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iTunes 10.2 Qualiy Playback

post #1 of 14
3/9/11 at 4:23am
Thread Starter 

This may be a silly question, but I'm using iTunes 9.2 to play WAV files. I haven't upgraded to 10.2 yet, I was just curious if anyone that upgraded to 10.2 notices a degrade in audio quality playback? I was reading issues about 10.1 that was occurring with Mac, I didn't know if Apple fixed it for 10.2.

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post #2 of 14
3/9/11 at 7:44am

What issues?  

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post #3 of 14
3/9/11 at 7:02pm
Thread Starter 

Issue posting can be found here, not sure if anyone else is experiencing the same. That thread is only a couple of weeks old:

 

http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=2576529&start=60&tstart=0

 

 

I have two computers, I upgraded one to 10.2, and I'm still using 9.2 on another. I'm playing 16-bit WAV in both, and I verified in QuickTime that it's set to16-bit playback and in my sound control panel iTunes has exclusive right. Version 9.2 sounds fine. My bass seems more muddy and midrange seems distorted using 10.2 for some reason.

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post #4 of 14
3/11/11 at 7:35pm

I can't answer your question specifically on iTunes 10.2 but I wouldn't recommend iTunes in general if you after high quality sound, particularly on Windows.

 

If you are on Windows, I'd recommend Foobar2000. If you must use iTunes at least enable WASAPI output in the quicktime preferences.

 

If you are on OSX, refer to this thread - http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/539740/mac-os-x-music-players-alternatives-to-itunes

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post #5 of 14
3/12/11 at 5:31am
Thread Starter 

I do have WASAPI output enabled and my playback definitely sounds better. I would love using Foobar2000 but I haven't found a way to tag WAV files for scrobbling use for Last.fm.

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post #6 of 14
3/15/11 at 9:28pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by sw98 View Post

I do have WASAPI output enabled and my playback definitely sounds better. I would love using Foobar2000 but I haven't found a way to tag WAV files for scrobbling use for Last.fm.



I think that's because .WAV files don't support metadata. Which is why I think most people use it, besides the file size issue.

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post #7 of 14
3/15/11 at 10:21pm

Wait. The issue is only with iTunes right? It doesn't affect the quality of audio file?

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post #8 of 14
3/16/11 at 4:53pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by yliu View Post

Wait. The issue is only with iTunes right? It doesn't affect the quality of audio file?


At least in my experience right now, iTunes seems to be affecting the playback quality of the audio file. It doesn't harm the file itself.

 


 

Quote:
Originally Posted by J.Pocalypse View Post





I think that's because .WAV files don't support metadata. Which is why I think most people use it, besides the file size issue.


Dang. So I guess the only solution is converting everything to FLAC and then tagging it with Foobar 2000?

 

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post #9 of 14
3/16/11 at 7:27pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by sw98 View Post




At least in my experience right now, iTunes seems to be affecting the playback quality of the audio file. It doesn't harm the file itself.

 


 


Dang. So I guess the only solution is converting everything to FLAC and then tagging it with Foobar 2000?

 


What I did, since I have iTunes on a Win 7 laptop, take all the .WAV files, import them to iTunes, and select "Make Apple Lossless Version" from "Advanced" in the menu. Sadly, iTunes doesn't support .FLAC natively. You'll have to add all the Artis/Album/Song info that you want to have afterwords though. I just let my other laptop do all the work. Since it's pretty whimpy, it took about 6 days, 24 hours a day to get everything converted. 

 

In case you still want to use Foobar with WASAPI or ASIO to listen to your newly acquired .ALAC files, just download the ALAC decoder and put it in the "Components" folder of Foobar.

 

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post #10 of 14
3/17/11 at 3:00am

I just downloaded the latest iTunes and it seems to sound distinctively better. It could just be my imagination. Quick-time is set at direct out and for 24/96 stereo, which matches all audio devices, USB to X-FI HD to optical S/PDIF at Sony TA-E9000ES. All of my files are 16/44.1 .wav, except iTunes 256 downloads. Windows 7 up-samples all to 24/96 and, they all sound awesome.  I'm perceiving bass is more resolved too. My bass BTW is managed through the control amp with signal sent to Sony TA-N80ES bridged for about 560 watts into a JBL B380 15 inch sub. Right now I'm listening to the sound track from Crimson Tide, wow!


Edited by sterling1 - 3/17/11 at 3:43am
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post #11 of 14
3/17/11 at 4:50pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by J.Pocalypse View Post




What I did, since I have iTunes on a Win 7 laptop, take all the .WAV files, import them to iTunes, and select "Make Apple Lossless Version" from "Advanced" in the menu. Sadly, iTunes doesn't support .FLAC natively. You'll have to add all the Artis/Album/Song info that you want to have afterwords though. I just let my other laptop do all the work. Since it's pretty whimpy, it took about 6 days, 24 hours a day to get everything converted. 

 

In case you still want to use Foobar with WASAPI or ASIO to listen to your newly acquired .ALAC files, just download the ALAC decoder and put it in the "Components" folder of Foobar.

 


Good point, I'll try converting to ALAC and see if that helps.

 



Quote:
Originally Posted by sterling1 View Post

I just downloaded the latest iTunes and it seems to sound distinctively better. It could just be my imagination. Quick-time is set at direct out and for 24/96 stereo, which matches all audio devices, USB to X-FI HD to optical S/PDIF at Sony TA-E9000ES. All of my files are 16/44.1 .wav, except iTunes 256 downloads. Windows 7 up-samples all to 24/96 and, they all sound awesome.  I'm perceiving bass is more resolved too. My bass BTW is managed through the control amp with signal sent to Sony TA-N80ES bridged for about 560 watts into a JBL B380 15 inch sub. Right now I'm listening to the sound track from Crimson Tide, wow!

 

Weird, maybe I'm going crazy then. My bass just sounds really off, or it could be that it was muffled before iTunes finally fixed the bass issue to make it a bit more prominent.
 

 

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post #12 of 14
3/18/11 at 4:23am

Chech your iTunes EQ setting. Mine is set flat.

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post #13 of 14
3/18/11 at 9:13am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by sterling1 View Post

Chech your iTunes EQ setting. Mine is set flat.



Good idea, I forgot to check that. Which version are you using? 10.2 or 10.2.1?

 

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post #14 of 14
3/19/11 at 5:04am

10. 2.1.1

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