Re: [slim] 24-bit audio (new article)

2011-03-23 Thread Mnyb

Wombat;620057 Wrote: 
 You can see it has indeed tons of HF noise from somewhere and i think
 Mnyb describes it correctly as dsd noise. Also you can see a very rapid
 lowerage in HF energy on the music especially on the Audacity pic. A
 psycho-acoustic codec will lowpass it pretty agressive cause most of
 the HF in the music is masked already.
 Besides that the recording sounds superb.

It may be a superb recordning :) is the music good ? but the music
content seems to end  40kHz
Aplying a step filter here and use 88.2kHz as sample rate seem to be
the rigth thing to do.
This would preserve all content thats originated from the musical
performance, the DSD quatisation noise is not music.
In fact the 88.2 version must have this done to it if not your in a
world of aliasing artifacts ?

That parabolic shape is the typical DSD HF noise tail it is meant to be
filtered away by the SACD player for example, preserving it in an 192kHz
file is an technical error so that file is broken and can not be used to
judge the sq of this recording.


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Re: [slim] 24-bit audio (new article)

2011-03-22 Thread firedog

If this helps anyone


+---+
|Filename: 352file.jpg  |
|Download: http://forums.slimdevices.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=11564|
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Re: [slim] 24-bit audio (new article)

2011-03-22 Thread Wombat

sebp;619754 Wrote: 
 Could you please explain what you see there, for us mere mortals? :)

You can see it has indeed tons of HF noise from somewhere and i think
Mnyb describes it correctly as dsd noise. Also you can see a very rapid
lowerage in HF energy on the music especially on the Audacity pic. A
psycho-acoustic codec will lowpass it pretty agressive cause most of
the HF in the music is masked already.
Besides that the recording sounds superb.


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Re: [slim] 24-bit audio (new article)

2011-03-21 Thread firedog

From a thread on another forum designed to show the differences between
standard CD quality and hi-res recordings (same recording at different
sampling rates and bit depth). 

To my ears, the differences are clearly there, just as described. If
you can't discern them, then either your system isn't up to snuff or
your ears need training. 

IMO, the vast majority of listeners, if played these tracks, would say
they sound the same. They all sound good -they're from the same
master. It's just that when you know what to listen for, you can hear
the difference.


from Bruce Brown's (Puget Sound) thread at
http://www.whatsbestforum.com/showthread.php?2938-The-Art-of-Listening-Hi-rez-music

One thread (the one with the link here) lets you compare redbook to
higher res versions of the same music. You can clearly hear the
differences, as Bruce says below in the thread:

Here is a file that we recorded at a native 24/352.8 It starts off
with piano/drum. Do not listen to the music! Instead, concentrate on
the sticks hitting the cymbal. Listen to the attack/transient of the
initial hit. Listen to the tone and then the decay. Focus on just this
one element.
Listen to the sound of the cymbals in the room. How big is the room?
What kind of space is this drummer in? Listen to the tone of the
cymbal.
Now... as you go down to 176.4, then 88.2 and finally 16/44.1, listen
to these elements that I talked about above. Listen how the transient
attack becomes more dull. Notice how the tone of the cymbal changes
from crisp/pristine to dull and flat. Next, notice how the decay
becomes shorter and shorter and the room becomes smaller and more dry
with less reverb.

To my ears, clear proof that the improvement with hi -res is audible.
You can hear the differences in transients and decay, and you can hear
that the room gets smaller at lower res.

And please don't start telling me I imagined it all.


-- 
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GIK Acoustics Room Treatments. Tranquil PC fanless WHS server running
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Re: [slim] 24-bit audio (new article)

2011-03-21 Thread Phil Leigh

firedog;619600 Wrote: 
 From a thread on another forum designed to show the differences between
 standard CD quality and hi-res recordings (same recording at different
 sampling rates and bit depth). 
 
 To my ears, the differences are clearly there, just as described. If
 you can't discern them, then either your system isn't up to snuff or
 your ears need training. 
 
 IMO, the vast majority of listeners, if played these tracks, would say
 they sound the same. They all sound good -they're from the same
 master. It's just that when you know what to listen for, you can hear
 the difference.
 
 
 from Bruce Brown's (Puget Sound) thread at
 http://www.whatsbestforum.com/showthread.php?2938-The-Art-of-Listening-Hi-rez-music
 
 One thread (the one with the link here) lets you compare redbook to
 higher res versions of the same music. You can clearly hear the
 differences, as Bruce says below in the thread:
 
 Here is a file that we recorded at a native 24/352.8 It starts off
 with piano/drum. Do not listen to the music! Instead, concentrate on
 the sticks hitting the cymbal. Listen to the attack/transient of the
 initial hit. Listen to the tone and then the decay. Focus on just this
 one element.
 Listen to the sound of the cymbals in the room. How big is the room?
 What kind of space is this drummer in? Listen to the tone of the
 cymbal.
 Now... as you go down to 176.4, then 88.2 and finally 16/44.1, listen
 to these elements that I talked about above. Listen how the transient
 attack becomes more dull. Notice how the tone of the cymbal changes
 from crisp/pristine to dull and flat. Next, notice how the decay
 becomes shorter and shorter and the room becomes smaller and more dry
 with less reverb.
 
 To my ears, clear proof that the improvement with hi -res is audible.
 You can hear the differences in transients and decay, and you can hear
 that the room gets smaller at lower res. To me, in spite of what
 others wrote on this thread, this makes a difference in real life.
 The music sounds more realistic and differently situated in space.
 Simply better - closer to the real thing, as you'd hear it if you
 were in the room.
 
 And please don't start telling me I imagined it all.

I don't have a 352.8 DAC... and I have no way of knowing how the
downsampling from 352-176-88-44 was done...

I'll try a few things...


-- 
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You want to see the signal path BEFORE it gets onto a CD/vinyl...it
ain't what you'd call minimal...
Touch(wired/XP) - Audiolense 3.3/2.0+INGUZ DRC - MF M1 DAC - Linn 5103
- full Aktiv 5.1 system (6x LK140's, ESPEK/TRIKAN/KATAN/SEIZMIK 10.5),
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Re: [slim] 24-bit audio (new article)

2011-03-21 Thread Wombat

firedog;619600 Wrote: 
 
 from Bruce Brown's (Puget Sound) thread at
 http://www.whatsbestforum.com/showthread.php?2938-The-Art-of-Listening-Hi-rez-music
 
 One thread (the one with the link here) lets you compare redbook to
 higher res versions of the same music. You can clearly hear the
 differences, as Bruce says below in the thread:
 
Can you give us a short description how you tested the different
recordings against and which of them? How you switched? From a very
short look it doesn´t seem the recording uses more then 13bits.
You may join this thread at Hydrogenaudio.org or ask the poster of
these samples to go there. This thread could be interesting from there
on especially:
http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=86649st=300


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Re: [slim] 24-bit audio (new article)

2011-03-21 Thread Phil Leigh

I know you can't trust Audacity spectrum plots, but...


+---+
|Filename: CropperCapture[1].jpg|
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-- 
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You want to see the signal path BEFORE it gets onto a CD/vinyl...it
ain't what you'd call minimal...
Touch(wired/XP) - Audiolense 3.3/2.0+INGUZ DRC - MF M1 DAC - Linn 5103
- full Aktiv 5.1 system (6x LK140's, ESPEK/TRIKAN/KATAN/SEIZMIK 10.5),
Pekin Tuner, Townsend Supertweeters, Blue Jeans Belden Digital,Kimber
8TC Speaker  Chord Signature Plus Interconnect cables
Stax4070+SRM7/II phones
Kitchen Boom, Outdoors: SB Radio, Harmony One remote for everything.

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Re: [slim] 24-bit audio (new article)

2011-03-21 Thread Mnyb

Phil Leigh;619679 Wrote: 
 I know you can't trust Audacity spectrum plots, but...

Aaargh :-/ is that how DSD noise looks like ? please filter before
putting trough your amps level is not obscenenely high but there is a
risk that the amp sounds different and gets hot too


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Main hifi: Touch + CIA PS +MeridianG68J MeridianHD621 MeridianG98DH 2 x
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Re: [slim] 24-bit audio (new article)

2011-03-21 Thread sebp

Phil Leigh;619679 Wrote: 
 I know you can't trust Audacity spectrum plots, but...
Could you please explain what you see there, for us mere mortals? :)


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Re: [slim] 24-bit audio (new article)

2011-03-21 Thread sebp

sebp;619754 Wrote: 
 Could you please explain what you see there, for us mere mortals? :)
Oh yes, I can see it now, I had lost one zero...


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Re: [slim] 24-bit audio (new article)

2011-03-08 Thread sebp

Phil Leigh;615234 Wrote: 
 It's easy enough to do your own tests... you already have SOX which is
 capable of high quality downsampling/word reduction.
Hi Phil,

I had another challenging session last sunday, and I surprisingly had
the impression I could hear some differences this time.
I couldn't really tell I heard anything missing from the CD version,
but the HD file just sounded better to my ears.

As I don't trust them, I used Audacity's spectrum analyser with both
files, and looking at average gain values for some frequencies, they
always appeared to be a bit louder in the HD Version than in the CD
version.
If you look at the screenshots, you'll see it's 4 dB louder for 100 Hz,
for example (-32dB is for the HD file, -36dB is for the CD file).

I then computed replaygains using foobar2000, and got -6.40dB for the
CD version and -6.02dB for the HD version.

So, downsampling 24/96 to 16/44.1 with SoX seems to lower the average
gain of the 16/44.1 version a little bit.

Is an average 0.38dB volume difference sufficient to be heard?
I can't tell for sure, but thought it would be worth mentioning...


+---+
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Re: [slim] 24-bit audio (new article)

2011-03-08 Thread Phil Leigh

sebp;616378 Wrote: 
 Hi Phil,
 
 I had another challenging session last sunday, and I surprisingly had
 the impression I could hear some differences this time.
 I couldn't really tell I heard anything missing from the CD version,
 but the HD file just sounded better to my ears.
 
 As I don't trust them, I used Audacity's spectrum analyser with both
 files, and looking at average gain values for some frequencies, they
 always appeared to be a bit louder in the HD Version than in the CD
 version.
 If you look at the screenshots, you'll see it's 4 dB louder for 100 Hz,
 for example (-32dB is for the HD file, -36dB is for the CD file).
 
 I then computed replaygains using foobar2000, and got -6.40dB for the
 CD version and -6.02dB for the HD version.
 
 So, downsampling 24/96 to 16/44.1 with SoX seems to lower the average
 gain of the 16/44.1 version a little bit.
 
 Is an average 0.38dB volume difference sufficient to be heard?
 I can't tell for sure, but thought it would be worth mentioning...

Hi.
Whether or not you can hear a 0.38dB difference is highly debatable -
in my experience such things are barely audible... when mixing down, a
0.5dB lift/cut is barely noticeable and more often than not a 1-1.5dB
change is requird o register as different. Obviously this varies
slightly from person to person.

In this comparison, how were the 2 versions created? - using SOX to
downsample? - taking HD and CD versions from a commercial release
doesn't work as there is no way of knowing how the masters were
created.




By the way, the Audacity frequency spectrum analysis is highly suspect
- it isn't accurate...


-- 
Phil Leigh

You want to see the signal path BEFORE it gets onto a CD/vinyl...it
ain't what you'd call minimal...
Touch(wired/XP) - Audiolense 3.3/2.0+INGUZ DRC - MF
x-dacv3/x-10/x-psu(Audiocom full mods) - Linn 5103 - full Aktiv 5.1
system (6x LK140's, ESPEK/TRIKAN/KATAN/SEIZMIK 10.5), Pekin Tuner,
Townsend Supertweeters, Blue Jeans Belden Digital,Kimber 8TC Speaker 
Chord Signature Plus Interconnect cables
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Kitchen Boom, Outdoors: SB Radio, Harmony One remote for everything.

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Re: [slim] 24-bit audio (new article)

2011-03-08 Thread sebp

Phil Leigh;616382 Wrote: 
 Obviously this varies slightly from person to person.
As said, I don't trust my ears that much, and am pretty sure I couldn't
ABX the files.

The strange part is that I was challenging the files alone, and ignored
two friends of mine were doing the same.
One of them, who is more accustomed to comparisons than me, also
suspected his downsampled version was sounding lower.
I only discovered that later.

Phil Leigh;616382 Wrote: 
 In this comparison, how were the 2 versions created? - using SOX to
 downsample? - taking HD and CD versions from a commercial release
 doesn't work as there is no way of knowing how the masters were
 created.
I first compared commercial HD/CD downloads, and then rolled my own CD
version from the HD file.
In both cases this 0.38dB volume difference existed.

I'll try using r8brain to check whether the volume difference also
exists with that tool.

Phil Leigh;616382 Wrote: 
 By the way, the Audacity frequency spectrum analysis is highly suspect -
 it isn't accurate...
As I'm not an audio specialist, I wasn't sure my readings were right.
That's why I've computed replaygains to check.


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Re: [slim] 24-bit audio (new article)

2011-03-08 Thread Phil Leigh

sebp;616387 Wrote: 
 As said, I don't trust my ears that much, and am pretty sure I couldn't
 ABX the files.
 
 The strange part is that I was challenging the files alone, and ignored
 two friends of mine were doing the same.
 One of them, who is more accustomed to comparisons than me, also
 suspected his downsampled version was sounding lower.
 I only discovered that later.
 
 
 I first compared commercial HD/CD downloads, and then rolled my own CD
 version from the HD file.
 In both cases this 0.38dB volume difference existed.
 
 I'll try using r8brain to check whether the volume difference also
 exists with that tool.
 
 
 As I'm not an audio specialist, I wasn't sure my readings were right.
 That's why I've computed replaygains to check.

How did you roll your own?


-- 
Phil Leigh

You want to see the signal path BEFORE it gets onto a CD/vinyl...it
ain't what you'd call minimal...
Touch(wired/XP) - Audiolense 3.3/2.0+INGUZ DRC - MF
x-dacv3/x-10/x-psu(Audiocom full mods) - Linn 5103 - full Aktiv 5.1
system (6x LK140's, ESPEK/TRIKAN/KATAN/SEIZMIK 10.5), Pekin Tuner,
Townsend Supertweeters, Blue Jeans Belden Digital,Kimber 8TC Speaker 
Chord Signature Plus Interconnect cables
Stax4070+SRM7/II phones
Kitchen Boom, Outdoors: SB Radio, Harmony One remote for everything.

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Re: [slim] 24-bit audio (new article)

2011-03-08 Thread sebp

Phil Leigh;616388 Wrote: 
 How did you roll your own?
I've used the example given in the FAQ:

Code:

sox any-file -b 16 outfile rate 44100 dither -s



Please note that I have not challenged my version with the downloaded
master.
I only wanted to check whether there would be any volume difference,
like with the downloaded CD version, or not.
As it was identically lowered, I must admit I have not bothered
challenging it (yet).

My friends have not used the downloaded CD version to make their
comparison, but used their own downsampled version (they used
dbPoweramp).


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Re: [slim] 24-bit audio (new article)

2011-03-08 Thread Wombat

sebp;616392 Wrote: 
 I've used the example given in the FAQ:
  
Code:

  sox any-file -b 16 outfile rate 44100 dither -s

  
 
 Please note that I have not challenged my version with the downloaded
 master.
 I only wanted to check whether there would be any volume difference,
 like with the downloaded CD version, or not

This sox setting should be ok. 
For the loudness thing i wonder. If you don´t tell sox any different it
won´t change the loudness Replaygain calculates cause Replaygain only
uses audible audio bands for calculation.
Since some resampling settings create short peaks while resampling sox
can adjust the volume to prevent clipping then with using --norm
additionaly.
The resulting file will be some 0.1 of dB more silent.
I remember a Linn sample that was discussed on Hydrogenaudio. The 44.1
kHz version was 0.5dB more silent as the 96khz version. Nobody knows it
was done cause of giving a small advantage to the 96kHz version due to
some positive reaction for louder sounds or Linn simply adjusted the
level to prevent clipping.
Most likely the first one cause even many so called studio masters have
clipping samples.


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Re: [slim] 24-bit audio (new article)

2011-03-08 Thread sebp

Wombat;616505 Wrote: 
 Most likely the first one cause even many so called studio masters have
 clipping samples.
Well, I also thought at first the CD version could have been made
sounding quieter intentionally, but given the album I've tested comes
from a very small label, and the fact that my downsampled version
exactly matches the average gain of the downloaded commercial version,
it looks like conspiracy theory to me.

More likely, they've also used SoX to downsample their 24/96 master to
16/44.1.


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Re: [slim] 24-bit audio (new article)

2011-03-07 Thread mortslim

Here's a new article:

Whatever Happened To The Audiophile?

http://www.npr.org/2011/03/05/134256592/whatever-happened-to-the-audiophile


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Re: [slim] 24-bit audio (new article)

2011-03-03 Thread firedog

quote from the original article:
but the loudness war has resulted in music squashed to within a few
decibels of its life.

Yes, and hi-res releases seem to generally be mastered without that.
That alone makes them much more listenable. The recent uncompressed
hi-res remaster of Band of the Run is a good example. I can definitely
hear more detail and a warmer tone on the hi-res. Because of it not
being overly compressed there's also a lot of dynamics. It invites you
to turn it up and listen loudly, b/c it sounds better that way. Not
true of the standard CD. This may all be do to better mastering and a
lower noise floor, and not some inherent superiority of the format,
but I don't care. I can hear the music better and it's more enjoyable
to listen to. So I don't see how I'm being fooled by the hi-res
release.  

I've got some jazz and classical releases that sound wonderful on CD.
Can't really say the same for much redbook pop/rock. So the hi-res
versions often sound better to me.

I have no argument if you want to tell me that standard CD is all I
need and can hear IF DONE PROPERLY.  But apparently it isn't done
properly most of the time. 

And I have no illusions that the music conglomerates are going to start
putting out extremely high quality standard CDs. So the fact that CD's
can sound as good as hi-res is irrelevant in practical terms, b/c those
CD's don't exist, for the most part. 

Even the Boston Audio Society paper referred to acknowledges that 
one trend became obvious very quickly and held up throughout our
testing: virtually all of the SACD and DVD-A recordings sounded better
than most CDs—
sometimes much better.

So I'll keep buying hi-res. But before you call me silly and a fool,
just change the name from hi-res to properly mastered and then we
won't have anything to argue about.


-- 
firedog

Tranquil PC fanless WHS server running SqueezeServer; SB Touch slaved to
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M-Audio 192 as digital source. SB Boom in second room. Arcam CD82 which
I don't use anymore, even though it's a very good player.

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Re: [slim] 24-bit audio (new article)

2011-03-03 Thread Phil Leigh

firedog;615126 Wrote: 
 ...So I'll keep buying hi-res. But before you call me silly and a fool,
 just change the name from hi-res to properly mastered and then we
 won't have anything to argue about.

That's what I do too!


-- 
Phil Leigh

You want to see the signal path BEFORE it gets onto a CD/vinyl...it
ain't what you'd call minimal...
Touch(wired/XP) - Audiolense 3.3/2.0+INGUZ DRC - MF
x-dacv3/x-10/x-psu(Audiocom full mods) - Linn 5103 - full Aktiv 5.1
system (6x LK140's, ESPEK/TRIKAN/KATAN/SEIZMIK 10.5), Pekin Tuner,
Townsend Supertweeters, Blue Jeans Belden Digital,Kimber 8TC Speaker 
Chord Signature Plus Interconnect cables
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Re: [slim] 24-bit audio (new article)

2011-03-03 Thread Mnyb

I also buy hirez in some quantities. 1500 tracks so far.

But I try not have to many illusion about it .

But I won't fall in to HD tracks newest trapp, charching more for 176
or 192 khz than the pedestrian 88/96 that I would be happy with.

Unless... these to are off different masters :-/
HD Tracks does not have stellar records in keeping track of the
pedigree of all their releases.
It would be better for all if it where properly documented which master
and how the transfer was done.
In the urge to differentiate the products it is way to tempting to
*really* make sure that they are different.

Guess I have to take the bait and try some of that 176kHz... d*mn


-- 
Mnyb


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MeridianDSP5200 MeridianDSP5200HC 2 xMeridianDSP3100 +Rel Stadium 3
sub.
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Re: [slim] 24-bit audio (new article)

2011-03-03 Thread bobkoure

Thanks for the link!
Phil Leigh;614936 Wrote: 
 wasn't the cd supposed to be long enough to hold a particular Beethoven
 symphony? (this might be a myth)
I remember something like this too (not definitely Beethoven, but some
particular long work that would just fit on both sides of an LP). Of
course, I may have just heard the myth long ago.


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Re: [slim] 24-bit audio (new article)

2011-03-03 Thread firedog

I brought this topic up over at computeraudiophile.com

Got a thoughtful answer from music producer Barry Diament, who records
in 24/192 and produces hi-res discs. He has an explanation for why
24bit does matter.

http://www.computeraudiophile.com/content/debate-24-bit-it-just-audiophoolery#comment-72930

In forums he claims he can consistently pick out hi-res recordings on
good systems, and he seems to have evidence to back up his claims. So
maybe he is like the  tested people in the study who scored 8/10 and
7/10. A small group with trained listening skills that can hear the
difference.


-- 
firedog

Tranquil PC fanless WHS server running SqueezeServer; SB Touch slaved to
Empirical Audio Pace Car; MF V DAC3, MF X-150 amp, Devore Gibbon Super 8
Speakers; Dual 506 + Ortofon 20 (occasional use); sometimes use PC with
M-Audio 192 as digital source. SB Boom in second room. Arcam CD82 which
I don't use anymore, even though it's a very good player.

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Re: [slim] 24-bit audio (new article)

2011-03-03 Thread Wombat

cumputeraudiophile!? Serious? This is the last place i will ever look
for any evidence.


-- 
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Re: [slim] 24-bit audio (new article)

2011-03-03 Thread Phil Leigh

It's easy enough to do your own tests... you already have SOX which is
capable of high quality downsampling/word reduction.


-- 
Phil Leigh

You want to see the signal path BEFORE it gets onto a CD/vinyl...it
ain't what you'd call minimal...
Touch(wired/XP) - Audiolense 3.3/2.0+INGUZ DRC - MF
x-dacv3/x-10/x-psu(Audiocom full mods) - Linn 5103 - full Aktiv 5.1
system (6x LK140's, ESPEK/TRIKAN/KATAN/SEIZMIK 10.5), Pekin Tuner,
Townsend Supertweeters, Blue Jeans Belden Digital,Kimber 8TC Speaker 
Chord Signature Plus Interconnect cables
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Re: [slim] 24-bit audio (new article)

2011-03-02 Thread Cape11

I agree with TerryS on this (noting PL's point about dither). I don't
think the evidence for the roughness of 16 bit CD sound is a subtle
audio point. Listen to any recording of a string quartet when they play
a quiet passage and the roughness of the sound is perfectly obvious. On
some recordings, where they have recorded at a rather lower level than
usual, the sound can be quite dreadful. A 'good' example of this is the
Caliope recordings of the Beethoven Quartets played by the Talisch. The
LPs sound fine - good, warm string tone; the CDs are so bad that you
might have difficulty identifying the source as a string quartet. So
I'm all for 24 bit delivered to the end user.

I'm also for higher sampling rates. One of the other failings of CD,
compared to LP, is the poor quality of transients. Without
over-sampling, CD delivers a frequency response flat to ~22 kHz and
then a cliff edge. Imagine the filter you'd design to achieve that, and
then consider the phase/frequency distortion that would occur. I doubt
over-sampling removes these phase artefacts.


-- 
Cape11

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Re: [slim] 24-bit audio (new article)

2011-03-02 Thread adamdea

Cape11;614876 Wrote: 
 I agree with TerryS on this (noting PL's point about dither). I don't
 think the evidence for the roughness of 16 bit CD sound is a subtle
 audio point. Listen to any recording of a string quartet when they play
 a quiet passage and the roughness of the sound is perfectly obvious. On
 some recordings, where they have recorded at a rather lower level than
 usual, the sound can be quite dreadful. A 'good' example of this is the
 Caliope recordings of the Beethoven Quartets played by the Talisch. The
 LPs sound fine - good, warm string tone; the CDs are so bad that you
 might have difficulty identifying the source as a string quartet. So
 I'm all for 24 bit delivered to the end user.
 
 
I have the Calliope Integrale des Quatuors by the Talich Qt but have
not listened to it recently. I have not in the past noticed any issue
with the sound quality (other than noting that it is not a great
recording to start off with). Can you point me to where you find the
sound so rough (3rd movement of the 135?).
I note that the Gramophone reviewer commented on the first CD issue of
this set (March
1987)http://www.gramophone.net/Issue/Page/March%201987/69/815793/BEETHOVEN.+STRING+QUARTETS.+Talich++Quartet+(Petr+Messiereur,+Jan+Kvapil,+vns+Jan#header-logo

The recordings which, like those of the Vêgh, seemed a bit bottom
heavy, are much less aggressive than the DG for Melos and want the
bloom and richness of the EMI set. All the same, the sound is more
firmly defined and better-focused than on LP and eminently natural. The
sound does not call attention to itself, the instruments are well placed
and the timbre truthful: in fact, one quickly forgets about it and loses
one's self in the music.


-- 
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Re: [slim] 24-bit audio (new article)

2011-03-02 Thread adamdea

see also http://www.classicstoday.com/review.asp?ReviewNum=2550


The Talich traversal of the Beethovens originally came out in the dying
days of analogue. I loved them then and I love them even more in their
CD incarnation, which adds transparency and bite to sound that always
was clear and impactful.


-- 
adamdea

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Re: [slim] 24-bit audio (new article)

2011-03-02 Thread Cape11

Well, I simply speak as I find.

Equipment:
Loudspeakers: ATC SCM100 asl
Preamp: Chord CPA2800
DAC Chord DSC1500E
Deck SME20.2 with series 5 arm
Cartridge: Lyra.
Squeezebox.

(Expensive, yes, but then there's little reason to change the system,
and it's already done 15 years of good service).

Sample any part of the Talisch CDs esp. when quiet and it sounds rough
- opening of 131 will do. Go to the LPs and the sound is much better -
they really are string instruments!


-- 
Cape11

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Re: [slim] 24-bit audio (new article)

2011-03-02 Thread Cape11

Phil Leigh;614886 Wrote: 
 That whole filter thing is indeed history, thanks to oversampling which
 moves the filter way out of harms way...unless you think 384kHz and
 higher is still an issue?Well is it? Over sampling means there's no need for 
 an filter, but my
point was that the frequency response is shaped like a cliff edge, and
over-ssampling can do nothing to remedy that under-lying condition. I
remain concerned about possible phase distortion into the audio band
which would have a deleterious effect on the leading edge of percusiion
instruments. And that's what I miss on CD (the clink on the triangle
when first hit, attack of piano notes) but get on LP.

I would think 192 ksps would suffice, which is 'sort of' the sampling
equivalent of SACD. If all these effects have been nailed, why is there
almost universal agreement that SACD is better than CD?


-- 
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Re: [slim] 24-bit audio (new article)

2011-03-02 Thread Phil Leigh

Cape11;614910 Wrote: 
 Well is it? Over sampling means there's no need for a filter, but my
 point was that the frequency response is shaped like a cliff edge, and
 over-ssampling can do nothing to remedy that under-lying condition. I
 remain concerned about possible phase distortion into the audio band
 which would have a deleterious effect on the leading edge of percusiion
 instruments. And that's what I miss on CD (the clink on the triangle
 when first hit, attack of piano notes) but get on LP.
 
 I would think 192 ksps would suffice, which is 'sort of' the sampling
 equivalent of SACD. If all these effects have been nailed, why is there
 almost universal agreement that SACD is better than CD?

There is almost universal misunderstanding. I'll leave to one side the
fact that large parts of the upper spectrum of SACD's are full of
noise... thankfully we can't hear it :-)

As I keep saying, SACD playback is not inherently superior to
redbook... in terms of what we can hear. That's the whole point of the
Meyer/Moran paper. They inserted a redbook adc-dac chain in the midst
of an SACD playback chain. Nobody could hear it! (this isn't the basis
for my argument, which I've been developing for years - it just neatly
backs it up).

What CAN BE better is the mastering job done to produce the SACD
(sometimes - there are some pretty ropey SACD's out there too...). 

Don't be fooled into comparing the redbook and sacd layers of a hybrid
disk - they often don't use the same master, rendering the comparison
pointless. Of course, far be it for me to suggest that record companies
would deliberately make the expensive SACD layer sound better :-)


To reiterate, it's NOT the playback technology, it's the mastering.
Redbook can sound identical to SACD.


By the way, that frequency response cliff exists on many SACD's too...


-- 
Phil Leigh

You want to see the signal path BEFORE it gets onto a CD/vinyl...it
ain't what you'd call minimal...
Touch(wired/XP) - Audiolense 3.3/2.0+INGUZ DRC - MF
x-dacv3/x-10/x-psu(Audiocom full mods) - Linn 5103 - full Aktiv 5.1
system (6x LK140's, ESPEK/TRIKAN/KATAN/SEIZMIK 10.5), Pekin Tuner,
Townsend Supertweeters, Blue Jeans Belden Digital,Kimber 8TC Speaker 
Chord Signature Plus Interconnect cables
Stax4070+SRM7/II phones
Kitchen Boom, Outdoors: SB Radio, Harmony One remote for everything.

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Re: [slim] 24-bit audio (new article)

2011-03-02 Thread Cape11

Well we're both arguing by repetition, so we'll have to agree to differ.


-- 
Cape11

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Re: [slim] 24-bit audio (new article)

2011-03-02 Thread Wombat

dsdreamer;614831 Wrote: 
 It is not a feeling, but a reasoned conjecture. Difficult to measure per
 se without sticking electrodes in people's brains.  The non-linear and
 time variant nature of the human ear's response to sound pressure waves
 is, however, well-established. 
 
 The following is not a scientific paper, either, but you may find the
 following discussion interesting.
 http://www.ayre.com/pdf/Ayre_MP_White_Paper.pdf
 

It is not well established people can hear any of the problems that
Ayre marketing paper talks about.
These funny impulses that need the magic Apodizing show pre or
post-echo in music material and ONLY happen above 20kHz. So these fancy
pics tell it is pre-echo but leave out the fact it is happening at low
volume and high frequency.
Now when you create a 44.1 version of your hires material with
resampling that doesn´t produce pre-ringing and you magic filter it
afterwards you even harm the signal. These filters are non-linear
also.

Benchmark Media is another audio manufacturer that clearly states this
pre-rining is a non-issue to them.

Of caus these fancy graphs look shocking!


-- 
Wombat

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Re: [slim] 24-bit audio (new article)

2011-03-02 Thread bobkoure

Phil Leigh;614911 Wrote: 
 That's the whole point of the Meyer/Moran paper. They inserted a redbook
 adc-dac chain in the midst of an SACD playback chain. Nobody could hear
 it! 
Hi Phil - got a link to that paper? I googled for it, and it's
apparently generated loads of controversy ('my google search'
(http://www.google.com/search?num=50hl=enlr=q=Meyer+Moran+CD+audiobtnG=Searchaq=faqi=aql=oq=)),
which IMO is all to the good, but I'd be curious to read the paper
itself.

BTW, as I remember, the CD audio format was chosen, in part, to be able
to fit an entire LP onto a single data tape. No, I can't find a
reference, but I vaguely remember a good discussion of the process to
determine/decide on this new digital format in one of the IEEE mags in
the early '80s. Do you remember this being one of the factors? Or am I
totally misremembering?


-- 
bobkoure

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Re: [slim] 24-bit audio (new article)

2011-03-02 Thread Phil Leigh

bobkoure;614932 Wrote: 
 Hi Phil - got a link to that paper? I googled for it, and it's
 apparently generated loads of controversy ('my google search'
 (http://www.google.com/search?num=50hl=enlr=q=Meyer+Moran+CD+audiobtnG=Searchaq=faqi=aql=oq=)),
 which IMO is all to the good, but I'd be curious to read the paper
 itself.
 
 BTW, as I remember, the CD audio format was chosen, in part, to be able
 to fit an entire LP onto a single data tape. No, I can't find a
 reference, but I vaguely remember a good discussion of the process to
 determine/decide on this new digital format in one of the IEEE mags in
 the early '80s. Do you remember this being one of the factors? Or am I
 totally misremembering?

Courtesy of Wombat:
http://hlloyge.hl.funpic.de/wp-conte...p-inserted.pdf

wasn't the cd supposed to be long enough to hold a particular Beethoven
symphony? (this might be a myth)


-- 
Phil Leigh

You want to see the signal path BEFORE it gets onto a CD/vinyl...it
ain't what you'd call minimal...
Touch(wired/XP) - Audiolense 3.3/2.0+INGUZ DRC - MF
x-dacv3/x-10/x-psu(Audiocom full mods) - Linn 5103 - full Aktiv 5.1
system (6x LK140's, ESPEK/TRIKAN/KATAN/SEIZMIK 10.5), Pekin Tuner,
Townsend Supertweeters, Blue Jeans Belden Digital,Kimber 8TC Speaker 
Chord Signature Plus Interconnect cables
Stax4070+SRM7/II phones
Kitchen Boom, Outdoors: SB Radio, Harmony One remote for everything.

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Re: [slim] 24-bit audio (new article)

2011-03-02 Thread Wombat

Phil Leigh;614936 Wrote: 
 Courtesy of Wombat:
 http://hlloyge.hl.funpic.de/wp-conte...p-inserted.pdf
 

I have that link to that paper from Hydrogenaudio.org
On there are similar discussions running, there no one can do esotheric
claims without backing it up btw. It is violating the rules then :)


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Re: [slim] 24-bit audio (new article)

2011-03-02 Thread adamdea

Phil Leigh;614936 Wrote: 
 Courtesy of Wombat:
 http://hlloyge.hl.funpic.de/wp-conte...p-inserted.pdf
 
 wasn't the cd supposed to be long enough to hold a particular Beethoven
 symphony? (this might be a myth)
Yes the ninth. I have no idea whether it's true, but I have heard
various versions. The most entertaining (and improbable) has it that
the stipulation was made by Mr Sony's wife.


-- 
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Re: [slim] 24-bit audio (new article)

2011-03-02 Thread maggior

I recall reading an article in recent years celebrating an anniversary
of the CD format.  In it they discussed the facts and myths surrounding
the format's development, including why 74 minutes and so forth.  If I
remember correctly, they even spoke with members of the team or the key
developer.

I'll have to see if I can jog the appropriate memory cells and see if I
can locate the article.


-- 
maggior

Rich
-
Setup: 2 SB3s, 4 Booms, 1 Duet, 1 Receiver, 1 Touch, iPeng on iPod
Touch.  SuSE 11.0 Server running SqueezeBoxServer 7.5.0, MusicIP, and
SqueezeSlave.  
Current library stats: 33,696 songs, 2,720 albums, 499 artists.
http://www.last.fm/user/maggior

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Re: [slim] 24-bit audio (new article)

2011-03-02 Thread sebp

maggior;614970 Wrote: 
 If I remember correctly, they even spoke with members of the team or the
 key developer.
 
 I'll have to see if I can jog the appropriate memory cells and see if I
 can locate the article.
It would be really nice if it's confirmed by somebody at Sony or
Philips.

In the meantime, here's another interesting version:
http://www.wired.com/thisdayintech/tag/norio-ohga/


-- 
sebp

'Last.fm' (http://www.last.fm/user/sebp)

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Re: [slim] 24-bit audio (new article)

2011-03-02 Thread dsdreamer

 Most of the tests were done using a pair of highly regarded,
 smooth-measuring full-range loudspeakers in a rural listening room with
 an ambient noise floor of about 19 dBA SPL, all electronics on (see Fig.
 2). 

This vagueness about the equipment being used is a bit of a concern,
but I managed to find out from another source that:

 The playback equipment in this system consisted of an Adcom GTP-450
 preamp and a Carver M1.5t power amplifier. Speaker cables were 8 feet
 of generic 12-gauge stranded wire; the line-level connecting cables
 were garden-variety. Three different players were used: a Pioneer
 DV-563A universal player, a Sony XA777ES SACD model, and a Yamaha
 DVD-S1500. The loudspeakers were a pair of Snell C5s.

It seems as if the equipment used to evaluate the audibility of the
16/44.1 “bottleneck” was variable and never itself truly verified for
audio bandwidth and dynamic range.  If this were my measurement
campaign I would insist on a frequency sweep of the entire equipment
chain from source to sound waves captured with a calibrated microphone
at the listening position. As it is, I am not convinced that the
introduced 16/44.1 bottleneck was truly the dominant system bottle
neck. I don't have any worries about the Carver amp, but the Adcom pre
has a 0.5dB bandwidth of 20Hz to 20kHz, and the speakers top out at
22kHz.  

It's 2011 and its still well past time to settle the matter
scientifically.


-- 
dsdreamer

--
Dreamer, easy in the chair that really fits you...

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Re: [slim] 24-bit audio (new article)

2011-03-02 Thread Mnyb

If you read the paper they are open for that you can not prove
nonexistance of something scientifically.
So there can be outliers where detections is possible.
Also they used more than one setup but these are not specified ?
Also some studio monitors where involved in some unspecified cases ?

This paper is most interesting if you see what they tried to do, they
used a range of typical audiophile stereos and a bunch of mostly
typical audiphiles.

So they build a very strong case for that the normal situation is that
sligthly worse than CD quality is tranparent to most audiphiles in most
cases especially at normal listening levels.
The oposite is a rare exception but not ruled out as completely
impossible.

Their other conclusion is just as interesting, that most of the dvd-a
and sacd they used had very good sq.
Good masters .

If you specifically wants to find the  rare exceptions one can set it
up like a challange.
Where interested parties can bring in equipment they think is capable.
A good modern fully digital recording that stand a chance for detection
I don't think remasters of 30 yo stuff cuts it ( not DSD either )..
Listener(s) they believe are qualified.

Failing on your own terms is much more convincing .

And you most likely will find exceptions, people that with some special
recordings on very good systems that can hear this.
But it can not be expanded to a general case where most audiophiles can
safely assume that they are this
Special case.

But if it makes you feel better you can secretly assume that you are
that exception, I wont tell ;)

But hey this is not what hirez audio is hyped up to be.
The labels make the hype becomme true by providing better masters.

An another note what is the stuart paper they challange is it an AES
paper by Bob Stuart of Meridian perhaps ? I once had a white paper from
Meridian where Bob stated that 20 bit 55 kHz sample rate was 
the ultimate limit .
And they did sell a lot of dvda players ( can you see my sig ).


-- 
Mnyb


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Re: [slim] 24-bit audio (new article)

2011-03-01 Thread Soulkeeper

Bit depth is not all about quiet parts, and sampling frequency is not
all about high frequencies. The point is that the resolution increases,
AFAIU.


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Re: [slim] 24-bit audio (new article)

2011-03-01 Thread Pneumonic

So called hi rez offerings beyond 16/44 are nothing but marketing
ploys concocted by audio firms as they look to penetrate another
entirely new (read profitable) market segment, extracting hard earned
money from gullible consumers in the process. 

Why shouldn't Apple be able to profit similarly?


-- 
Pneumonic

Main:

Slim Devices Transporter  Metric Halo ULN8
Modwright Sony SCD 777ES
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Re: [slim] 24-bit audio (new article)

2011-03-01 Thread Phil Leigh

Soulkeeper;614632 Wrote: 
 Bit depth is not all about quiet parts, and sampling frequency is not
 all about high frequencies. The point is that the resolution increases,
 AFAIU.

For bit depth yes, but not for sampling frequency. You can capture
higher frequencies, however the lower frequencies are captured with the
same precision they ever were...


-- 
Phil Leigh

You want to see the signal path BEFORE it gets onto a CD/vinyl...it
ain't what you'd call minimal...
Touch(wired/XP) - Audiolense 3.3/2.0+INGUZ DRC - MF
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Re: [slim] 24-bit audio (new article)

2011-03-01 Thread dsdreamer

Mnyb;614595 Wrote: 
 ? I was under the impression that majority of the eventual improvement
 is in the increased bith depth ? As this would increase the signal
 content that we stand a chance to hear.
 
 I know what a brick wall fillter is, but this is nowdays only a factor
 during recording then the frequency must be high to avoid that,.
 But for playback at home most modern DAC's have massive oversampling so
 for playback this is not really a problem anymore.
 
 

For any kind of oversampling to occur without gross errors, there needs
to be a very sharp low pass filter (usually done in the digital domain).
There is nothing quite like this high order, low pass filter in natural
acoustic spaces, which is why low sample rate PCM recordings always
sound like something's wrong with them, IMO. The counter argument is
that our ears have the bandwidth limitation, so that is doesn't matter
if the reproduction system has a compatible bandwidth limitation.  The
reason I think otherwise is that we humans have a very non-linear
perception of audio amplitude, and we can detect wrong timing of
transient events even though we may not have the corresponding ability
to detect continuous high frequency tones. For a purely linear system,
this would be nonsense, since bandwidth and timing resolution are
inextricably linked as reciprocal quantities in linear signal
processing. Nevertheless, it is my conjecture that a higher than 20kHz
bandwidth audio channel is necessary to avoid that our sensitive,
non-linear ears pick up disconcerting, not-found-in-nature timing cues
that cause us to identify the music source as electronic, unnatural and
perhaps even fatiguing for long-term listening.

I guess I am setting myself up for several flames for writing this
post. However, I am just sharing an opinion.


-- 
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--
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Re: [slim] 24-bit audio (new article)

2011-03-01 Thread Wombat

dsdreamer;614825 Wrote: 
 I guess I am setting myself up for several flames for writing this post.
 However, I am just sharing an opinion.

No, of cause not. We are on Slimdevices General forum. Let your
feelings flow, no evidense needed! :)


-- 
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Re: [slim] 24-bit audio (new article)

2011-03-01 Thread Mnyb

May be soo ? But our old analog playback chain is/ was also bandwith
limited and suffer similar problems ? Can these problems be interly
described as a  digital evil .

The digital filtering in downsampling they are not nearly as bad as the
analogue counterpart if you record at 44.1 ? Hence my pow, as sugested
by people that have tried downsampling the material themself.
Many claim that they hear no difference.

I think Phil uploaded some samples in another tread, I shall dl and try
them in the afternoon if I have time and if they are still there.

My software collection is a bit shoody audacity is buggy I don't trust
it completely.


-- 
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Re: [slim] 24-bit audio (new article)

2011-03-01 Thread Wombat

No matter what these samples bring, there are some that claim it is
better even when no one can prove to hear differences or the other way
around. No way to prove anything in here in any way. 

If you do they wonder for a fraction of a second about your deafness
and go on writing in the next thread or different forum...


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Re: [slim] 24-bit audio (new article)

2011-03-01 Thread Mnyb

I stole this link from you Wombat..

If it is ok

http://hlloyge.hl.funpic.de/wp-content/uploads/2007/09/audibility-of-a-cd-standard-ada-loop-inserted.pdf

It is a good experiment.


-- 
Mnyb


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Re: [slim] 24-bit audio (new article)

2011-03-01 Thread dsdreamer

Wombat;614827 Wrote: 
 No, of cause not. We are on Slimdevices General forum. Let your
 feelings flow, no evidense needed! :)

It is not a feeling, but a reasoned conjecture. Difficult to measure
per se without sticking electrodes in people's brains.  The non-linear
and time variant nature of the human ear's response to sound pressure
waves is, however, well-established. 

The following is not a scientific paper, either, but you may find the
following discussion interesting.

http://www.ayre.com/pdf/Ayre_MP_White_Paper.pdf

All I am saying is that from my point of view this seems plausible.


-- 
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Re: [slim] 24-bit audio (new article)

2011-03-01 Thread Mnyb

Well given the choice between 256k AAC or 24/96 PCM what to do .
And better soo if it is sourced from a different less compressed master
.

So let them market this, if it ends with us getting better sound evfen
if it would be possible to cram into a CD .

Specifically markett you effort at audiphiles gives some dgrees of
freedoom it does not have to sound god on AM radio in a car..

So if this for business reasons (nobody believes in good old cd) , must
be done on a new format so be it .

If it's not to outrageously expensive I'll buy


-- 
Mnyb


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Re: [slim] 24-bit audio (new article)

2011-02-28 Thread toby10

Apple needs to find ways to get their customers to: 
a. buy more music
b. re-buy their same music
c. update their hardware

 what better way to accomplish this than to offer higher bit rate
and lossless music.


-- 
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Re: [slim] 24-bit audio (new article)

2011-02-28 Thread Soulkeeper

By inventing a brand new number called iTune iNdex, which is sample rate
in kHz multiplied by bit depth. That will enable their users to
appreciate the enormous quality improvement from 16/44.1 (iNdex 705.6,
or i*700* for simplicity's sake), to 24/48 (iNdex 1152, or i*1200* for
simplicity's sake), to 24/96 (iNdex 2304, or i*2300* for simplicity's
sake), to 24/192 (iNdex 4608, or i*4600* for simplicity's sake), all
expressed in one single, beuatifully simple, delicious iNumber. 

(Yes I know, the question was intended rhetorically, and I also know
that if someone from Apple reads this, I should get ready to sue them
for stealing my idea, but I probably can't afford going to court
against them anyway.)


-- 
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death may die.-
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Re: [slim] 24-bit audio (new article)

2011-02-28 Thread sebp

Soulkeeper;614428 Wrote: 
 That will enable their *users* (...)
You mean iDiophiles? ;)


-- 
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Re: [slim] 24-bit audio (new article)

2011-02-28 Thread dsdreamer

I like the linked Gigaom article's tone and approach.

http://gigaom.com/apple/24-bit-itunes-music-would-be-a-step-in-the-right-direction/

I'd personally only interested if it were 24 bits@96kHz. I care more
for the 96kHz than the 24 bits, but I'd certainly be glad to have both.
I'd feel a bit sorry for the likes of Linn Records and HDTracks if this
were to happen, though.


-- 
dsdreamer

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Re: [slim] 24-bit audio (new article)

2011-02-28 Thread Mnyb

dsdreamer;614593 Wrote: 
 I like the linked Gigaom article's tone and approach.
 
 http://gigaom.com/apple/24-bit-itunes-music-would-be-a-step-in-the-right-direction/
 
 I'd personally only interested if it were 24 bits@96kHz. I care more
 for the 96kHz than the 24 bits, but I'd certainly be glad to have both.
 I'd feel a bit sorry for the likes of Linn Records and HDTracks if this
 were to happen, though.

? I was under the impression that majority of the eventual improvement
is in the increased bith depth ? As this would increase the signal
content that we stand a chance to hear.

I know what a brick wall fillter is, but this is nowdays only a factor
during recording then the frequency must be high to avoid that,.
But for playback at home most modern DAC's have massive oversampling so
for playback this is not really a problem anymore.

But 24/96 would be a good consumer standard if it came to that, as
maybe 44.1 is a little to low but it don't need to be 96 and maybe more
than 16bit is needed, but again not as much as 24bit . So this would be
all you can eat with some error margin built in .

trivia, a part off the DVDA standard I never seen in practical use was
that you could have different bith deth and sample rate for different
channels so theoretically if you did an 5.1 dvda and wanted to save
some disc space you could have 20/48 for the rear channels or what
ever, 192k was only allowed for pure 2ch otherwise you could mix
between all rates.

Even if like the 24/96 format it would be hard to motivate 24/96 for
the LFE channel ?

If they want hifi why not reintroduce multichannel music again ? as
dvda an d sacd had. This works very well it's not a gimmick (unless the
producers of the record make it soo ), but as when stereo was introduced
they where Luddites claiming that mono was better too.


-- 
Mnyb


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Re: [slim] 24-bit audio (new article)

2011-02-27 Thread Griffin

sebp;614063 Wrote: 
 I have made some experiments on my system with my ears, where I just
 could not hear any difference between standard and hires files.
 I wish I could, but I honestly couldn't.

I think it's pretty clear the differences are anything but
earth-shaking. From my experience, the difference is not there for 99%
of the music and in that 1% where it is audible, the difference is so
small it's easily missed. Think of it as the need for a car having 10
gears. In most situations it really doesn't make a difference from a
standard car having just 5 gears but in some limited very specific
cases it may be the possibility of having an extra gear in between the
normal 4 and 5 may bring a very small advantage to the table.


-- 
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Re: [slim] 24-bit audio (new article)

2011-02-27 Thread jimzak

Apple's sudden interest in 24-bit sound is likely in preparation for new
hardware, and where Apple goes, folks tend to follow.

I like the idea of 24-bit files, but my equipment and ears cannot
distinguish it from 16-bit.

Perhaps Apple can lure a few young folks away from white earbuds to
audiophile equipment.  I see that as a good thing.

I'll stick with SB though.


-- 
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Re: [slim] 24-bit audio (new article)

2011-02-27 Thread Wombat

jimzak;614252 Wrote: 
 
 Perhaps Apple can lure a few young folks away from white earbuds to
 audiophile equipment.
 
I bet they saw services like HDTracks taking some of the typical iTunes
users away, thats all.


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Re: [slim] 24-bit audio (new article)

2011-02-27 Thread aubuti

jimzak;614252 Wrote: 
 Perhaps Apple can lure a few young folks away from white earbuds to
 audiophile equipment.  I see that as a good thing.
Me too, but I'm a bit puzzled by the leap to 24-bit. I mean, does
iTunes store even offer anything lossless yet, even in 16-bit?


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Re: [slim] 24-bit audio (new article)

2011-02-27 Thread Mnyb

aubuti;614309 Wrote: 
 Me too, but I'm a bit puzzled by the leap to 24-bit. I mean, does iTunes
 store even offer anything lossless yet, even in 16-bit?

Worst case scenario is that they are developing some mongrel hirez aac
format ? 24/96 but done with perceptual coding so the filesize is at CD
size or something.

That would surely sound good enough, but leave you with all other
problems a propriatary lossy format has such as cascade coding
artefacts when transcoding etc, problems when migrating the data in the
future.

If they offer exactly whats on the CD people are going to compare with
CD prices.


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Re: [slim] 24-bit audio (new article)

2011-02-27 Thread Wombat

Mnyb;614320 Wrote: 
 Worst case scenario is that they are developing some mongrel hirez aac
 format ? 24/96 but done with perceptual coding so the filesize is at CD
 size or something.
 
 That would surely sound good enough, but leave you with all other
 problems a propriatary lossy format has such as cascade coding
 artefacts when transcoding etc, problems when migrating the data in the
 future.
 
 If they offer exactly whats on the CD people are going to compare with
 CD prices.

Recent lossy codecs are already floating point and have no bit depth in
a way PCM wavs have. So if you feed them with 24bit files and no higher
sampling rate i doubt the files will be different much cause the
psycho-acoustic will leave the music content below the noise floor of
16bit away already most of the time.


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Re: [slim] 24-bit audio (new article)

2011-02-27 Thread Mnyb

Wombat;614329 Wrote: 
 Recent lossy codecs are already floating point and have no bit depth in
 a way PCM wavs have. So if you feed them with 24bit files and no higher
 sampling rate i doubt the files will be different much cause the
 psycho-acoustic will leave the music content below the noise floor of
 16bit away already most of the time.

Very likely so but wonder if get better result compressing to mp3 from
24/96 or 16/44.1 ? An exception must be another mongrel format DTS
24/96  (not to confuse with DTS-HD Master Audio wich is for bluray and
lossles )

As many others have done you can wonder what psycho-acoustic model DTS
uses above 20khz


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Re: [slim] 24-bit audio (new article)

2011-02-27 Thread Wombat

Mnyb;614334 Wrote: 
 Very likely so but  I wonder if one gets better result compressing to
 mp3 from 24/96 or 16/44.1 ? 
I doubt that. The developers of mp3 and their test sample arsenal no
and never had a 24bit sample that only was transparent when restoring
more then 16bit. If so i am really curious and must have missed that in
all the years i followed the lame encoder developement.

Mnyb;614334 Wrote: 
 
 As many others have done you can wonder what psycho-acoustic model DTS
 uses above 20khz
I bet they had an audiophile beneeth the developement team that had
mental contact to his cat...


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Re: [slim] 24-bit audio (new article)

2011-02-27 Thread mortslim

Several other news sources have also reported that iTunes will probably
be offering 24-bit audio soon.

http://edition.cnn.com/2011/TECH/web/02/22/24.bit.music/

http://www.geekistry.com/2011/02/22/24-bit-music-coming-to-itunes/

http://www.geek.com/articles/apple/apple-wants-24-bit-audio-for-itunes-music-downloads-20110222/

http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/2011/02/itunes-may-upgrade-to-24-bit-files-but-why-bother.ars

http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-could-sell-higher-quality-music-files-but-why-would-it-2011-2

This will be like iTunes and Amazon Video on Demand offering movie
rentals in standard definition at $3.99 and the same movies in high
definition for rental for a dollar more.

Apparently Apple wants to cover the entire audio market too,
irrespective of whether 24-bit audio will be worth the extra cost to
the consumer.


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Re: [slim] 24-bit audio (new article)

2011-02-26 Thread Mnyb

 
 
 In my humble opinion, people who can tell for sure they're able to
 distinguish 24/96 from 16/44.1 either have not compared versions of the
 same recording, or are fooled by their brain.

Hmm out of my 100 of so dvda i have one where the CD master is very
likely the same ?
I think I can here a small improvemement in favor of 24/96 ;) so it is
not easy to compare.

Also lets blow the myth that there is an abundance of recordings that
can be  saved by 24 bit , note that we are talking playback now
recording should be done at very high sample and bitrates, post
processing done with floating piont math and the consumer product can
be a 24/96 pcm or 16/44.1 both made with proper dithering etc.
So a good remaster/ mix from multitrack can be a real benefit for all
music lovers, but has nothing to do whether it is presented as  CD or
hirez  to us consumers.
So rematered at 24 bit is also very good for the CD produced from it
:)

But the intrisinic sound quality of most recordings ever done is not
better then the humble redbook CD ?

But personally i act on the small benefit of a doubt I have experienced
very good 24 bit. Playback and have a lot of files and DVDA's in the
format .

To be awesome a CD master must really be perfect, 24/96 leaves a healty
slush margin for errors that in itself can be argument enough to have
them.

Some sound engineers may be more of skilled artist than having total
awareness of whats really happens inside the shiny tools he uses and
can thus be forgiven for minor technical errors that would not be fatal

with a format like 24/96 , but rendeer a CD rather unispiring.

Also DVDA had another thing discrete 24/96 multichannel that is
awesome, had to be heard.
It may rise from the dead as dolby true HD for bluray . Dolby true HD
is MLP ( Meridian Lossles Packaging aka DVDA ) in a new guisse for
bluray and licensed trough dolby


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Re: [slim] 24-bit audio (new article)

2011-02-26 Thread guidof

Mnyb;614023 Wrote: 
 Hmm out of my 100 of so dvda i have one where the CD master is very
 likely the same ?
 I think I can here a small improvemement in favor of 24/96 ;) so it is
 not easy to compare.
 

I have two 24/96 recordings for which I also have the CD version. Of
course I have no idea whether each was mastered from the same tape.

I also think that I hear a *-very small-* improvement in favor of
24/96, but would find it very difficult, probably impossible, to
reliably distinguish it from the CD version in a blind comparison.

Of course, one cannot generalize from a sample of two, but this
suggests to me that the sonic benefits of 24/96 recording may be, at
best, secondary to the quality of the entire recording set-up (mic
positioning and quality, cables, electronics, venue, etc.).

Guido F.


-- 
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Re: [slim] 24-bit audio (new article)

2011-02-26 Thread sebp

Mnyb;614023 Wrote: 
 I _think_ I can here a small improvemement in favor of 24/96 ;)

guidof;614045 Wrote: 
 I also _think_ that I hear a *-very small-* improvement in favor of
 24/96

You shouldn't be _thinking_ that much, guys.
Beware psycho-acoustics... ;)


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Re: [slim] 24-bit audio (new article)

2011-02-26 Thread sebp

Just to be clear:

I have made some experiments on my system with my ears, where I just
could not hear any difference between standard and hires files.
I wish I could, but I honestly couldn't.

This doesn't mean other people won't hear differences.
My point is just that the human brain is a curious thing, and as
maggior said already, people will probably hear what they want to
hear.

Brain's even such a curious thing that, even if I'm firmly convinced I
cannot distinguish 24/48 from 16/44.1, I'm still downloading 24/48 from
BW's SoS.
Go figure... :D


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Re: [slim] 24-bit audio (new article)

2011-02-26 Thread guidof

sebp;614063 Wrote: 
 
 
 Brain's even such a curious thing that, even if I'm firmly convinced I
 cannot distinguish 24/48 from 16/44.1, I'm still downloading 24/48 from
 BW's SoS.
 Go figure... :D

Perhaps you are not that firmly convinced? Deep, deep down, maybe there
is a smidgeon of doubt?

I know there is in my mind . . .

So, I also keep downloading the hi-rez stuff.

Guido F.


-- 
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Cambridge Azur 840C CD Player; Oppo BDP--83 Universal Player; 
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Re: [slim] 24-bit audio (new article)

2011-02-26 Thread sebp

guidof;614065 Wrote: 
 Perhaps you are not that firmly convinced? Deep, deep down, maybe there
 is a smidgeon of doubt?
No doubt, really, just getting what I've paid for.


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Re: [slim] 24-bit audio (new article)

2011-02-26 Thread Mnyb

Post processing is another factor. And the major factor for me

I do room correction and uses my tone controlls subwoofer fillter and 
sometimes i use multichannel modes on stereo material ( this works 5.1
can help the stereo illusion imensly, this is another way of figthing
your acoustics and win).all this is done digitally in my hifi.
And finaly my speaker xover is digital .

So if all those algorithms can work with higher resolution they will
sound better, i think thats contribute to the good sound i get on 24/96
files .


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Re: [slim] 24-bit audio (new article)

2011-02-25 Thread Griffin

sebp;613588 Wrote: 
 In my humble opinion, people who can tell for sure they're able to
 distinguish 24/96 from 16/44.1 either have not compared versions of the
 same recording, or are fooled by their brain.

I can tell you the difference can be heard in some very specific cases.
But it is so subtle that, when just listening en enjoying the music, the
difference can be considered void.

For example, listen to Stevie Ray Vaughan's Tim Pan Alley. At one
point he sings I heard a pistol shoot - yeah, it was a .44. You can
here the different in the instrumental crescendo there if you listen
very carefully. The 24/96 has a bit more bite there than it's
downsampled 16/44 variant as converted for a SB receiver. But you'ld
have to listen very, very carefully to be able to spot the difference.
When just enjoying the music instead of searching for these things,
thus for all practical purposes, the differences are nil.

NB: hardware I checked this on consists of a SB touch  SB duet
receiver + XTZ Class A 100 D3 amplifier + Elac FS-247 SE speakers,
using digital inputs of the receiver. YMMV.


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Re: [slim] 24-bit audio (new article)

2011-02-25 Thread sebp

Griffin;613653 Wrote: 
 The 24/96 has a bit more bite there than it's downsampled 16/44 variant
 as converted for a SB receiver.
Which could well be related to either the noise shaping algorithm used
by SoX for downsampling, or by differences in the way the Receiver and
the Touch handle S/PDIF.

Griffin;613653 Wrote: 
 The difference thus can be heard in an ABX - but it makes no difference
 in real life.
I read a very well documented report on a french forum where the tester
was able to successfully ABX 16/44.1 and 24/192 on digital silence...
until he used proper dithering and noise shaping algorithms to
downsample the 24bit/352.8kHz DXD file he was using as a reference.

However, the point is, as you say: it makes no difference in real life.


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Re: [slim] 24-bit audio (new article)

2011-02-24 Thread Soulkeeper

People are simply obsessed with numbers. Simple numbers. Which should be
as high as technically possible. E.g. the widespread Megapixel obsession
when it comes to digital cameras. 'The Megapixel Myth'
(http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/mpmyth.htm)


-- 
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-that is not dead which can eternal lie. and with strange aeons even
death may die.-
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Re: [slim] 24-bit audio (new article)

2011-02-24 Thread adamdea

Even CDs are 16-bit, and the sonic quality of a CD is an accepted
definition of consumer-worthy HD quality.
That sentence is basically the entire argument


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Re: [slim] 24-bit audio (new article)

2011-02-24 Thread rayman1701

Yeah, I understand the overall limited downside, especially with how the
internet in the US is right now, with wildly different speeds and
accessibility, it is not in any way practical at the moment or the near
future.  It can take a couple of hours to download 96/24 files on a
decent DSL, and while they were talking about 24bit they didn't have
any details on sample rate, so who knows what would actually happen. 
So it might not work mass market, let alone how the supposed benefits,
which I can hear on carefully mastered material, won't make any
difference in today's loudness wars quality except maybe they can
compress more before clipping.  Oh the joy of that thought.  I'm not
one of those who thinks there is no good new music, I love a lot of new
music out there today, I just wish it could be mastered to sound better,
not just louder. And I doubt getting iTunes store to go to 24bit would
change that in any way. So in the end no, if it happens, there will be
no benefit.

However, with all that said, he lost me with the the noise floor is
much lower, and you'll hear a hum in your amp when you turn up the
volume argument.  I'm sorry if your amp hums when you turn it up, I
say get a working amp not less resolving files.  So after that really
weak logic, I just found it hard to take him seriously.  I mean really,
too much dynamic range, too low a noise floor, really that's the best
you could come up with for an argument against it?


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Re: [slim] 24-bit audio (new article)

2011-02-24 Thread sebp

amey01;613425 Wrote: 
 The true advantage comes from higher sampling rates. But people seem
 obsessed with bit-depth as well.
Oh, really?

Technically speaking, 24 bit-depth allow to reproduce the sound of a
fly farting, immediately followed by the sound of a thunderclap, both
being at relative realistic levels.

Higher sampling rates just allow the reproduction of higher
frequencies, which would lead to give these questions an answer :
- Does your audio system is able to reproduce frequencies above 20 kHz?
- Are you really able to hear frequencies above 20 kHz?

My amp and loudspeakers are supposed to be able to reproduce
frequencies up to 40 kHz, but I cannot hear a 16 kHz test tone.
So, what's the use?


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Re: [slim] 24-bit audio (new article)

2011-02-24 Thread Pneumonic

rayman1701;613508 Wrote: 
 I mean really, too much dynamic range, too low a noise floor, really
 that's the best you could come up with for an argument against it?
I think the guy's point (which admittedly he doesn't seem to explain
well enough) is that lowering the noise floor and going beyond the 96
dB dynamic range that redbook now affords, is pointless. At least if
one listens to music with today's gear, in real world listening
environments since neither stress the limits of 16 bit resolution.


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Re: [slim] 24-bit audio (new article)

2011-02-24 Thread Pneumonic

sebp;613512 Wrote: 
 Oh, really?
 
 Technically speaking, 24 bit-depth allows to reproduce the sound of a
 fly farting, immediately followed by the sound of a thunderclap, both
 being at relative realistic levels.
 
 Higher sampling rates just allow the reproduction of higher
 frequencies, which would lead to give these questions an answer :
 - Does your audio system is able to reproduce frequencies above 20
 kHz?
 - Are you really able to hear frequencies above 20 kHz?
 
 My amp and loudspeakers are supposed to be able to reproduce
 frequencies up to 40 kHz, but I cannot hear a 16 kHz test tone.
 So, what's the use?
The argument for increased sampling rates comes from the ability to
then do away with (supposed sonic degradation) Nyquist filtering
issues. Note the inclusion of the word supposed.


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Re: [slim] 24-bit audio (new article)

2011-02-24 Thread mdconnelly

There is no question that sound quality corresponds to recording quality
and attention to detail by the recording engineer and that many 44.1/16
CDs can sound amazing (think XRCD) and that far too many totally suck
due to loudness wars and compression.

Be that as it may, when you have an excellent recording, getting a
88/24 or 96/24 version of it and playing it back on a high quality
system (and I'm including Squeezeboxen in this), can sound truly
exceptional and definitely better than just CD quality.

I have purchased such recordings from a number of sites and I have to
say that I've been very impressed.  The ones I'm most familiar with
include...

http://www.hdtracks.com
http://www.linnrecords.com  
http://www.bowers-wilkins.co.uk/Society_of_Sound

Hey, it's not for everyone and you certainly won't hear a difference on
computer speakers or cheap playback equipment.  And you do need a way to
play it back (which, of course, your Touch will certainly accomodate).
But given a good recording and a great playback system, there's no
going back.


-- 
mdconnelly

Mike

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Re: [slim] 24-bit audio (new article)

2011-02-24 Thread TerryS

Claiming that 16 bits provides 96 dB of dynamic range ignores the fact
that the distortion rises as the number of bits decreases.  For an
analog system, it is OK to define the dynamic range as the ratio of the
loudest signal that can be produced to the quietest (or the noise
floor).  But I have a problem when they apply that same definition to a
sampled system.  Sure 16 bits implies 96 dB:  20*log(2^16) = 96dB).  But
that means you are willing to accept absurd amounts of distortion (100%)
as a reasonable signal.  The distortion (due to quantization error)
increases as the number of bits decreases.  With 16 bits, the
distortion is very small (0.0015%), but each bit that is removed
doubles the distortion.  So a signal sampled at 6dB lower than the peak
level will have double the distortion.  How much distortion are you
willing to accept?  If you draw the line at 1% distortion (pretty high
in my opinion), then that requires 7 bits.  That means the dynamic
range of a 16 bit sampled system is only 54 dB:  20*log(2^(16-7))= 54dB
if you limit the distortion allowed to less than 1%.  About as good an
old cassette deck.  Not my definition of Hi-Fi.  16 bits was a
compromise based on the available technology of the day.  Many people
still claim it is good enough.  Many others don't agree.

Terry


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Re: [slim] 24-bit audio (new article)

2011-02-24 Thread Phil Leigh

adamdea;613505 Wrote: 
 Even CDs are 16-bit, and the sonic quality of a CD is an accepted
 definition of consumer-worthy HD quality.
 That sentence is basically the entire argument

it's also twaddle...


-- 
Phil Leigh

You want to see the signal path BEFORE it gets onto a CD/vinyl...it
ain't what you'd call minimal...
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Re: [slim] 24-bit audio (new article)

2011-02-24 Thread TerryS

Phil Leigh;613546 Wrote: 
 it's also twaddle...

Well said
I couldn't agree more.


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Re: [slim] 24-bit audio (new article)

2011-02-24 Thread Phil Leigh

TerryS;613524 Wrote: 
 Claiming that 16 bits provides 96 dB of dynamic range ignores the fact
 that the distortion rises as the number of bits decreases.  For an
 analog system, it is OK to define the dynamic range as the ratio of the
 loudest signal that can be produced to the quietest (or the noise
 floor).  But I have a problem when they apply that same definition to a
 sampled system.  Sure 16 bits implies 96 dB:  20*log(2^16) = 96dB).  But
 that means you are willing to accept absurd amounts of distortion (100%)
 as a reasonable signal.  The distortion (due to quantization error)
 increases as the number of bits decreases.  With 16 bits, the
 distortion is very small (0.0015%), but each bit that is removed
 doubles the distortion.  So a signal sampled at 6dB lower than the peak
 level will have double the distortion.  How much distortion are you
 willing to accept?  If you draw the line at 1% distortion (pretty high
 in my opinion), then that requires 7 bits.  That means the dynamic
 range of a 16 bit sampled system is only 54 dB:  20*log(2^(16-7))= 54dB
 if you limit the distortion allowed to less than 1%.  About as good an
 old cassette deck.  Not my definition of Hi-Fi.  16 bits was a
 compromise based on the available technology of the day.  Many people
 still claim it is good enough.  Many others don't agree.
 
 Terry

Except it doesn't work like that in practice because we don't record at
16 bits or less, we record at 24 (OK let's call it an effective 21 in
reality) and dither down to 16, effectively masking (decorrelating) the
quantization distortion.

Thus the effect of quantization error on low-level signals is nowhere
near as bad as it would be if we were still (1980's) recording at 16 or
even 14 bit!


-- 
Phil Leigh

You want to see the signal path BEFORE it gets onto a CD/vinyl...it
ain't what you'd call minimal...
Touch(wired/XP) - Audiolense 3.3/2.0+INGUZ DRC - MF
x-dacv3/x-10/x-psu(Audiocom full mods) - Linn 5103 - full Aktiv 5.1
system (6x LK140's, ESPEK/TRIKAN/KATAN/SEIZMIK 10.5), Pekin Tuner,
Townsend Supertweeters, Blue Jeans Belden Digital,Kimber 8TC Speaker 
Chord Signature Plus Interconnect cables
Stax4070+SRM7/II phones
Kitchen Boom, Outdoors: SB Radio, Harmony One remote for everything.

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Re: [slim] 24-bit audio (new article)

2011-02-24 Thread TerryS

Phil Leigh;613554 Wrote: 
 Except it doesn't work like that in practice because we don't record at
 16 bits or less, we record at 24 (OK let's call it an effective 21 in
 reality) and dither down to 16, effectively masking (decorrelating) the
 quantization distortion.
 
 Thus the effect of quantization error on low-level signals is nowhere
 near as bad as it would be if we were still (1980's) recording at 16 or
 even 14 bit!
 
 
 so yes, the 96dB on playback is achievable in theory - even if in
 practice it is impossible to properly record anything much quieter than
 (say)  -70dB anyway because of ambient and electronic noise ... :-)

I have a problem claiming decorrelating when working on random (music)
signals.  I understand the principle when talking about sinusoidal
signals that repeat for some period of time.  But I can't see how
decorrelation benefits a one time transient signal.  Quantization error
prevents you from perfectly reconstructing such a signal with any more
precision than the quantization step size.  Maybe a mental block on my
part...

Terry


-- 
TerryS

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Re: [slim] 24-bit audio (new article)

2011-02-24 Thread sebp

mdconnelly;613521 Wrote: 
 There is no question that sound quality corresponds to recording quality
 and attention to detail by the recording engineer and that many 44.1/16
 CDs can sound amazing (think XRCD) and that far too many totally suck
 due to loudness wars and compression.
I definitely agree.

mdconnelly;613521 Wrote: 
 Be that as it may, when you have an excellent recording, getting a 88/24
 or 96/24 version of it and playing it back on a high quality system (and
 I'm including Squeezeboxen in this), can sound truly exceptional and
 definitely better than just CD quality.
 
 I have purchased such recordings from a number of sites and I have to
 say that I've been very impressed.  The ones I'm most familiar with
 include...
 
 http://www.hdtracks.com
 http://www.linnrecords.com  
 http://www.bowers-wilkins.co.uk/Society_of_Sound
 
 Hey, it's not for everyone and you certainly won't hear a difference on
 computer speakers or cheap playback equipment.  And you do need a way to
 play it back (which, of course, your Touch will certainly accomodate).
 But given a good recording and a great playback system, there's no
 going back.
I mostly disagree, now.

My audio system consists of a Transporter, a NuForce IA-7 amp and KEF
iQ9 loudspeakers.
Not something I'd consider cheap playback equipement.

Thanks to BW's SoS, I downloaded my first 24/48 recording two years
ago, a Portico Quartet album, and when I listened to it for the first
time, I couldn't help thinking : Wow, so HD files sound like that? How
great!.
But then, out of curiosity, I also downloaded the 16/44.1 version of
the same album, listened to it very carefully, and was really surprised
I honestly couldn't tell that the 24/48 version sounded better in any
way than the 16/44.1 did.

I since have downloaded many other albums from BW's SoS, going from
classical to world music, and each time I compared CD quality vs 24/48,
I simply failed to tell that one version sounded better than the other.

I also tried recently to challenge downloaded 24/96 files versus
regular CD 16/44.1 rips, with no more success.

In my humble opinion, people who can tell for sure they're able to
distinguish 24/96 from 16/44.1 either have not compared versions of the
same recording, or are fooled by their brain.


-- 
sebp

'Last.fm' (http://www.last.fm/user/sebp)

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Re: [slim] 24-bit audio (new article)

2011-02-24 Thread usbethjim

Phil Leigh;613546 Wrote: 
 it's also twaddle...

Marvelous word - it's been awhile since I've seen it used.  I spewed
coffee on the keyboard...

Very amusing
Thanks
Jim


-- 
usbethjim

All wireless (Linksys WRT54GS) except NAS (ReadyNAS PRO - 3GB RAM - 5 X
1TB drives - XRAID2 - Squeezebox Server 7.5.0)
Squeezebox Boom - Anywhere with an AC outlet
SqueezeBox 3 (Slim version)  Bose Wave Radio - Kitchen
Squeezebox Duet controller/receiver  Hafler 100 preamp  Hafler DH-220
amp  Sima SSW-L6 EX Speaker selector= AR Rock Partners - Living Room,
Definitive Tech ProMonitor 100 - Dining Room, Infinity US-1 - Porch

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[slim] 24-bit audio (new article)

2011-02-23 Thread mortslim

Gizmodo has published a new article as to why 24-bit audio is not
appropriate for end users:

http://gizmodo.com/#!5768446/why-24+bit-audio-will-be-bad-for-users


-- 
mortslim

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Re: [slim] 24-bit audio (new article)

2011-02-23 Thread ShutterShock

Am I the only one who didn't get the author's point?  24 bit = larger
files.  Okay... But in terms of the listening experience, I'm not clear
on the downside.


-- 
ShutterShock

Tim

Living Room: Duet, Bryston B60R w/built-in DAC, PMC FB1i Speakers
Kitchen: Boom
Bedroom: Boom

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Re: [slim] 24-bit audio (new article)

2011-02-23 Thread maggior

The point is that there really is no advantage for the end listener with
24 bit audio files.  This is especially true with the current state of
things where albums are being produced with the dynamic range squashed
(i.e. the loudness war).

What I would love to see is CD quality (16 bit 44.1 kHz) lossless audio
made available for purchase on a wider scale.

There will be those that insist that 24 bit is better than 16 bit. 
I've read forum threads where people insisted recordings of vinyl made
with 24 bit samples sounds better than 16 bit samples.  People will
hear what they want to hear.

If 24 bit files are the path forward for readily available lossless
audio, then so be it.  However, it would be overkill IMHO.


-- 
maggior

Rich
-
Setup: 2 SB3s, 4 Booms, 1 Duet, 1 Receiver, 1 Touch, iPeng on iPod
Touch.  SuSE 11.0 Server running SqueezeBoxServer 7.5.0, MusicIP, and
SqueezeSlave.  
Current library stats: 33,696 songs, 2,720 albums, 499 artists.
http://www.last.fm/user/maggior

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Re: [slim] 24-bit audio (new article)

2011-02-23 Thread maggior

ShutterShock;613385 Wrote: 
 Am I the only one who didn't get the author's point?  24 bit = larger
 files.  Okay... But in terms of the listening experience, I'm not clear
 on the downside.


There isn't really a downside, it's just that there is no upside, hence
the con.


-- 
maggior

Rich
-
Setup: 2 SB3s, 4 Booms, 1 Duet, 1 Receiver, 1 Touch, iPeng on iPod
Touch.  SuSE 11.0 Server running SqueezeBoxServer 7.5.0, MusicIP, and
SqueezeSlave.  
Current library stats: 33,696 songs, 2,720 albums, 499 artists.
http://www.last.fm/user/maggior

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Re: [slim] 24-bit audio (new article)

2011-02-23 Thread amey01

The true advantage comes from higher sampling rates. But people seem
obsessed with bit-depth as well.


-- 
amey01

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