I have 200GB of music ripped to .M4A files using iTunes Apple Lossless
encoding ("alac"), that I stream via SqueezeCenter to a Transporter and
output to my power amp using the Transporter's variable outputs.
Sometimes I get the feeling that the playback is rather shrill, and I
am trying to investigate possible causes.
What is the exact end-to-end signal path when using M4A alac encoded
files?
As I understand it, alac files are not decoded natively in the
Transporter? So is it true that SqueezeCenter converts alac to flac and
sends that to the Transporter? Does the Transporter then convert flac to
some kind of raw binary bitstream? And does the Transporter then apply
the variable volume control settings in the digital domain before the
signal is converted to the variable analog output signal?
If so, then it seems that there is a lot of digital processing going on
in real time, in at least two different CPUs, that gives plenty of
opportunities for rounding errors, timing errors, error correction
artifacts, and jitter to creep in. (Not to mention any prior artifacts
introduced by iTunes in the ripping process).
Did anyone do proper end-to-end tests on the path CD - iTunes - alac -
flac - volume - dac in real time, real world conditions? Can one be
sure that the process is REALLY lossles? Any thoughts?
--
AndrewFG
Regards,
AndrewFG
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