[SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Re: Looking for advice on sound quality
Mike Anderson Wrote: > Well, I'd have to get an external/firewire drive or something, so that'd > be a little more expensive than $100, and I'd have to keep it hooked to > my laptop (I'm assuming). > > But I'll do a blindfold test on a random sample of songs and see how > much difference I can detect between lossless and 320. If I can tell > the difference, I'll step up. > > Thanks for the advice. Also check out this thread for tips on mp3 vs. lossless: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=16497 The differences between 320kbps mp3 and 750k-ish FLAC will be all about high frequencies and phase accuracy. You will need a VERY good system, especially the tweeters, to appreciate a difference. I have always believed that room acoustics and speakers are the most imporant factors, but that's not our business. :) Sb2 aims to be the most accurate source, but there is so much more to the whole systems. -- seanadams ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
[SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Re: Looking for advice on sound quality
Well, I'd have to get an external/firewire drive or something, so that'd be a little more expensive than $100, and I'd have to keep it hooked to my laptop (I'm assuming). But I'll do a blindfold test on a random sample of songs and see how much difference I can detect between lossless and 320. If I can tell the difference, I'll step up. Thanks for the advice. -- Mike Anderson ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Re: Looking for advice on sound quality
On Thu, 2005-09-29 at 22:13 -0700, gharris999 wrote: > Your maggies deserve lossless! What he said. > If you do decide to go lossless, you might want to spend money first on hard > disks, rather than a DAC. You can get 250GB disk drives for under $100, so a little money will eliminate any need to worry about compression rations. Just use FLAC and be happy. > using a modified ART DI/O DAC. So far, it’s hard to qualify the > difference between the ART and the internal DAC in the SB2. For example, I would not expect any big difference between a stock ART DI/O and the SB2, maybe the SB2 would be a little better. The key is to get a good solid system, get used to listening to it. And if you get a big bonus, think about what to upgrade. With the Maggies, you probably won't consider speakers the weak link for a while. I'd suggest room acoustic treatment as the next upgrade before an external DAC. -- Pat http://www.pfarrell.com/music/slimserver/slimsoftware.html ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
[SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Re: Looking for advice on sound quality
Your maggies deserve lossless! Try encoding something with ALAC as an easy to accomplish test, and compare it with the AAC at 320. If you do decide to go lossless, you might want to spend money first on hard disks, rather than a DAC. Ive got an older pair of MG 3.5s and Im using a modified ART DI/O DAC. So far, its hard to qualify the difference between the ART and the internal DAC in the SB2. Im very happy listening to the SB2 analogue out. -- gharris999 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
[SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Re: Looking for advice on sound quality
> 1) The SB2 is hooked to the network via ethernet cable, but my iBook is > going wireless through an Airport card. Will it make any difference > whether I hook up the iBook with an ethernet cable too? If you don't notice any drop outs streaming then the transport medium shouldn't make any difference. > 2) Does it make any difference how long the ethernet cables are? Cable length shouldn't impact your streaming experience unless they are very long (>300 feet theoretical). > 3) Am I going to notice a huge difference if I get a bigger hard drive > and go to lossless compression instead of 320 kbps? In my view this is a subjective question. I personally don't notice any different between my lossless flac and 320kbps streaming. I don't have a $1000 dac either...however 320kbps is a great way to listen if that is what is available. Others may disagree though. I am a great fan of flac for the pure reason that it is the same as the original cd quality. I have not lost anything ripping it to pc and thus have not lost anything by throwing away my cds. > ) I don't really have $1,000 to spend on a DAC; how much am I hurting my > sound by going out the SB2's analog outs? With the quality of my > amp/speaker setup, should I bite the bullet and get a decent DAC? > This is also one of those subjective questions. I guess if you have never driven the Ferrari then you won't know what you are missing. I don't have...(and probably won't ever buy) a $1000+ DAC. I have a reasonable DAC in my system and it plays music that sounds better than my reasonably priced CD player, so I am happy. My belief is that most people would be happy streaming from the RCA (or digital) outs to a reasonable system. (After all it's the music that counts, right? (anyone up for the LP versus CD digression?)). The DAC in the Squeezebox is quite reasonable and after reading quite a few discussions on this forum comparing different hardware my conclusion is that the Squeezebox is an absolutely excellent buy for what you get. -- tgoldstone ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
[SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Looking for advice on sound quality
Hi all, I'm a bit of a newbie to computer-served hi-fi audio, and I'm just starting to put together a rig, so I'm looking for some general advice on how to get the best sound out of my SB2. By way of background, I'm running through a Musical Fidelity A3.2 integrated amp into Magnepan MMGs. At this point I've got the SB2 going directly into the amp from the RCA analog outs of the SB2. My music is sitting on my iBook G4, the vast majority of it coded in AAC at 320 kbps. Here are my questions: 1) The SB2 is hooked to the network via ethernet cable, but my iBook is going wireless through an Airport card. Will it make any difference whether I hook up the iBook with an ethernet cable too? 2) Does it make any difference how long the ethernet cables are? 3) Am I going to notice a huge difference if I get a bigger hard drive and go to lossless compression instead of 320 kbps? 4) I don't reallly have $1,000 to spend on a DAC; how much am I hurting my sound by going out the SB2's analog outs? With the quality of my amp/speaker setup, should I bite the bullet and get a decent DAC? 5) Anybody tried the Headroom products? I'm looking at the Micro DAC for $300: http://www.headphone.com/products/headphone-amps/headroom-amps/the-micro-line/headroom-micro-dac.php This seems like a reasonably-priced quality DAC, but frankly I'm not all that up on this stuff, so I could use some advice. Thanks, Mike -- Mike Anderson ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] optimal sound level squeezebox2?
On Thu, 2005-09-29 at 20:35 -0700, x94blair3 wrote: > Soo...I moved on to albums I have ripped in flac. And it was > noticeably better but still "off". At this point it's driving me > insane. And I suddenly think, could it be the volume level I have the > squeezebox set to? Sure enough I have it maxed out, so I lowered it to > 20 and upped my stereo volume to compensate. >[snip] > Is it possible the the maxed volume setting on the SB2 wss contributing > to the problem or am I just losing it at 11:32PM? If that is the case, > any tips on how to maximize my listening pleasure? Yes, it is easy. Hard to know for sure, because there are many ways. The SB2 puts out a fairly high voltage level. It can over drive the input, causing distortion at several levels. If it sounds bad, it is bad. > I don't confess to know much about electronics, or even the hardcore > side of being an audiophile. I love music, I have a crapload of it, > and in time I'd like to feel that I've got quality bang for my buck > equipment and speakers and plenty of money left over to buy more music. > I'll never touch the level of expertise or interest that you guys > exhibit. Be careful. For most folks, it is all about the music. Most of the wacko audiophiles started out quite sane, they just wanted to make the music sound more real. SqueezeBoxes cause people to listen to more music. I've bought many times more music recently than I did in the ten years before I got my first SqueezeBox. -- Pat http://www.pfarrell.com/music/slimserver/slimsoftware.html ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
[SlimDevices: Audiophiles] optimal sound level squeezebox2?
This might sound crazy...but...here goes. I noticed tonight that my a couple of albums in my "sleeping playlist" sounded like garbage. It's hard to describe exactly...sort of warbly? At the time I was listening to an album from Itunes. I made a mental note to rip the quality of their mp3's (and lack of support for lossless) in my blog in the morning and moved on to the next album. This one was an mp3 album also but from another site. It sounded "better" but maybe not really. Soo...I moved on to albums I have ripped in flac. And it was noticeably better but still "off". At this point it's driving me insane. And I suddenly think, could it be the volume level I have the squeezebox set to? Sure enough I have it maxed out, so I lowered it to 20 and upped my stereo volume to compensate. Now even the garbage from itunes sounds "better" although it's painfully obvious that I need to replace the albums with true lossless copies. I don't confess to know much about electronics, or even the hardcore side of being an audiophile. I love music, I have a crapload of it, and in time I'd like to feel that I've got quality bang for my buck equipment and speakers and plenty of money left over to buy more music. I'll never touch the level of expertise or interest that you guys exhibit. Is it possible the the maxed volume setting on the SB2 wss contributing to the problem or am I just losing it at 11:32PM? If that is the case, any tips on how to maximize my listening pleasure? Sorry if this is misinformed or way off the wall... Nick -- x94blair3 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Re: External DAC?
On Thu, 2005-09-29 at 19:07 -0700, GreenMan wrote: > I ran into the same issue with the local Benchmark vendor, though I've > heard that Benchmark might allow a demo on a company-direct purchase. Mercenary has a money back guarentee. http://www.mercenary.com/ They don't demo, but you can buy something and send it back. They of course, want you to buy something else from them. They have many different DACs, but they start at about $900 for stereo. You have to trust your ears, but I don't hold a lot of confidence in DACs that are priced about the same as the SB2 being a lot better. Sean has put a lot of good engineering into the SB2. Keep looking for a better vendor. Or depending on where you are, you might find someone who has what you want and you can audition it privately. -- Pat Farrell http://www.pfarrell.com ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
[SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Re: External DAC?
Mike Hanson Wrote: > > Ultimately, you'll never know for sure until you try it in your own > system. Everyone has different expectations, and system + stand + room > variations will cause everyone's setup to sound different. For example, > the coldness of your Krell may make the Benchmark unlistenable (to you). > Do your best to try each of the options, or you'll be second-guessing > yourself forever. > > -=> Mike Hanson <=- Well, Scott Nixon apparently doesn't demo his models. He told me so in a reply email. I understand his situation. He's a small shop, and borrowed models tend to just go missing. It's an unfortunate reality for a small business owner I suppose. I ran into the same issue with the local Benchmark vendor, though I've heard that Benchmark might allow a demo on a company-direct purchase. That may be my only hope. The Dac-ah intruiges me. I've shelled out for audio this year and I'd like to economize on the next purchase. There's a big diff between $170 and $970. Eight-hundred dollars worth, to be precise ;-) -- GreenMan ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
[SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Re: Amp? solution for my squeezebox2
The SI amp has a very loyal following. Check the www.diyAudio.com class-d forum for more info. -- mac ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
[SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Amp? solution for my squeezebox2
I'm planning to move my squeezebox to the bedroom (with plans to run my new HTPC as it's own player within my entertainment center). I was looking for some sort of inexpensive solution and stumbled across this: http://tinyurl.com/9nvb4 I was planning to pair this with a couple of bookshelf speakers...possibly Axiom Audio M2i's. Does this seem like a good solution? What are others doing? Is there something that'll offer as good or better quality in this same price range. at $280 for a pair of M2i's + $30 for a T-amp it's a $300 solution... Nick -- x94blair3 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
[SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Re: Favorite Playlist / Track for Sound Testing
Deaf Cat Wrote: > > 'Gangsta Bounce' by Wolfpak > 'Confusion (Pump Panel Reconstruction Mix)' by New Order > to check out bass responce. > > Does this explain the "Deaf" in your moniker? ;) Personally I seem to use "Crime of the Century" (Supertramp) and Sibelius 'Karelia' Ceejay. -- ceejay ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
[SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Favorite Playlist / Track for Sound Testing
Hi All, Just wondering if you have a favorite track, or a number of tracks to listen to when testing out different stereo upgrade / modification options? For example at the moment: I listen to: 'Come Away With Me' by Norah Jones 'Irma's Song' by Ivan Drever & Struan Eaglesham to hear the voices and the ambience effect, 'Rock This Country' by Shania Twain 'View From a Stairway' by Deepsky for more of a general response, 'Loving You (Bodyshock Dream Dance Edit)' by Marc Et Claude to see if I still want to move, and 'Gangsta Bounce' by Wolfpak 'Confusion (Pump Panel Reconstruction Mix)' by New Order to check out bass responce. Appreciate your thoughts on any other favorites you may have... Cheers -- Deaf Cat ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
