I was pretty close to ordering a decently priced used-WA22 today without having a chance to test it. Since I do like the T1, BHA-1 is back on target for now.

  Quote:   Yeah I did encode them myself using XLD which uses LAME. I used 320kbps CBR High Q (-q 2), Stereo, down-sampled to 44.1khz. But you're spot on with spotting the artifacts. My count of 8/8 was after I found it. I stopped after 8 because my ears were so tired of listening...

Great news!   Finally, I've been able to hear the difference between lossless and 320kbps MP3. I've been testing with Foobar+ABX. I have found a section where I can reliably (100% out of 8 ABX tests). I stopped after that.   Source: The Four Seasons by Amandine Beyer & Gli Incogniti -...

  Quote:   Thanks for this. I will do my further tests with this setup.   I've just spent an hour or so testing the demo version of Amarra Mini. Since it has on-off button where it will bypass Amarra, it's like A/B testing. But there is a bit of a gap/delay while switching, so it is...

I don't understand how it can produce better details when: - FLAC/ALAC are defined codecs - Bit-perfect output    But nevertheless, I'm convinced enough to give it a go. I just signed up for a demo. :-)   Will report back if there are any revelations with my setup.

It's been a while since I posted on this thread. But I've finally managed to get my gears sorted out to do my first A/B testing.   Conclusion: I can't tell the difference. Yet.. Setup: Source: The Four Seasons by Amandine Beyer & Gli Incogniti - 24bit 96khz FLAC Track: 5 Concerto Pour...

Apparently the dynamic range capable within 16/44.1 is enough for our audible range. But, who knows without hearing for yourself? I've downloaded some free samples of 24/96 FLAC and 24/192 DXD WAV files (need to figure out how to play this monster). When I get some time, I'm planning on...

I haven't heard LX81, but you're right. Some pre-amps and integrated amplifiers are known to have a decent headphone out. Pioneer A400 was mentioned by some and so I was using it for a while. After much research and difficult decision making, I decided that high resolution was most important to...

Professor Amar Bose would be upset to hear about this thread. If we're talking about QC2 and QC3's, I actually think their noise-cancelling performance is excellent. So if you want to share/discuss about them, no-one's going to stop you. But the thought of plugging them into some of the...

I've been buying more CDs, doing more tests and research, but without much luck. However, I was able to find some thoughts on this topic in various places. Of course, I can't verify whether they are true or not, since I haven't found a sample that I've persistently selected lossless over 320kbps...

So far, I'm having trouble telling which is better. Sometimes, I hear a difference, but I can't say which is better in AB tests. As someone said earlier, more I repeat the test, more tired my ears get, and harder it gets! I've been searching through my CD collections (usually...

Quote: Originally Posted by wuwhere Tracy Chapman N-Trance

I am in a similar situation. I have HD650, and have been sourcing amp solutions for both notebook and the CD player. After a lot of research, I've settled on Benchmark DAC1 USB + balanced cable. Once I get it, I should be able to share some thoughts on it.