[danadam]

Here is the difference between DACs, loud and clear .
Loxjie D20 vs SMSL Sanskrit 10th mkII VS Audio-Gd nfb-1

Yep, it's clear that loudness wasn't matched. AudioGD is the loudest, then SMSL and last Loxjie.
Because apparently I am extremely bored:

Extract:
sox input.flac smsl.flac trim 10944000s 1920000s
sox input.flac audiogd.flac trim 17744971s 1920000s
sox input.flac loxjie.flac trim 24446629s 1920000s

-- Null peaks and RMS ----------------
  SMSL - AudioGD
Pk lev dB     -12.21    -15.24    -12.21
RMS lev dB    -34.90    -35.22    -34.59

  SMSL - Loxjie
Pk lev dB     -15.77    -15.77    -15.89
RMS lev dB    -35.91    -36.23    -35.60

  AudioGD - Loxjie
Pk lev dB     -11.81    -13.66    -11.81
RMS lev dB    -31.86    -32.20    -31.55

-- Peaks and RMS ----------------
  SMSL
Pk lev dB      -6.26     -7.25     -6.26
RMS lev dB    -24.92    -25.15    -24.71

  AudioGD
Pk lev dB      -4.56     -5.61     -4.56
RMS lev dB    -23.31    -23.55    -23.09

  Loxjie
Pk lev dB      -7.65     -9.34     -7.65
RMS lev dB    -26.83    -27.01    -26.66

-- LUFS ----------------
-21.0 LUFS, audiogd.flac
-24.5 LUFS, loxjie.flac
-22.7 LUFS, smsl.flac

 

[bigshot]

All recorded through the microphone in a cell phone!

 

[magicscreen]

Yep, it's clear that loudness wasn't matched.

Thank you! Indeed there is volume difference.

 

[dazzerfong]

Thank you! Indeed there is volume difference.

Then why bother posting it as proof? Or was it intended as sarcasm?

 

[castleofargh]

Yep, it's clear that loudness wasn't matched. AudioGD is the loudest, then SMSL and last Loxjie.
Because apparently I am extremely bored:

Extract:
sox input.flac smsl.flac trim 10944000s 1920000s
sox input.flac audiogd.flac trim 17744971s 1920000s
sox input.flac loxjie.flac trim 24446629s 1920000s

-- Null peaks and RMS ----------------
  SMSL - AudioGD
Pk lev dB     -12.21    -15.24    -12.21
RMS lev dB    -34.90    -35.22    -34.59

  SMSL - Loxjie
Pk lev dB     -15.77    -15.77    -15.89
RMS lev dB    -35.91    -36.23    -35.60

  AudioGD - Loxjie
Pk lev dB     -11.81    -13.66    -11.81
RMS lev dB    -31.86    -32.20    -31.55

-- Peaks and RMS ----------------
  SMSL
Pk lev dB      -6.26     -7.25     -6.26
RMS lev dB    -24.92    -25.15    -24.71

  AudioGD
Pk lev dB      -4.56     -5.61     -4.56
RMS lev dB    -23.31    -23.55    -23.09

  Loxjie
Pk lev dB      -7.65     -9.34     -7.65
RMS lev dB    -26.83    -27.01    -26.66

-- LUFS ----------------
-21.0 LUFS, audiogd.flac
-24.5 LUFS, loxjie.flac
-22.7 LUFS, smsl.flac

thanks for doing it.
It's frustrating to see a community so passionate about audio, so insistent on being able to judge everything by ear, ignoring/forgetting something as fundamental as listening level. And what's incredible is how most people on the forum fail to consider that on a daily basis.

 

[bigshot]

I do a lot of judging by ear. Ears are what I listen to music with. They're probably the most important part of the chain. As long as you take into account the limitations of human hearing and understand how ears work and what we can and can't hear, you can judge by ear better. A lot of people get unrealistic results from listening tests, but I think that is more a fault of their thinking process than their ears. Analyzing what you hear is the hard part. If you aren't thinking right, you won't hear right.

 

[Brahmsian]

The difference between DACs is that one is black, one is blue and the other is copper colored. THAT PROVES IT ALL RIGHT! Even my wife can tell the difference! (copper colored is warmer)

Are you referring to both standalone DACs and DAC-amps or just the former?

 

[bigshot]

It’s a joke. There’s no way anyone could tell anything from that video.

 

[Brahmsian]

It’s a joke. There’s no way anyone could tell anything from that video.

I agree. I’m just trying to gauge amp differences. I’ve owned four but at different times, so I’ve never directly compared them. My understanding is that there are amps that don’t color the sound and amps that do, and the latter can vary significantly in how they sound.

 

[KeithPhantom]

I agree. I’m just trying to gauge amp differences. I’ve owned four but at different times, so I’ve never directly compared them. My understanding is that there are amps that don’t color the sound and amps that do, and the latter can vary significantly in how they sound.

To even "color" the sound, you need an amplifier that's pretty much broken (a horrid SINAD of 55 dB or even less). The human ear is horrible at detecting nonlinearities, so don't expect to hear much of a difference, if there's an audible difference.

 

[bigshot]

I've been asking folks for a specific make and model of an amp or DAC that audibly colors the sound for several years now. No one has been able to provide one yet. Even back in 1987, Stereo Review wasn't able to find one. See page 78... https://worldradiohistory.com/Archi...iFI-Stereo/80s/HiFi-Stereo-Review-1987-01.pdf

 

[Blackwoof]

Just noticed on the ER4SR's had for short while they total to 0.35% at 100db. They should look like this even at 90db.

 

[magicscreen]

I have a vinyl rip which has been recorded as 24bit/192 kHz audio.
Why does it have better sound quality than the CD version?
Because of the LP source or the higher resolution?

 

[VNandor]

I have a vinyl rip which has been recorded as 24bit/192 kHz audio.
Why does it have better sound quality than the CD version?
Because of the LP source or the higher resolution?

Maybe the vinyl has a different and better master. Maybe they are the same but the "vinyl sound" compliments the recording well. Maybe it's because the higher resolution but this one is the most unlikely. If you are curious, you could try and downsample the vinyl rip to 16bit/48kHz and check if it still sounds better than your CD.

 

[hakunamakaka]

I have a vinyl rip which has been recorded as 24bit/192 kHz audio.
Why does it have better sound quality than the CD version?
Because of the LP source or the higher resolution?

It depends on mastering a lot. Especially for the music that is released in LP era, as music was mastered for vinyls. That’s one of the reasons reasons why some selective and demanded releases costs so much when there are no properly re-mastered releases. To make matters worse I’ve came into situation were I bought LP’s and they were simply re-printed poor digital rip. With current era of music I do not bother that much, unless I know it will sound amazing with tube sound with artists like Khruanginb Universe release. Good 128kbps rip can sound nearly as good as any hi-res release