/degrading' So it is just possible a particular user with a particular system could detect an audio difference between WAV and FLAC the fact that it hasn't happened yet would suggest it is very minor. If you are in a position to repeat a blind AB test and succeed in telling the difference between FLAC and WAV it would be interesting to hear the results. Especially as such a situation is almost guaranteed to get SlimDevices staff interested enough to want to fix up the SQB so it doesn't happen. Malcolm -- mwphoto ------------------------------------------------------------------------ mwphoto's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=652 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=21333 _______________________________________________ audiophiles mailing list [email protected] http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
