Amarra - Page 3

I am so glad I don't have to worry about sound cards and drivers.

Are you referring to http://bitperfectsound.com ?

No, I wasn't. But it is pretty much one in the same.

I think I'll pass on XLD

Following the KISS principal, I'll use iTunes for CD's

I hope that isn't implying you found XLD difficult. It's a nice piece of software.

In Amarra and others changing sample rate is configurable.

I've always disabled it because I don't want the data stream reprocessed.

 

It makes no sense at all to do that.

If a recording is 16bit 44.1Khz I leave it that way.

Both my DACs switch on the fly from Amarra regardless of clock source.

 

My old remastered blues recording sound just as good as a newer release that is 24bit 96Khz.

The recording studios in the 50's 60's used unsophisticated tape machines.  Remastering, buy definition starts with the same masters.

They are scrubbed. 

There isn't any value in greater bit depths or sample rates.   As such the releases are 16/44.1  because that's all that's necessary.

Musically they sound the same as 24/96.  Upsampling has only risks and no rewards.  IMO

Turn iTunes volume all the way up. Turn off EQ and any other effects. Match the settings in the Audio Midi Setup application (located in /Applications/Utilities) to the source in iTunes. Restart iTunes.

To me, it's all about the master. Only speakers are nearly as important. In between the master and the speakers, nothing matters much as long as the equipment isn't complete junk and everything is reasonably well matched. (Sure, improving that equipment can make a difference in sound quality, but that difference is small compared to the difference obtained from a better master or a speaker upgrade.

HD tracks provide potential for more dynamic range. However, studios aren't releasing music that takes advantage of all of the potential dynamic range of a redbook CD, so there isn't a compelling reason to choose HD tracks over CD. For some people, there isn't a compelling reason to choose CD or lossless over 256 kbps VBR ACC (iTunes Plus), since 256 kbps AAC is audibly transparent for most songs for most people.

Still if a recording is available on HD Tracks I will buy it there rather than iTunes.
If there wasn't a difference iTunes wouldn't have "mastered for iTunes". 
I think the sound is noticeable over the vanilla versions.  Ditto HD Tracks.

Error correcting on. Import as ALAC. Convert to iTunes Plus for portable use. For some albums I keep the lossless copy in the iTunes library; for others I keep the lossless copy only on an external backup drive.

[reply]I haven't looked, and I can find out for myself,.... But I'm asking.  Can iTunes be configured for an outboard DAC?[/quote]

Yes, though it's actually OS X that is configured to use the DAC via Audio MIDI Setup..

Not goin' to get an argument out of me. I am also of the opinion that upsampling is detrimental.

No I can handle command oriented applications.

My gut told me there wasn't a benefit.

 

You told me to use XLD to rip CD's, but you didn't tell me A) What parameters to use.  B) If those parameters were unique to XLD and not available in iTunes.  C) What benefit would be gained by using XLD.

 

Again, I'm open minded, I just need to understand the benefit.  Or your opinion of the benefit.

Bingo !

I import CDs with iTunes. I use XLD to transcode from FLAC to ALAC. My XLD settings are such that the resulting files are moved (not copied) into my iTunes library.

Bingo ! Revised.

 

That parameter (up sampling) makes me scratch my head when looking at these software players because it's voodoo and counter intuitive to their big claim of playing Lossless music at high sample rates.  If that's the big benefit (and I think it is), why the heck have a parameter that tweaks the data stream?

 

One of the biggest reasons you won't find flac and such on iTunes is that Apple doesn't want you shopping anywhere else..... google is changing that.

I am not here to convert you. I threw out a recommendation, but to each their own, I'm not going to tell you how to set it up

based on my use basis. So as far as parameters: dig around and find out. Or don't. 

Are you sure it's not because FLAC is for a niche crowd. So what's the use in that....

 

Bandwidth

storage

limited benefits, etc...

Edited by paradoxper - 12/1/12 at 2:47pm

A friend tels me I gotta go to a restaurant and try the chicken soup.   He doesn't tell me to go to the supermarket and buy some carrots and a chicken.