Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Here is why no FF/RW
thomsens;220410 Wrote: > Without better integration, songscanner certainly isn't a fix - it's a > workaround at best. If it could be tied to the FF button then maybe > you are getting cloer. Check out this thread... KDF explains how to map Songscanner to the FFWD and RW remote buttons, as well as customizing the plugin's default exit behaviour. Great stuff. http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=39114&page=5 -- Yannzola Yannzola's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=874 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=36446 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
[SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Re: The Sooloos
jonheal;144982 Wrote: > Hot model, alright, but the stupidest product name ever. Actually... both seem to pull from the same source. "Mr. Sooloo. I'll be in the Transporter room..." -- Yannzola Yannzola's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=874 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=28499 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
[SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Re: The Sooloos
ModelCitizen;144738 Wrote: > Glad to see the boxes have no useless buttons and knobs on them... > (pretty model though.. lovely cleavage). > MC Agreed on both counts. -- Yannzola Yannzola's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=874 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=28499 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
[SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Re: Replaygain affecting sound quality?
ezkcdude Wrote: > I am using MP3Gain to make the adjustements, and wonder whether I should > set the "Target" volume to a high (>100 dB) or low (<90 dB). The main > issue I see is clipping. As was discussed in another thread, many of > the CD's nowadays are so loud (>100 dB), that it would seem that you > need to have a replaygain that is even higher, just to prevent clipping > of these CD's. So, I'm leaning towards the higher level of gain, which > will prevent clipping of these CD's and just raise the level of the > quiter CD's. Does this make sense? I'm not sure I understand your question... but I'll take a stab. I beleive the clipping you mention is only an issue for lossy files (e.g. MP3's) and is introduced during transcoding. This type of clipping can be adressed by =lowering= the ovrerall gain of the album or individual tracks. Lossless file formats (e.g. FLAC) never clip (AFAIK)... unless the source was clipped originally. If the source had clipping (due to poor "loud" compressed mastering) you are out of luck. Adjusting gain won't do anything but adjust the percieved volume it cannot repair or replace missing information. Also... I'm not certain if MP3Gain uses Replaygain tags at all, or if it actually modifies the MP3 file(?) Can't remember... but I don't think it's a good idea to use both. -- Yannzola Yannzola's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=874 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=18948 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
[SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Re: SB3 rave in Stereophile March eNewsletter
P Floding Wrote: > Since you post this in the "Audiophile" section, I'll just treat it as a > flame bait. I assume your joking, P? I consider myself a "budget audiophile", where the challenge and fun of the hobby is getting the best value/sound for the buck. But there are many diffrent flavors of audiophilia... including the "conspicious audiophile" Dan mentions, most commonly seen at the upper extreme of the $ curve. -- Yannzola Yannzola's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=874 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=22301 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
[SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Re: Replaygain affecting sound quality?
Craig Wrote: > Yann > I discovered yesterday that if you set your album gain tag to +0.001 dB > then Slimserver rounds it down to 0.00 dB and seems to use it reliably. > Thanks for the tip Craig! I'll give that a go. I wonder if any progress has been made re: Bug 2793? It's been pretty quiet since we uploaded our files... -- Yannzola Yannzola's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=874 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=18948 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
[SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Re: Replaygain affecting sound quality?
jimmy Wrote: > Does SS use both the gain and the peak? I want to set the album related > tags so that when I play the whole album, the volume levels are exactly > the same as the original CD. So, I presume I set gain to 0db but what > about the peak? To 1? Or do I not set it all? Or can I delete it? > > Jimmy Jimmy, As far as I know, if your goal is "no change to gain from original source" you can safetly delete album_peak tags... and you +should+ be able to set the album_gain to 0 dB. Unfortunately, as currently implemented, this doesn't work as you'd expect. If you set your album_gain to 0, +0, 0.00, etc. Slimserver logic currently considers this as "undefined" and defaults to track_gain which is a very bad thing! Please vote for my bug http://bugs.slimdevices.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2793. For a quick fix, you can do what I'm doing... delete album_peak tags entirely, and set your album_gain tags to +0.01. Not quite zero (so Slimserver reads it) but pretty close. y. -- Yannzola Yannzola's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=874 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=18948 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
[SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Re: Replaygain affecting sound quality?
Craig Wrote: > ok, I'll do it but how do you enter an enhancement request? > > Craig Same as a bug. Only you mark the Severity as "enhancement". http://bugs.slimdevices.com/ -- Yannzola Yannzola's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=874 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=18948 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
[SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Re: Replaygain affecting sound quality?
Craig Wrote: > I made a suggestion a while back, that the preamp gain control should > have positive values too, that way you could offset the reduction in > level caused by replay gain and get the output level that you want. > Which in my case would be comparable with my CD player. > > Craig I didn't realize you couldn't already do this... I'd vote for it if you entered it as a feature request. -- Yannzola Yannzola's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=874 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=18948 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
[SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Re: Replaygain affecting sound quality?
Mike Anderson Wrote: > How does one do this? Mike, Personally I use either Foobar2000 probably any program that allows custom mass tagging would work. In Foobar2000, there is an option to manually set levels. -- Yannzola Yannzola's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=874 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=18948 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
[SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Re: Replaygain affecting sound quality?
Craig Wrote: > I was thinking about changing all my Album gain tags to 0db to see what > happens - I'll let you know. > > As far as I can see, SS or maybe the SmartGain routine seems to fall > back to track gain in the absence of Album gain tags which is even > worse if you have a very dynamic album, Pink Floyds The Wall has 24db > variation in track gains so playing the album with those adjustments > could hardly be called Hi Fi > > Craig Craig, I did some testing on my side with the latest 6.2.2 daily and it looks like SmartGain does indeed revert to Track-Gain if Album-Gain is set to 0dB or +0dB. As far as I'm concerned this is a bug. Which I've posted here: http://bugs.slimdevices.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2793 -- Yannzola Yannzola's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=874 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=18948 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
[SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Re: Replaygain affecting sound quality?
Craig Wrote: > I was thinking about this too the other day, what do you think about > having a new replay gain mode, similar to Smart but which doesn't use > replay gain on albums? That way you'd get replay gain when playing > random (which is when you need it most) but if you play an album you > get it full whack - just the same as if you were playing the cd. > > Of couse this could be achieved by setting all your album gain tags to > 0db while leaving track gain tags as they are. > > Craig Would simply =removing= the album-gain (and peak) tags work? Or will the Squueezebox fallback to track gain in the absence of any album gain tags? In particular while using the Smart Gain option... If album gain tags are neccessary... what should the values be? I'm assuming 0db for the gain adjustment tag but what about the album peak amplitude tag? 0, 0.0, 1 or 1.0? Is the peak tag even neccessary for album gain to be correctly interpreted, or can I safely delete it? Thanks! -- Yannzola Yannzola's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=874 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=18948 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
[SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Re: Another fun test? Vibration damping
Music Machine Wrote: > ...Then I tried it on a power amp and heard a similar though smaller > change in the sound. I don't really know why it happens. It's a > result looking for an explanation. I've had similiar experiences which is why I suggested doing an empirical test. As far as I know... no one has published anything like this before. IMHO The results would be interesting either way (noticable jitter or not). Come on Dean and Sean... do it for science! ;) y. -- Yannzola ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
[SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Re: Another fun test? Vibration damping
Music Machine Wrote: > Vibrating anything that is conducting alternating current causes that > thing to interact with the magnetic field it is itself generating. > Non-linear spectral contamination is the result. However small, it is > distortion. > > Regards, > Music Machine So I take it a battery powered unit would suffer less? Is that right? Interesting... -- Yannzola ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
[SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Re: Another fun test? Vibration damping
Neil Davidson Wrote: > > > > Personally I can see the point with a CD transport, but with pure > electronics without moving parts, hmmm Yup... you'd think so, and I agree. But lot's of folks =swear= they can hear improvements by isolating things like solid-state amplifiers, power sources, etc... I'm curious if this kind of tweak actually has a measurable effect, or if it's all placebo. -- Yannzola ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
[SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Another fun test? Vibration damping
It might be interesting to know if any measurable difference can be found jitterwise on either the analog or digital outputs when the Squeezebox is isolated (as much as possible) from physical vibration... Some hi-fi manufacturers swear that "floating" their boards has a noticable positive imapact (NAIM for one)... and god knows most audiophiles have at least played with spikes/cups/rubber feet/inner tubes... not to mention =much more= esotic (read: expensive) vibration damping rigs under their transports/amplifiers/PSU's/etc. I've never seen any hard numbers for these "improvements"... although I =have= heard the differenece these isolators can create. Here's an (basic) idea for a possible series of tests. Measure jitter while the device is idle; while its playing (no ambient sound - ext. amplifier off); playing (full rockin'/concert level sound). Then the same series of tests with some sort of vibration isolation in place. Anyone else interested? y. -- Yannzola ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
[SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Another fun test? Vibration damping
It might be interesting to know if any measurable difference was found on either the analog or digital outputs when the -- Yannzola ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
[SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Re: Amp? solution for my squeezebox2
x94blair3 Wrote: > Anyone use the same electronics and bundle it in a $100-200 range? If > not, perhaps that pre-modded option is worth considering. > That's what Vinnie does, here: http://www.redwineaudio.com/ -- Yannzola ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
[SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Re: Re-boxing SB2
Triode Wrote: > Andrew, > > Any views on the noise spectrum of Nicads/NMHi batteries? I am > speculating about a battery psu for the HCU04. As I am only interested > in digital out I am wondering whether this is a way to go. I'm > Currently using a simple linear reg for this. > > Adrian You should get in touch with Vinnie at Red Wine Audio, SB2 battery mods are his specialty. http://www.redwineaudio.com/SB2_Mods.html y. -- Yannzola ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
[SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Re: SB2 "audiophile edition"
fuzzyT Wrote: > well, not _just_ for the sake of fitting in. > > if the power supply and regulator bits were internal, then a bit larger > > case would be in order. and i'm not wanting anything massive, just a > something on the order of a standard CD player. > > --rt That's assuming folks want to have their SB2 sitting with the rest of their gear. Personally, I like my gear hidden away... with only the essential display bits visible. The smaller form factor is ideal for me. I can put it on top of any surface, just about anywhere. Something as large as a CDplayer would look out of place. Different strokes, eh? -- Yannzola ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
[SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Re: SB2 "audiophile edition"
Personally, I'm not so hot on the overall clock-radio look either. But I =love= the tiny footprint. Casing the SB in anything larger, just for the sake of "fitting in" with standard rack gear seems like a waste. y. -- Yannzola ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
[SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Re: DTS file for tests ?
seanadams Wrote: > PS If somebody has (or can create) a free DTS WAV file it would be a > really nice resource to have. This got me thinking... (uh oh) Maybe you could host a collection of "diagnostic/test" audio files on the SlimNetwork? Maybe some rights-free test tones, channel ID's, phasing, pink noise, etc. Might come in handy... y. -- Yannzola ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
[SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Re: Sound quality varible digital out vs. fixed digital output
pfarrell Wrote: > > I'm not sure what you mean here. 24 bit has no more headroom. > The normal way to look at digital signals is that zero dbfs > is the max. (dB full scale). Signals max out at 0 dBfs, and > get smaller. > It's only natural you don't know what I mean when I don't really know what I'm talking about. ;-) pfarrell Wrote: > > I don't know what you mean by re-aliased. Standard practice would > be to re-dither. Someone from SlimDev would have to comment > on what their algorithm does. > Re-aliasing you know...uh... OK. See above. Basically, I was asking if occured when the digital volume wasn't all the way to 40. uhhh... I think I should stick to using non-sense words when describing things I do not fully grok. It's only fair to make the extent of my ignorance obviously explicit. pfarrell Wrote: > > I bought my Classe years before I got my first > SqueezeBox. If I was starting over, I would consider skipping the > preamp completely and running the SqueezeBox directly into a pair > of monoblocks. If you later decided that you needed a preamp, > you can always add one. > Aha! Yes! This is what I was really after. If you had to do it from scratch would you (in a single source situation) bypass the pre-amp and go directly to amplification, using the digital volume control of the SB2 for attenuation. You =would= skip the pre-amp. Good answer... that saves me money! Thanks pfarrell! y. -- Yannzola ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
[SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Re: Sound quality varible digital out vs. fixed digital output
pfarrell Wrote: > > Use the volume knob on your preamp. > I'm considering pytting together a new hifi rig, with the SB2 as the only source. I was hoping to bypass analog volume control altogether... relying instead on the SB2 digital volume control of the analog out via RCA. Of course, the trade off here involves dropped bits vs. the potential signal loss introduced by the adding volume controls in the signal path. 99% of what I'll be listening to are 16bit Flacs. Will the 24bit digital volume control give me any headroom before modifying the signal? Or is the signal modified (re-aliased?) as soon as the digital volume is no longer fixed at 40? Basically, I'm wondering which is better (less sonically degrading) given the choice: adjusting the volume digitally or adding some sort of analog volume control into the stream? y. -- Yannzola ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
[SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Re: Blind testing, overrated for audio?
DrNic Wrote: > Unfortunatley double blind RCT's still form a prominent part of my > everyday life in surgery, and the need to critically appraise the stats > that accompany them... Double blind surgery? y. -- Yannzola ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
[SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Re: FLAC onboard decoding v. server side in SB2
Here's a thought: Could it be something like ReplayGain or some such tag info gumming up the works? I hear that server side FLAC's can be "gain adjusted" while onboard decoded FLAC's cannot. Could this be an issue =somehow= although I realize that in this instance it doesn't make sense (since the server side WAV and FLAC are identical). I suggest making certain that the test FLAC's are absolutely tag free during blind testing. y. -- Yannzola ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
[SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Re: Super regulator measurements
Sean, Did you try powering the SB with batteries? A la Vinnie Rossie? I'd be curious to know how this compares jitter-wise to Andy's super regs PSU mod. y. -- Yannzola ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
[SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Re: FLAC onboard decoding v. server side in SB2
from styx's ass Wrote: > The only plausible reason I can imagine for any audible difference is > that increased stress to the PSU affects the voltage or noise to the > clocks, which in turn produces jitter. Then again, I'm no electrical > engineer, and might be talking out of my ass. To me this sounds like a good challenge to all the 'lectrical engineers out there. Are there any =measurable= differences in PSU voltage, clock noise, etc, when the SB decodes a FLAC onboard vs. PCM streamed from the server? Get out your oscilloscopes, boys. y. (definitely talking out of my ass... which, BTW is =not= a good way to break the ice at parties) -- Yannzola ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
[SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Re: FLAC onboard decoding v. server side in SB2
Tried it again... and still can't hear a diffrence. Any others care to give it a go? y. -- Yannzola ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
[SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Re: FLAC onboard decoding v. server side in SB2
Okay... So I listened to the same track over and over and over again with FLAC>>WAV vs. FLAC>>(onboard). Tried it blind (had my wife induge me by engaging/disengaing the toggle and rstarting the track. Result: I couldn't honestly hear any diffrence. But... I'm not certain that the track was being re-sent to the SB each time. Is there a way to tell what is being sent (WAV or FLAC)? y. -- Yannzola ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
[SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Re: FLAC onboard decoding v. server side in SB2
Okay, I'm game. I'll try a HEARING test this eve... Sean, are the steps Timbo performed (deselecting all FLAC>XXX conversion options except for FLAC>WAV) the correct way to test for this? y. seanadams Wrote: > Like I said in the wired vs wireless topic: I am not going to entertain > the idea that there's a problem until someone can either HEAR or > MEASURE it. Either of those tests is extremely easy to perform. -- Yannzola ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
[SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Re: SB2 vs. Naim CDS+CDPS...
Tom Alves Wrote: > It's been a while since I've visited these boards but I feel the urge to > put a different voice here. Good to see your posting here, Tom! You were my original inspiration for trying out the SB2+DAC combo as an alternative to the CDS(1/2/3). I would absolutely =love= to hear what you hear... and hopefully I will. Anybody in the Seattle area willing to loan me a Chibi Saru DAC? Does Scott offer a some sort of return policy? y. -- Yannzola ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
[SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Re: FLAC onboard decoding v. server side in SB2
I don't think Timbo is claiming that he isn't getting the same data out (bit wise)... only that he is hearing a difference between a raw WAV file sent directly to the SB vs. the same info sent as a FLAC file decoded onboard. >From my reading of Timbo's post, it seems he agrees that both the FLAC and the raw WAV file when sent as a WAV to the SB (bypassing the internal FLAC decoding) both sound essentially identical. So... it seems to me the question not that the FLAC and WAV contain diffrent data, but how the process of onboard decoding potentially effects the output. Can the process involved in converting the FLAC onboard somehow effect the sound? y. seanadams Wrote: > FLAC is by definition lossless. If you're not getting the same data out > that you put in, then it's broken in every sense of the word. -- Yannzola ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
[SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Re: SB2 vs. Naim CDS+CDPS...
I think the incompatibilty issues have been resolved with the SB2. y. Nikhil Wrote: > > > Some earlier posts in this forum have talked about the incompatiility > of the DAC-X with the squeezebox, but those are older than six months. -- Yannzola ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
[SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Re: SB2 vs. Naim CDS+CDPS...
Keep us posted! Unfortunately, at a pricepoint of over $11K, the DCC2 is =seriously= out of my reach. It better sound =damn good= ;-) y. WSLam Wrote: > SB2 is impressive huh! > I ordered a EMM Labs DCC2 which will be arriving this week. I plan to > use that with the SB2,so everything gets upsampled to 5.8MHz DSD. > shouldbe interesting. -- Yannzola ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
[SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Re: SB2 vs. Naim CDS+CDPS...
Poking around a variety of forums has led me to belive that the following are all decent (affordable) options: - Scott Nixon ChibiSaru Dac+ and 3XAC PSU - Benchmark DAC 1 - Musical Fidelity X-DAC V3 + X-PSU - Audiosynthesis DAX Decade - 47 Labs Progression DAC + PSU Any more suggestions? .y -- Yannzola ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
[SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Re: SB2 vs. Naim CDS+CDPS...
Mike, are you using Scott Nixons 3Xac powersupply? Sounds like I need to visit my local hifi shops and borrow a few DACs... I'd love to get rid of my CD player entirely... but the ol' CDS has spoiled me to anything less. I've never tried anything with tubes... for instance Scott Nixons Tube DAC. How would you describe the sonic character of a tubed DAC vs. the punchy CDS "Naim sound"? Regardless... looks like it's time to tryout some alternative DACs. Thanks! y. Mike Hanson Wrote: > I've got two DACs here: the Benchmark DAC1 and the Scott Nixon Chibi > Saru NOS DAC. The Benchmark sounds much more refined than the Scott > Nixon, but sometimes it seems like the Scott Nixon is more fun. (The > Benchmark sometimes sounds a bit too controlled.) > > Neither is as good as my CDS2/XPS. > > -=> Mike Hanson <=- -- Yannzola ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
[SlimDevices: Audiophiles] SB2 vs. Naim CDS+CDPS...
Well, I did a blind test between my brand spankin new SB2 (plugged into the aux input of my Naim NAP102) and compared it to my loverly old CDS. No suprise really... the CDS won easily. But =not= by the huge margin you might expect... considering this was Naim flagship CD player for many years. I'll be doing more listening tests later this week, after giving the unit some time to "warm up" and break in properly (does this make a difference with the SB2?). Any suggestions for an external DAC that might bring this puppy up to par with the ol' CDS? Thanks! y. -- Yannzola ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
[SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Re: SB Audiophile Wish List
seanadams Wrote: > I was thinking we could drive the audio out of the s/pdif and then use > the DAC to drive a pair of galvanometers with mirrors attached to them > to generate the graphics, and then include a large argon laser with > every Squeezebox2. Ha ha... very funny mister smarty-pants ;-) I was thinking along the lines of those "lcd projection clocks". But lasers would be =way= cooler... great idea! y. -- Yannzola ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
[SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Re: SB Audiophile Wish List
seanadams Wrote: > As good as the benchmark DAC is (and it is very good IMHO) there is > nothing mysterious inside. > > It's some simple 3-terminal regulators, off-the-shelf DIR and DAC > chips, and inexpensive, standard op-amps. Doh! I thought Ultralock was some fancy patented hardware that somehow magically eliminated jitter. It's obvious I really don't know what I'm talking about ;) BTW: I think it's fabulous that you take the time to interact with your customers directly. That's very very cool. y. -- Yannzola ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
[SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Re: Off The Shelf Power Supply
Add me to the list as well... depending on cost, of course. y. -- Yannzola ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
[SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Re: SB Audiophile Wish List
kjg Wrote: > Even within the audiophile market, sound is not the only consideration, > > and looks, features and the cool factor still play a part. I agree, to a certain degree. In my opinion, the new look of the SB2 =is= cool. Minimal, with that oh-so-chic bulbous-yet-tapered look. If I were to redesign it, I would keep the small form-factor and basic shape, but improve the quality of the materials used. Brushed aluminum with maple or beech accents? A thicker fancier power cable (ideally attached to a better internal or external PSU)... something braided and translucent? "Sexier" product packaging? IMHO Good design doesn't draw attention to itself. Really good design is invisible. Here's a wacky idea: what if the SB interface was capable of being projected on a wall, with the unit itself hidden out of sight? y. -- Yannzola ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
[SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Re: SB Audiophile Wish List
Yannzola Wrote: > Is UltraLock Technology licenseable? Perhaps UltraLock =is= licenseable! It appears that it is currently being used in a variety of digital video decoders. The Benchmark DAC appears to be the first, and so far only pure audio implementation of the technology. Or... more likely... I could be confusing two similairly named technologies? ??? y. -- Yannzola ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
[SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Re: SB Audiophile Wish List
Andrew L. Weekes Wrote: > In fact, by placing the DAC externally you make it harder to acheive the > ultimate performance levels, since the digital interface is an > additional source of jitter which is over and above that you acheive > inside the player. > > Andy. What about creating a co-branded product? I'm thinking of Benchmark Media in particular. You could market the product as being the having the best of both worlds... the ultimate low jitter / high convinience transport + the best-value NO jitter DAC (w/ UltraLock Technology) available. Is UltraLock Technology licenable by itself? This would open up a new market for Benchmark, as well as strengthen the Squeezebox's position as =the= audiophile music server solution. y. -- Yannzola ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
[SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Re: HDCD encodin and playback...
So... I did a bit of research and thought I'd post the results here for anyone else curious about whether or not a FLAC file maintains the encoded HDCD signal of its source. In short, it does. The HDCD "code" is transmitted in "inaudible" portions of the standard 16bit redbook stream. EAC + FLAC should capture everything. However, the only way of decoding and playing back the additional "dynamic gain" information is through a Microsoft licensed 20 bit DAC addon chip. Re: the SB2. As long as the signal passing out of digital outs has not been resampled, an HDCD-enabled DAC =should= be able to playback the encoded 20bit signal. y. -- Yannzola ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
[SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Re: SB Audiophile Wish List
Andrew L. Weekes Wrote: > Interesting to still see so much about looks, and features, but none > about the sound...> > > > > > > I have to agree with Andy here sound is what ultimately matters. No > > amount of dolling up the case will substitute for that. > > > > If the cost of integrating an uber-audiophile class DAC in the SB is > > too cost prohibitive, how about focusing on making the SB as > > transparent and user upgradable/tweakable as possible? The existing dac > > could be kept in place for those on a budget (like me), but entirely and > > cleanly bypassable (sp?) for those who would rather run an external > > unit. > > > > Perhaps the PSU portion of the Audiophile SB could also be made > > similiarly "transparent". Allowing the user to either use the standard > > wallwart, or to bypass this circuitry entirely with some sort of > > external linear PSU. > > > > ??? > > > > y. -- Yannzola ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
[SlimDevices: Audiophiles] HDCD encodin and playback...
Q. Does FLAC encode the full 20bits of an HDCD recording? If so, can the SB2 decode and playback the original HDCD signal? y. -- Yannzola ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
[SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Re: SB Audiophile Wish List
How about a 75 ohm BNC SPDIF out? y. -- Yannzola ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
