[347028]

I'll dive right in and share what I'm using and how it's set up:
 
MacBook Pro > Burson Conductor (via USB) > HD 800 or LCD-3
 
I'm using straight iTunes with 256 kbps files.  I have BitPerfect installed, but I don't really notice a difference so I tend not to bother with it.
 
Are there any obvious improvements that I can make?  The Burson Conductor (DAC/amp/pre) is new and I think it's awesome.  I'm also quite satisfied with my headphones.  Is my Mac pulling its weight as my source for the gear I have?  Should I stick to USB or would you favor a Toslink to 3.5mm cable?  Anything you would change or add?
 
If anyone chooses to remark on the software rather than hardware side of things, please explain your settings and why you think it makes a significant difference--as I said, I really am not noticing much with BitPerfect so perhaps my settings are off.  Another note, I'm not terribly keen on getting any expensive boutique cables.  I have a couple AudioQuest cables and they seem to make little to no difference.
 
What do you guys think?

 

[alex699]

I'll keep this brief as there's certainly nothing wrong with your gears.
 
I'd switch to to an optical/toslink cable so you are then using to Sabre chip instead of the Tennor. Wouldn't worry too much about the quality of the cable, I mean something half decent just don't go nuts as it's just a pulsing red light in a thin tube of flexible glass.
 
Try using lossless files instead of 256 kbps. I would try playing a CD in iTunes and see if there's any real difference. That's probably the easiest way to tell.  Also the reason you may not be noticing any difference with BitPerfict is probably because of the low bitrate audio files, that said I have no experience with BitPerfect.
 
Software related: I use Audirvana Plus which I believe is the most common Audiophile Software used.  Google it as it makes quiet a lot of difference when playing original master tracks, and for those audio tracks try HDtracks.com.
 
And don't worry about the Mac it'll be fine as all it is doing is processing the audio files and nothing more, the Burson Conductor does the rest.
 
So to sum up: glaring weaknesses are- low quality audio files and iTunes. USB OK, Optical= Best.
 
Ask away if there is anything else.
 
Chris

 

[chrislangley4253]

I'm gonna disagree with Chris and say your files are fine, flac is for enthusiasts and makes no difference (fwiw, I keep my collection in flac for the sake of it) and to keep the USB. I would never opt for optical over usb, myself. I don't care to start that argument though, so I won't be responding to anyone trying to start such an argument. OP will just have to do the research and make a decision, or just try both out. Whatever floats his boat.

Welcome to head-fi,
 
Chris

 

[PleasantSounds]

Quote:

I'm gonna disagree with Chris and say your files are fine, flac is for enthusiasts and makes no difference (fwiw, I keep my collection in flac for the sake of it) and to keep the USB. I would never opt for optical over usb, myself. I don't care to start that argument though, so I won't be responding to anyone trying to start such an argument. OP will just have to do the research and make a decision, or just try both out. Whatever floats his boat.

Welcome to head-fi,
 
Chris

 
Not intending to to start an argument either, but my opinion is a bit different.
Considering highly resolving nature of the gear listed by the OP, he should have no trouble hearing the difference between a 256kb MP3 and a FLAC - I know I can. With the right gear it's not hard to tell even 320kb MP3 from a lossless format.
The benefits of optical over USB, if any, may be harder to notice. 

 

[chewy4]

Before you go out and get a whole new library of lossless songs, actually try and test between 256kbps and lossless yourself with Foobar's ABX plugin. Most people can't tell the difference, and the very few that can will notice they really have to study the sound to hear any difference. 

 

[alex699]

That's why I said to trying playing a CD in iTunes as you can't install Foobar on a Mac.
 
I merely said to go lossless because I've noticed a huge difference when using the HD800's, I can't comment on the LCD 3's as I haven't give them a proper listen yet. I say this from someone who has had 5 operations on my ears and I've retrained my ears to hear certain sounds again with a pair of K 702's. Also noting that with the vast expanse of money spent on gear I would consider it a waste not using only the best audio files to ensure that nothing is wasted. That's just me personally as I'd know just how long it would take to save up to get that gear.
 
I stand by what I said earlier about using optical: the Sabre chip is leaps and bounds better than the Tennor last I auditioned the Burson Conductor with the HD800's.
 
I generally believe optical has a slightly cleaner sound over USB and best of all it doesn't require any additional drivers. Also as your MacBook Pro has an optical outlet, which most computers nowadays don't have you may as well take advantage of that.
 
Here's a line that I read on nearly every thread on this forum: "You put crap in, you are only going to get crap out".

 

[chrislangley4253]

Quote:

Before you go out and get a whole new library of lossless songs, actually try and test between 256kbps and lossless yourself with Foobar's ABX plugin. Most people can't tell the difference, and the very few that can will notice they really have to study the sound to hear any difference. 

 
and usually the difference is due to some problem with one of the files.. One of em has a little pop or some problem that gives it away. I have been able to tell old mp3's from flac because older mp3's weren't encoded as well. Modern mp3's cannot be distinguished from FLAC, I don't care who you are or what gear you have. I'll believe it when I see it. 
 
Quote:

 
Not intending to to start an argument either, but my opinion is a bit different.
Considering highly resolving nature of the gear listed by the OP, he should have no trouble hearing the difference between a 256kb MP3 and a FLAC - I know I can. With the right gear it's not hard to tell even 320kb MP3 from a lossless format.
The benefits of optical over USB, if any, may be harder to notice. 

 
Take one of your precious flac files, convert it to mp3 with a nice converter... and you tell me if you can still hear a difference. If you are comparing flac and some random 3 year old mp3's, you might hear a difference. A fresh mp3 with modern codecs? No friggin way.
 
 
Again, FWIW I collect flac. i just like the idea of lossless. I don't believe it sounds better.

 

[cssarrow]

Sorry but FLAC sounds better than MP3's up to 320kbps.
 
I've had over 7,000 MP3 320kbps files before listening to FLAC.
If it didn't make a difference, why would i waste my time switching all those files to FLAC?
 
I chose and listened to 100 audio files in MP3 320kbps and FLAC, and the FLAC wins every time. More clarity and detail, you get all the frequencies that are there, sometimes that can change when compressing to mp3. There's bit-perfect for a reason.
 
If the guy has Burson Conductor and uses LCD-3 or HD-800, heck even a $300 headphone can hear the difference.
I would have to agree with Alex699 though, switch to an optical cable. Coxial is even better if you have that input. USB isn't always preferred if you don't have an asynchronous usb chip. More prone to jitter on usb. Tooslink and Coxial is more of a digital pure sound connection, whereas USB has power lines.

 

[chrislangley4253]

*mumbles something about the proof being in the pudding*
 
I believe you believe you can hear a difference.
 
 
While we are tossing around numbers.. I have 10,773 tracks in flac that I have duplicates of in v0 and an additional 19,983 tracks in v0 or 320.
 
If.. if these numbers actually matter to you.

 

[RonaldDumsfeld]

My own experience is more similar to what ChrisLangley reports.
 
Until even as recently as 6 years ago I would have sworn blind I could tell the difference between lossless and lossy. Then I got sufficiently interested to test myself and found to my amazement I couldn't. I was really annoyed. So I invited a bunch of mates round and tested them. None of them could either, Even the bloke with the £25,000 stereo. Felt better. I do still store on FLAC when I can though. I just don't get so hung up on it anymore.
 
As far as the OP's question goes. Where would one expect to find a weakness in a $7500 headphones only set up? Well it's the transducers that make the difference. So. Can you find any headphones that cost more than the models you already own?  If so buy them. You will probably be able to at least tell the difference between the different pairs. Something you almost certainly ceased to be able to do with all the other components about  $3000 ago. I'm not getting into the Apple value debate but obviously something a lot less expensive would be just as good soundwise. A $2000 audio interface would justify spending $10,000 on headphones you have a long way to go yet.
 
Nice problem if you can get it.

 

[chrislangley4253]

Stax or bust. LOL