[datura647]

I didn't know which forum to post this in, hope this is the right one.

So I am listening to my current setup which is Foobar FLAC (SRC 48kHz) -> USB to Creative sound card -> optical to Beresford DAC -> Corda Aria -> HD650.

This issue appears most clearly in the song Walk Away by Christina Aguilera. I never thought I would like a song by this artist, but I heard this track at Can Jam and I liked it very much. When there are only a few sounds going on at once such as voice and an instrument, everything sounds as clear as it normally does. But when there is a passage with a lot of music, a lot of voice, and basically a lot of everything, I kind of hear a subtle "crackling" sound which makes me think something is clipping or something of that sort. Could this be due to the way it was recorded? Or maybe the DAC can't handle all the info at the same time? What things could cause something like this?

Thanks!

 

[TheMarchingMule]

Considering the artist and the genre, I'd say it's clipping.

 

[Shoreman]

I think I can relate to what you're referring to. I have a few recordings with these same audio artifacts. Since the rips were accurate, there is clearly no clipping involved, and it tends to occur on multiple tracks on the same recording, I have always attributed it to a defect in the CD pressing. Of course, I'm only guessing, but that has always seemed the most logical reason to me.

I would repost this in the Computer Audio forum (Computer Audio - Head-Fi: Covering Headphones, Earphones and Portable Audio). Maybe a response or two will help us both out.

 

[datura647]

When someone says "clipping", can this have more than one meaning? For example clipping can be driving speakers beyond their limit, but can't it also mean that the music was recorded with clipping?

 

[Joelby]

I believe it's a result of "hot mastering". Basically, they cranked all the dials to eleven and the crackling is negative side effect of that!

 

[Omega17TheTrue]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joelby /img/forum/go_quote.gif I believe it's a result of "hot mastering". Basically, they cranked all the dials to eleven and the crackling is negative side effect of that!

Yes, that the Loudness war its killing dynamic and saturate the sound ...

A Christina Aguilera album is even quoted as a example on wikipedia.

 

[Acix]

Check the position of the gain.

 

[apatN]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheMarchingMule /img/forum/go_quote.gif Considering the artist and the genre, I'd say it's clipping.

x2.
OP, read a bit into "loudness war". Or maybe don't...