Archimago;497345 Wrote: > Just got my Beatles USB stick. Anyone done ABX testing of 24 bit FLAC > vs CD? > > I'm thinking of upsampling a track from remastered 16-bit CD to 24-bits > and doing some ABXing myself, any Beatle audiophile can recommend which > track is considered of high enough quality that 24 bits can make a > difference???
OK, I got intrigued by this thread and went out last night and bought me the USB (I got a really good price at my local HMV -- $149.00). My god, quel difference! I don't believe this. Is it really possible that a 8 bit longer word can make such an audible difference? My first shock -- "Here Comes The Sun". The opening guitar arpeggios are leaping out of the left speaker, followed by the light tapping on the guitar. When doing the A/B comparison with the 2009 stereo 16-bit remaster, I hear that the same guitar intro is somehow a bit muddled, the strings are not resonating as brightly as on the 24-bit remaster. And the light tapping on the guitar is audible on the 16-bit remaster, but not nearly as clear and prominent as on the 24-bit remaster. The bass -- much firmer on the 24-bit. It seems to resound deeper, and sounds less colored. It really offers a true foundation for the song. Also, Paul's pick is more clearly audible on certain passages, as he plucks the bass strings. Quick A/B comparison with the 16-bit reveals that the bass is muddier, and sounds somehow wobbly next to the firmer 24-bit rendition. Also, the pick-on-the-strings is much less audible. The vocals -- more present. I can plainly see George standing in front of the right speaker. and the angelic vocals behind him (John and Paul) are sweet as honey. Switching back to the 16-bit, the voices are more pushed to the back of the sound stage. The strings -- more present in the right speaker on the 24-bit. Firmer, with longer decay, not to mention more naturally sounding. The Moog synth in the left speaker -- sweeter than ever. Finally, the crowning achievement -- Ringo's cymbals. Good god, they sound awesome! Much, much better than on the 16-bit. Especially his quieter hits on the splash cymbal; while still discernible on the 16-bit, on the 24-bit they truly blossom to full life. Pay attention to his cymbal work during the transition from verse to the bridge (right before the first "Sun, sun, sun, here it comes!") -- the cymbals, even though they're very quiet and buried in the mix, shimmer with such beauty. They carve their own prominent niche in the sound stage, a niche that is pleasantly pushed slightly to the back. The heart aching decay of the quiet splash cymbal is super long and sweet. That part of magic is all but lost on the 16-bit. Also, Ringo's drums have more real body on the 24-bit, especially his toms. Next thing that blew me away is "Words Of Love". The jangling guitars that open the song are so much janglier than on the 16-bit. They leap out of the mix and hit you straight in the heart. Then, on the fourth repeat of the opening lick, when the band behind the guitars stops, you can hear Ringo quietly counting off on his high-hat cymbal. It's uncanny. Yes, you can hear this quiet counting off on the 16-bit too, but it's way muddier, inarticulate, and messy. On the 24-bit, this count off is crystal clear, very sharply imaged in the sound stage. The final proof for anyone who is skeptical about the audible differences between the two remasters -- during the guitar solo in the middle, we hear very subdued hands clapping in the background. On the 24-bit, these are clearly and obviously hands clapping, each clearly separated form the next one. On the 16-bit, we hear SOMETHING, but it is not at all clear that these are hands clapping. It could very well be wood black clapping, or some such percussive, dull sound. The percussive sounds are not clearly delineated, as they seem to overlap and step on each others' toes. The differences are very easily perceptible, it's almost like a completely different mix. And yet, both masters come from the same mix. Interestingly, on my vinyl "Beatles For Sale", I hear hands clapping the same way they sound on the 24-bit. It would appear that the 16-bit, even when remastered very carefully, still is inferior to the good vinyl. Hmmmm... I have many more observations that I was able to cull from my comparative listening, but I won't bore you with those here... -- magiccarpetride ------------------------------------------------------------------------ magiccarpetride's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=37863 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=72852 _______________________________________________ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/mailman/listinfo/audiophiles
