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Audio conversion of FLAC & ALAC files

Oct 15, 2014 at 4:06 PM Post #46 of 88
rockstar2005 said:
  Alchemist, 
 
As long as there's any doubt, even from you lol, I will stick with lossless. You even said for storage purposes you would use lossless. Why not AACs? lol 
 
Ok so ALAC will sound fine then on iTunes. I will just pretend I didn't see Kent's post on that then. lol 
atsmile.gif

 
Thanks, 
 
RockStar2005
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It might sound different on his system. I'm not making any claims one way or the other about what someone else hears.
 
If you have plenty of hard drive space and don't need to compress the files to fit them all onto a portable player, you might as well use lossless. Heck, I have multiple copies of my music collection (WAV, AIFF, ALAC, etc.) from back when I was experimenting with everything.
 
Oct 15, 2014 at 4:45 PM Post #47 of 88
Originally Posted by Music Alchemist /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 
Prove it scientifically and then you're getting somewhere.
 
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I compared countless ALAC files to their WAV counterparts. Countless. If my ears tell me there is a difference every single time, then there is a difference.
 
And please don't tell me "oh it's just an illusion/your brain is lying to you/you're hearing things". I will have none of it.
 
 
Let me ask a philosophical question:
 
If you cannot trust your own senses, can you trust anything at all? Or anyone at all? If my brain is lying to me about ALAC files every single time I compare them to WAV, can I trust what I am seeing too? And doing? Am I typing, or am I on a boat, fishing? Am I looking at my screen, or the barrel of a gun held by a russian soldier? Am I me? Do I exist? Do you exist? Should I use 100 dollar bills to wipe my bottom?
 
The rabbit hole goes DEEEEEEEP, so please don't start digging it.
 
 
I attempted to be humorous here.
 
Oct 15, 2014 at 4:47 PM Post #48 of 88
rockstar2005 said:
  Alchemist, 
 
I dunno. I gave my friend some ALAC files as a gift for iTunes listening. I hope he doesn't experience any BS. lol
 
Yeah but WAV and AIFF are not compressed so take up even more room. Even compressed formats like FLAC and ALAC are not tiny by any means. 
 
I have the dbPoweramp converter on my pc which is awesome, and on my phone my current player is PowerAmp. Well maybe it's the software? I dunno. 2 weeks from today I'll have the Z3 finally and will be using its stock Walkman app, which I've heard a few ppl on xda say sounds BETTER than PowerAmp when the Walkman's DSEE HX option (mp3 upscaler) is enabled (in addition to ClearAudio+, and I think bass booster?)!! Can't wait!!!
 
RockStar2005
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There is absolutely nothing wrong with any sound file, as long as you don't have a copy in a different format to compare it to. If all you have is one format, you will never notice anything.
 
Oct 15, 2014 at 4:49 PM Post #49 of 88
klarkkentthe3rd said:
  I compared countless ALAC files to their WAV counterparts. Countless. If my ears tell me there is a difference every single time, then there is a difference.
 
And please don't tell me "oh it's just an illusion/your brain is lying to you/you're hearing things". I will have none of it.
Click to expand...

 
I was referring to proving it scientifically to others, not doing private A/B tests.
 
It may very well sound different on your system, but until you can prove it, skeptics have nothing but your word to work with.
 
Oct 19, 2014 at 11:56 PM Post #52 of 88
Alchemist, 
 
After much deliberating, I've decided to go ahead and purchase the Sennheiser HD 598 headphones from Amazon. They will arrive Tuesday evening. Also with that purchase I ordered the FiiO E6 portable headphone amp (http://www.fiio.com.cn/products/index.aspx?ID=100000038039712&MenuID=105026001) too. Only $28, but like the 598s, very well-rated! Seems like a lot of ppl (I think you said something too?) on xda and even on Amazon who purchased the 598s said the E6 took the sound quality and volume of the 598s to another level! What's nice with the E6 is that you can turn off its EQ and just use the one from your phone instead. It's pretty tiny too (see link above) which is an added bonus. They say it not only adds volume and "weight" to the sound but it also helps to further clean it up too. So can't wait! 
 
I actually did try the AKG K550s at Best Buy last night and although they were insanely comfortable (felt like I wasn't even wearing headphones), they were def lacking in bass and overall punch. I don't know if it was b/c I was listening from my phone vs their system, or if it was the cable they used, but it just wasn't impressive. Plus I heard tape hiss too........ What?! lol But maybe they just need the E6 to shine? We'll see. I know you said as the headphones become less sensitive they require more power to sound good. So I'm keeping them, the K545s, and the Sony 1Rs as my backup plans, but I have a pretty strong feeling that the 598s are what I'm looking for. Just have to try them on and out when they arrive. And I know it takes 40 hours to break them in, so I'll be patient. 
 
Thanks again for all of your great info and advice on this! The things you'd mentioned like about closed-back being better than open-backed and WHY it was better had a definite impact on my decision to go with the Senns vs the AKGs. 
 
RockStar2005
 
Oct 20, 2014 at 11:33 AM Post #53 of 88

 
Cool, man.
 
What's nice with the E6 is that it's dirt cheap! Let me know how it sounds with and without the amp.
 
The only AKG models I'm interested in are the K812 and K1000, which cost four figures.
 
You're confusing the two. I said open-back headphones are usually better.
 
Oct 20, 2014 at 12:24 PM Post #54 of 88
Alchemist, 
 
Yes thanks for that info and I will definitely post an update here soon enough! Yeah the price is really sweet! 
 
I see. I wonder if Best Buy even carries those? I think the highest I saw were the K550s, but that was just what was on display. If I see either one on display I may give it a listen just for the hell of it. 
 
Doh! I knew all that, but I for some reason switched them when I typed it. I DID know opened-back is better, which is why I bought the Senns over the AKGs. lol But thanks. 
 
 
RockStar2005
 
Oct 20, 2014 at 12:41 PM Post #56 of 88
Oh ok. I know they have really expensive stereo equipment, but I guess not for headphones. 
 
They do have that McIntosh stereo system ($56k! lol) with the tube amps and all that. Looks really nice. And the twin set of "mesh" speakers too ($2k each lol). Those speakers are really cool though. Guy there told me they (I think McIntosh makes them too) got the technology from Einstein. The speaker itself is at the bottom only, but the sound comes through the tall twin set out of the mesh above it. I guess they have a thin sheet of something in there that carries positive/negative charges from the speaker up through the mesh so the sound comes out of there too. I thought it was fascinating. 
 
RockStar2005
 
Oct 20, 2014 at 1:43 PM Post #58 of 88
Oh ok. Well I didn't see any (that I remember) on display in the "Magnolia" (premium only) section. They had the K550s though and like Senn HD 650s, etc. 
 
One thing I don't get Alchemist with regards to Harman/Kardon is why is it that if both BMW and Mercedes Benz put H/K speakers in their cars that they're not considered "premium"? Or at least, i didn't see them there at Best Buy's Magnolia section, though I only looked at display items, so I might be wrong. 
 
I think H/K headphones (http://www.harmankardon.com/estore/hk/us/products/NC/HARKAR-NC_HK_US?skuId=HARKAR-NC_HK_US&searchMode=regularProductOnly&sCatId=cat680038) look very similar to the Bowers & Wilkins ones (http://www.bowers-wilkins.com/Headphones/Headphones/Headphones/P7.html) in terms of style. I really like both in terms of looks at least. H/K needs to make a pair of OVER-ear not on-ear headphones that DON'T have NC or BT though. 
 
I didn't know that Sidney Harman had created the first hi-fi stereo system.  http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/14/business/media/14harman.html?_r=0  I guess being the first doesn't mean being the best? lol
 
 
RockStar2005
 
Oct 20, 2014 at 3:39 PM Post #59 of 88
rockstar2005 said:
  Oh ok. Well I didn't see any (that I remember) on display in the "Magnolia" (premium only) section. They had the K550s though and like Senn HD 650s, etc. 
 
One thing I don't get Alchemist with regards to Harman/Kardon is why is it that if both BMW and Mercedes Benz put H/K speakers in their cars that they're not considered "premium"? Or at least, i didn't see them there at Best Buy's Magnolia section, though I only looked at display items, so I might be wrong. 
 
I think H/K headphones (http://www.harmankardon.com/estore/hk/us/products/NC/HARKAR-NC_HK_US?skuId=HARKAR-NC_HK_US&searchMode=regularProductOnly&sCatId=cat680038) look very similar to the Bowers & Wilkins ones (http://www.bowers-wilkins.com/Headphones/Headphones/Headphones/P7.html) in terms of style. I really like both in terms of looks at least. H/K needs to make a pair of OVER-ear not on-ear headphones that DON'T have NC or BT though. 
 
I didn't know that Sidney Harman had created the first hi-fi stereo system.  http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/14/business/media/14harman.html?_r=0  I guess being the first doesn't mean being the best? lol
 
RockStar2005
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That's why I said only at some locations. (They list them on their site.)
 
Focal make six-figure speakers, but their headphones are under $400. I don't know much about speakers, but car speakers aren't the first thing that come to mind when I think of high-end speakers. I would imagine that even the best car speakers can't compete with an affordable, but serious speaker system.
 
Inventors are rarely the ones who get rich off of their creations. Blame marketing for that.
 
Oct 20, 2014 at 4:16 PM Post #60 of 88
Alchemist, 
 
Well you would know more about it than me! lol 
 
I guess I just assumed they were using the best quality car speakers out there? I dunno. If what you said about Focal is true, than I guess H/K isn't the only one in that boat. 
 
Six figure speakers?!!!! lol 
basshead.gif

 
They had I think the P3 or P5 B&W headphones at my BB. I may go back and check again later today cuz I have to go that way anyway. What's funny is before I found out about Hi-Res FLACs recently I didn't even care about headphones at all. lol 
 
 
Well he def got rich lol......... that article made that clear. He was an engineer and businessman too apparently. Sounds like a smart guy. Maybe they thought they'd make more money selling the "cheaper" headphones vs four-figure+ headphones? lol
 
RockStar2005
 
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