DYohn
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Post by DYohn on Dec 21, 2009 9:24:43 GMT -5
You are not using the computer soundcard unless you listen to speakers connected to the analog audio outputs, and yes CDs ripped using Apple Lossless retain all the information that was on the original CD. Your sound quality will be determined by the quality of your CD drive in the computer that you used to do the capture and the DAC used at the other end to send the analog signal to your preamp.
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Post by audiodragon on Dec 21, 2009 12:30:29 GMT -5
I use Exact Audio Copy to rip my CDs and store as FLAC files on an external HD Then I use PS3 Media Server to convert the FLAC format to PCM and stream it to my PS3 which feeds my LMC-1 via Optical. It is bit for bit digital until it gets to the DAC in the LMC-1. My biggest issue seems to be with the router, I am trying to find a robust one that won't cause dropouts. Now, if I could just get gapless to work, I would be homefree!
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Mister L'fe
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Post by Mister L'fe on Dec 21, 2009 13:50:47 GMT -5
I use Exact Audio Copy to rip my CDs and store as FLAC files on an external HD Then I use PS3 Media Server to convert the FLAC format to PCM and stream it to my PS3 which feeds my LMC-1 via Optical. It is bit for bit digital until it gets to the DAC in the LMC-1. My biggest issue seems to be with the router, I am trying to find a robust one that won't cause dropouts. Now, if I could just get gapless to work, I would be homefree! Is there an advantage to FLAC other than file size, I understand that it is a lossless format. But, since hard drives keep getting bigger and cheaper is it really necessary? Also I believe iTunes won't play FLAC and you need a different player like (?).
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jlafrenz
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Post by jlafrenz on Dec 21, 2009 15:51:44 GMT -5
... like fubar2000, WinAmp, or JRivers Media. Yes hard drives are getting cheaper and no FLAC is not necessary, but why not take advantage of the format and utilize the space savings.
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Post by strindl on Dec 21, 2009 17:26:12 GMT -5
Not correct. I have all of my 1,000 plus cd's ripped in lossless format to computer hard drives. I use a logitech squeezebox duet system to send my digital music files through my ethernet network to the duet receiver next to each of my three audio systems. I use the digital outs on the duet receiver into the digital ins on my pre amp processors.
The music played though a system like that is every bit as good as what you hear using a CD transport directly reading the CD. It is far more convenient and opens up your entire music library for instant sorting and access. Music servers are the way that home audio is going...it just is. There is no longer any reason for even high end music systems not to be using a music server system.
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Post by dreadpiratemarc on Dec 21, 2009 20:11:02 GMT -5
Is there an advantage to FLAC other than file size, I understand that it is a lossless format. But, since hard drives keep getting bigger and cheaper is it really necessary? Also I believe iTunes won't play FLAC and you need a different player like (?). If you like using iTunes, you can use ALAC (Apple Lossless) which is exactly like FLAC except Apple proprietary. You can even convert between the two. That's what I do so I can use my iPhone Remote app to control my music. You can also get 24-bit native versions of both FLAC and ALAC and they do sound very good. I'm looking forward to pairing my media center with the Emo DAC. It'll be like like an ECR-1 playing a DVD-audio. !!!
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Post by strindl on Dec 21, 2009 23:30:58 GMT -5
as long as you rip all of your music to a lossless format, you are always able to convert them to any other format, or back to a CD format with NO loss of quality.
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Post by dreadpiratemarc on Dec 22, 2009 1:40:17 GMT -5
Right you are, strindl. In any case, the age of the computer audiophile is at hand. The movement away from shinny, spinny things, while maintaining the same or better quality, is young but growing very quickly. I would say that CD's will one day be just a niche industry like vinyl, but they won't offer any quality advantage like vinyl can. More likely they'll go the way of cassette tapes, I suppose.
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Post by strindl on Dec 22, 2009 2:20:03 GMT -5
with the rise of music servers, a product like the upcoming Emotiva DAC is really coming at just the right time. There will be an increasing demand among audiophiles for superior quality DACS for their multiple digital music sources.
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Mister L'fe
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Post by Mister L'fe on Dec 22, 2009 9:06:43 GMT -5
I'm in agreement. I would like to see the Preamp/Processor or AV Receiver take the computer output directly, either through USB, Firewire or a network connection. I guess I left out optical S/PDIF. The Emotiva (or anyone else's) DAC looks neat, but I really don't need another box in my system.
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ntrain42
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Post by ntrain42 on Dec 23, 2009 18:02:21 GMT -5
Not correct. I have all of my 1,000 plus cd's ripped in lossless format to computer hard drives. I use a logitech squeezebox duet system to send my digital music files through my ethernet network to the duet receiver next to each of my three audio systems. I use the digital outs on the duet receiver into the digital ins on my pre amp processors. The music played though a system like that is every bit as good as what you hear using a CD transport directly reading the CD. It is far more convenient and opens up your entire music library for instant sorting and access. Music servers are the way that home audio is going...it just is. There is no longer any reason for even high end music systems not to be using a music server system. I agree, it is nice to have a large file of music ripped to HD's, and yes there are lossless semi/non compressed formats(FOr example if you rip a CD using Windows media WAV files you'll end up with a file twice as large as the original cd)but your still sending the signal through alot of chains, and IMO the sound isn't always as good. There are lots of articles that are for and against the HD stored format. I have found that the quality ripped files can be just as good in many instances as a good cd player/transport, but the cost many times is no different or higher than a quality dedicated cd player/changer setup. THat being said, as much as I love my ipod/HD server music file system, I still love looking through my collection of thousands of CD's and putting them in a single player transport or quality changer. Its no less convenient for me to do it either way. As a side note, I have yet to find a new or used cd changer for under $200/300 on Audiogon that rivals the Adcom GCD-700. Its a high quality unit that features a full Class A signal with dual Burr Brown DACs and requires no preamplifier due to its variable outputs. Plug it in direct to an amp or monoblocks for dirt cheap setup that still rivals alot of today's megabuck setups.
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Post by strindl on Dec 23, 2009 21:00:10 GMT -5
a lossless format can be compressed without the loss of ANY music quality. Formats like Flac, wma lossless, etc... act like zipping any other computer file. When you unzip a zipped file that file is bit for bit exactly like the original file. Compressing a file does not remove any data...none at all. Systems like the logitech duet are fully capable of uncompressing a compressed file on the fly.
Lossy files like mp3 actually remove information from the original file. That is noticeable on a good audio system. Playing a lossless format ripped file is indistinguishable from the original played from the cd on a cd transport. The quality of what you hear is then dependent on the quality of the DAC that decodes it...just like a CD is.
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ntrain42
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Post by ntrain42 on Dec 23, 2009 23:12:48 GMT -5
a lossless format can be compressed without the loss of ANY music quality. Formats like Flac, wma lossless, etc... act like zipping any other computer file. When you unzip a zipped file that file is bit for bit exactly like the original file. Compressing a file does not remove any data...none at all. Systems like the logitech duet are fully capable of uncompressing a compressed file on the fly. Lossy files like mp3 actually remove information from the original file. That is noticeable on a good audio system. Playing a lossless format ripped file is indistinguishable from the original played from the cd on a cd transport. The quality of what you hear is then dependent on the quality of the DAC that decodes it...just like a CD is. As usual, your missing and warping what I'm trying to say.
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Mister L'fe
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Post by Mister L'fe on Dec 23, 2009 23:27:15 GMT -5
I think we can argue the merits of different file formats and and lossy versus lossless... The real point is storing and playing back music and video on a computer is here and the move will be away from removable spinning discs. And what we need is a way to extract the highest quality from those files stored on the computer.
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Post by strindl on Dec 24, 2009 1:15:06 GMT -5
I think we can argue the merits of different file formats and and lossy versus lossless... The real point is storing and playing back music and video on a computer is here and the move will be away from removable spinning discs. And what we need is a way to extract the highest quality from those files stored on the computer. Now THAT's the truth.
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Post by SticknStones on Dec 24, 2009 11:34:05 GMT -5
I think we can argue the merits of different file formats and and lossy versus lossless... The real point is storing and playing back music and video on a computer is here and the move will be away from removable spinning discs. And what we need is a way to extract the highest quality from those files stored on the computer. Now THAT's the truth. Well technically you still have spinning disks but it is a hard drive until things go solid state! One things for sure their will be new formats and methods that we all will be adopting to! I personally think you will not be downloading to media servers for very long and I think it will all be a service through large service providers where they will have master libraries and you will build your content that is metadata oriented giving you access to this stuff. It is still a few years away but distribution costs, piracy loss, and other criteria will pave us in that direction. Just my humble opinion as this trend is still in its infancy!
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