[infinitesymphony]

I've found upsampling implementations in general to sound artificial, especially software upsampling. However, the Benchmark DAC1 upsamples, so it can't be all bad.

The specifications for the Opera say that while it does accept up to 24-bit/48 kHz via S/PDIF, the maximum rate via USB is 16-bit/48 kHz, so any benefits of higher bit-rates will be negated.

 

[003]

If you are hearing differences between lossless codecs then either the codec is lying about being totally lossless or there is either a hardware or software problem with the on-the-fly decoding of the codecs.

EDIT:
Oh and you're not ripping with something like EAC which guarantees a bit perfect rip, unlike other rippers which leave great probability for variations between rips of the same song.

 

[IPodPJ]

Where can I get EAC? Is it freeware?

 

[grawk]

If you're starting with a 16 bit file (like say, a cd), the 32bit wav and the 16bit wav will have exactly the same data. Playing back at 48 will involve resampling by either your computer or your soundcard, either of which is libel to cause problems. Set your soundcard to 44/16 if at all possible. As to why you think 48/32 sounds better than 48/16, I couldn't begin to answer that. Since the only thing that changes is 16 bits of 0s per sample.

 

[ph0rk]

google "Exact audio copy". Yes, it's freeware.

 

[IPodPJ]

Quote:

Originally Posted by grawk /img/forum/go_quote.gif If you're starting with a 16 bit file (like say, a cd), the 32bit wav and the 16bit wav will have exactly the same data. Playing back at 48 will involve resampling by either your computer or your soundcard, either of which is libel to cause problems. Set your soundcard to 44/16 if at all possible. As to why you think 48/32 sounds better than 48/16, I couldn't begin to answer that. Since the only thing that changes is 16 bits of 0s per sample.

When I go through USB, it's not using a soundcard. It's only using the DAC in the Opera. And regardless of whether I set the sound control panel to output in 44.1 or 48, the 32-bit file still sounds much better -- it's not adding treble, mids, or bass to the song, rather it's more transparent and has more detail. And that tells me that Foobar is not revealing all the detail when it plays back the lossless file, or, iTunes did not encode all the detail from the CD into the ALAC file.

 

[Febs]

Quote:

Originally Posted by IPodPJ /img/forum/go_quote.gif When I go through USB, it's not using a soundcard. It's only using the DAC in the Opera. And regardless of whether I set the sound control panel to output in 44.1 or 48, the 32-bit file still sounds much better -- it's not adding treble, mids, or bass to the song, rather it's more transparent and has more detail. And that tells me that Foobar is not revealing all the detail when it plays back the lossless file, or, iTunes did not encode all the detail from the CD into the ALAC file.

Have you ABXed these files yet?

 

[IPodPJ]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Febs /img/forum/go_quote.gif Have you ABXed these files yet?

I don't know what that is, so nope.

Edit: See post 2 spots down from this one.

 

[monolith]

Quote:

Originally Posted by IPodPJ /img/forum/go_quote.gif I don't know what that is, so nope.

Again, google to the rescue.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ABX_test

 

[IPodPJ]

On my equipment, I can hear the difference between the tracks. I already explained this many times (that I spent several hours with the 4 versions of this one song), and am not going to get drawn into a placebo argument. No one has to believe what I say if they choose not to.

 

[OverlordXenu]

Quote:

Originally Posted by IPodPJ /img/forum/go_quote.gif On my equipment, I can hear the difference between the tracks. I already explained this many times (that I spent several hours with the 4 versions of this one song), and am not going to get drawn into a placebo argument. No one has to believe what I say if they choose not to.

Ok, so lets say for the sake of argument, that iTunes and Foobar ripped the CD's correctly.

01 is going to be 01, whether it is in a rar, zip, 7z, ALAC, FLAC, APE, or WAV file.

Also:
http://www2.firehose.us:81/~jiggafellz/eac/index.html
http://www2.firehose.us:81/~jiggafellz/eac/index.html
http://www2.firehose.us:81/~jiggafellz/eac/index.html
http://www2.firehose.us:81/~jiggafellz/eac/index.html
http://www2.firehose.us:81/~jiggafellz/eac/index.html

 

[IPodPJ]

Yes, I know, which is why I said that the sonics differ on playback. Foobar is obviously leaving out resolution when it plays back the lossless file.

 

[Alleyman]

If you can hear a clear difference then I do not see a problem with carrying out an ABX test. What you are claiming is supposedly a bug in foobar's playback routine that nobody else has confirmed.

Maybe if you upload samples of the files in question...

 

[maarek99]

Why don't you just upload the files somewhere and we can take a listen?

 

[monolith]

Quote:

Originally Posted by IPodPJ /img/forum/go_quote.gif On my equipment, I can hear the difference between the tracks. I already explained this many times (that I spent several hours with the 4 versions of this one song), and am not going to get drawn into a placebo argument. No one has to believe what I say if they choose not to.

It's not a matter of not believing what you say so much as it is a matter of you not having said anything, really. Any such difference must be *extremely* subtle if it exists at all (which, bearing in mind the nature of the files in question, it can't), and as such without an ABX test or something similar, you're not really saying anything.