Article: JRiver Mac vs JRiver Windows Sound Quality Comparison

[ted_b]

Mitchco, great job in defining the problem, walking us through the testing procedures, and summarizing the results. Your organizational and presentation skills are obviously very good.

 

However, haven't we already determined that bit perfect playback from different players on the same platform (let alone Mac Mini vs CAPS) sound different? I mean, after all this testing, can you tell us subjectively that your Windows server playing music through JRiver sounds the same as your Mac Mini playing music through JRiver? That (and a subjective listening comparison of MAC players against JRiver MAC) is what I'd certainly like to know, from your perspective.

 

My own ears have told me that my minimalist CAPS V2+ server sounds better on JRiver than any player on my MAC Mini (short of trying JRMC there). The hardware, OS and internal software variables are many....but so be it. And I assume all of them were bit perfect, as DSD, for example, can't really be DSP'd anyway.

[ted_b]

Eloise, I am dumbfounded how you see my post as impolite?? I take that personally. I must have completely miscommunicated!! Mitchco did an amazing job of comparing recorded music from both systems, and explaining and diagramming not only his efforts but also his workflow and logic. They are clearly both bit perfect. But do they sound the same on different systems? Maybe I am misinterpreting the experiment, but it seems he's ABX'ing via Foobar, which doesn't run on both systems, it only compares two tracks recorded on both systems..so I simply wanted to know...via one's ears. I'm sorry this question, as legit as I can make it, seems somehow impolite...

[ted_b]

But this thread wasn't about "how it sounds" it was about how they measure.

 

 

Eloise

 

The darn (polite enough?) title says "sound quality comparison"! Why are you making my comments out to be some sort of whacked left field perspective? I am not alone here. I am not questioning his efforts or techniques (in fact they are models for other articles), just asking the follow-up..how did they sound on the two platforms!!!

 

I could take two Chevy Cleveland 500 engines, built in different shifts for different car mfgers, and put them on a test bench and measure that they have the same horsepower, torque, etc...but I'd think they would perform quite differently if dropped into say, a Corvette vs a Mack truck. That's all I'm asking.

[ted_b]

As for the stupid automotive analogies - they wouldn't measure the same with different shifts...

 

Eloise

 

??Huh? A shift is an 8 hour work schedule. The folks on second shift better darn well build the same spec'd engine or they'll lose their jobs. My point was that two of the same engine (i.e JRIVER) can be built to the same spec for different platforms (OSX or Windows) but once dropped into that platform will perform differently, possibly. I'm allowed to ask...really! I haven't broken any rules nor have I called anyone's (especially Mitch's) ideas stupid or even wrong.

 

I'm not sure how I've deserved these belittling comments from you; I always thought you were reasonable.

[ted_b]

Paul, he only listened (subjectively) to both recordings on one platform, through foobar ABX (which only runs on Windows). If I'm wrong here, then delete all my Mitch questions and Audio_elf arguments. Sorry.