Hier
Head-Fier
- Joined
- Jun 16, 2004
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This thread follows on from an issue I raised in another thread: Can iPod have gapless playback?.
I didn't want to get too Off Topic, so I decided to start a new thread.
The following is a summery of the issue at hand:
Me:
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Blessingx:
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Me:
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Blessingx:
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I have now tested the same song with iTunes, using my Senn 497's. I couldn't tell the difference!
This could of course mean that my PC sound card isn't up to the job.
I decided to do another test with the iPod.
This time I used the song 'I Am the Black Gold of the Sun (4 Hero Remix)' by Nuyorican Soul.
Once again listening through my Senn 497's and a Super Mini Moy amp, I thought I could hear a difference between the WAV & Lossless versions.
I tried blind testing again. This time however I failed to distinguish between recordings less than 50% of the time!
I then tried another blind test, once again using 'The 5th Exotic'. Again I only managed to distinguish recordings less than 50% of the time!
These stats would indicate a result no better than chance.
Initially I thought I could hear a difference in the very high and very low ranges of the sound spectrum, so I figured that some people just couldn't hear what I was hearing. The blind tests appear to indicate otherwise.
I even went back and compared specific sections of each song, concentrating on specific notes. Again I thought I could hear an almost unperceivable difference...................I suppose that the mind can be a powerful thing.
Was I paranoid that I was losing something in the recording?
Probably!
Any thoughts on this, or similar experiences?
I didn't want to get too Off Topic, so I decided to start a new thread.
The following is a summery of the issue at hand:
Me:
Quote:
I've just bought my first DAP, which is also the new iPod 20GB Colour. The first thing I did was try recording with MP3, AAC, Lossless & WAV. I'd definitely agree that AAC would be the best alternative to Lossless. I wouldn't use anything less 320 kbs (44.100KHZ) though. For what its worth I found AAC to be an acceptable compromise, if your looking for more storage capacity. Having said that, I find the AAC recordings a little airy and lacking in drive/punch. The recordings also lack the bass definition present in the lossless recordings. These comparisons were made with Senn 497's - straight out of the headphone jack. All comparisons were made with the same song: ‘The 5th Exotic’ by Quantic. Interestingly, in spite of what other head-fiers have said, I found that I could hear a difference between lossless and an uncompressed WAV. The difference is however only noticeable with particularly challenging music, so Lossless is an acceptable compromise. AAC is however a step too far in my opinion. I also auditioned the above recordings with a s/hand Super Mini Moy, which I received this morning. The differences between the MP3, AAC and WAV became even more obvious. The Lossless recording however benefited from amping, bringing the quality closer to the WAV and making Lossless my compromise of choice. |
Blessingx:
Quote:
Hier, the only way lossless and uncompressed could sound different (lossless uncompressed should be bit identical to uncompressed) is if the decoder is in error. Do you think the iPods decoder has an issue? |
Me:
Quote:
I tried blind testing the recordings and each time I managed to spot the WAV recording. Rhythms were more controlled and dynamic and the bass was more controlled and less woolly. I even tried a blind test with a couple of friends. One could hear a difference, the other couldn't tell the AAC, Lossless or WAV apart. Is it possible that my iPod is faulty? How would I tell? |
Blessingx:
Quote:
Well if it sounded different than WAV/AIFF it would be. Now is it your iPod, all iPods, or your imagination is the question. Most are gonna say the latter (especially with 497s), but who knows. Do a test with iTunes and see if you found the same thing. |
I have now tested the same song with iTunes, using my Senn 497's. I couldn't tell the difference!
This could of course mean that my PC sound card isn't up to the job.
I decided to do another test with the iPod.
This time I used the song 'I Am the Black Gold of the Sun (4 Hero Remix)' by Nuyorican Soul.
Once again listening through my Senn 497's and a Super Mini Moy amp, I thought I could hear a difference between the WAV & Lossless versions.
I tried blind testing again. This time however I failed to distinguish between recordings less than 50% of the time!
I then tried another blind test, once again using 'The 5th Exotic'. Again I only managed to distinguish recordings less than 50% of the time!
These stats would indicate a result no better than chance.
Initially I thought I could hear a difference in the very high and very low ranges of the sound spectrum, so I figured that some people just couldn't hear what I was hearing. The blind tests appear to indicate otherwise.
I even went back and compared specific sections of each song, concentrating on specific notes. Again I thought I could hear an almost unperceivable difference...................I suppose that the mind can be a powerful thing.
Was I paranoid that I was losing something in the recording?
Probably!
Any thoughts on this, or similar experiences?