16 bit files almost unlistenable now...

[sandyk]

29 minutes ago, numlog said:

Its true, there is so much redbook material, im interested in how to make a 16bit system.

 

 What are the actual sources of both your Redbook and hi res recordings ?

e.g. are you ripping  CDs yourself , and Downloading Hi Res material ?

[PeterSt]

20 minutes ago, AudioDoctor said:

Quite a few through the album.  I am listening at my computer right now, so not getting the full effect but song #2 has a heck of a bass track.

 

OK, got it (Tidal), prepared for the next listening session. 

Very curious as I never heard of Nathaniel Merriweather who is Dan the Automator who is Daniel Nakamura.

On to Tidal for more !

 

Thank you AudioDoctor.

[AudioDoctor]

You're welcome!  Dan The Automator is the MAN!

[AudioDoctor]

https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/4876-music-to-make-love-to-your-old-lady-by/

[PeterSt]

2 minutes ago, AudioDoctor said:

https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/4876-music-to-make-love-to-your-old-lady-by/

 

Plug 3 of De La Soul

 

Haha.

Maybe he was also contestant #3.

 

 

[PeterSt]

Btw, about De La Soul ...

 

 

do you know that one ? maybe not.

Apart from this being "special" regarding there are no lyrics on it (let alone advisory texts), half of the tracks of this one is full of super cool electric bass riffs. Ehm, that's how I judged it when I played it on the fairly new Stealth Mach III audio PC, a few months ago when I found this album. I even mentioned it on the Phasure forum.

Then later I played it on the predecessor of the Mach III - the Mach II (also with Linear Power Supply, but  not tuned for speed). To summarize that experience : I was shocked. There were no firm electric basses at all. It now looked, felt and heard like bass flodders - woolly nothing. It rendered the whole album worthless. Nothing special.

 

Of course the subject is 16 bits (this album is too), but all I want to say with this post is : a stupid PC is already do or die. And then to think that the Mach II was my (self designed) Audio PC of choice for 2 years with xx customers using the same. We were all the most happy with it. And now suddenly another PC/design makes it trash.

 

Moral : without experiences like these, nobody can say that 16 bits is nothing and 24 bits is all. There's just too many other variables at play.

Now see what you can make of this album. Try to detect the electric basses : https://listen.tidal.com/album/70518588

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[AudioDoctor]

Nope, I am just beginning my dive into this type of music.  I have always liked dance music.  One of my quirks, listening to some old Hip Hop opened my eyes to it though.  That and some Minneapolis artists, Dessa specifically.

[Summit]

Native 24 bit 88.2 and 96 KHz is the sweet spot IMO for PCM in my stereo. The difference between Red book and 24 bit 88.2 and 96 KHz is no night and day difference, but is audible on recordings that are well recorded. The quality of the recording is the most important, as it is impossible to get better sound than what was recorded, only different.  

[audiventory]

2 hours ago, GUTB said:

High resolution audio sounds better, that's a ** FACT **.

 

In high resolution, It is easier to implement lesser distortions technically.

 

For me 44.1 kHz and DSD64 are most sophisticated in implementration.

[PeterSt]

5 minutes ago, Summit said:

The difference between Red book and 24 bit 88.2 and 96 KHz is no night and day difference, but is audible on recordings that are well recorded.

 

Now that I can agree with.

[PeterSt]

Just now, audiventory said:

In high resolution, It is easier to implement lesser distortions technically.

 

For me 44.1 kHz and DSD64 are most sophisticated in implementration.

 

Also something to agree with !

[audiventory]

6 minutes ago, Summit said:

The quality of the recording is the most important,

 

ADC distortions also depend on higher sample rate.

 

For some kinds of editing sample rate is not big matter though.

[PeterSt]

47 minutes ago, AudioDoctor said:

One of my quirks, listening to some old Hip Hop opened my eyes to it though.

 

Do yourself a favor and start with the early days of it. And then really the early days. Take Rapture from Blondie to get in a (kind of flawed) mood and next jump to Rapper's Delight (Sugar Hill Gang) - the 14+ minute version - which could well have been the first (Maybe the Blondie was a first single).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rapper's_Delight

You see Debby Harry (Blondie) mentioned there as well.

 

 

This was my very first "rap" album. Btw one which at first was quite unplayable because of being too tinny on computer playback (not CDP), but these days 100% normal (go figure - Al Stewart's Year of The Cat is also such an example).

 

[Summit]

16 minutes ago, audiventory said:

 

ADC distortions also depend on higher sample rate.

 

For some kinds of editing sample rate is not big matter though.

 

Most PCM master recordings has been recorded in 24 bit 88.2/96 KHz. In the studio they often used more canals and more than 24 bits and sometimes also higher sample rate to be able to do all those filthy manipulations that is so common this days and not on older records.

[semente]

8 hours ago, gmgraves said:

remember most pop music produced over the last 20 years are heavily volume compressed to make them sound loud

 

It's not just the mastering engineer that is to be blamed:

 

 

[semente]

4 hours ago, firedog said:

Historically, I found some hi-res sounded better - a little more extension on the high end, a little less digital sounding. Mostly noticeable with acoustic string or percussion instruments. I did seem to find some recordings/examples where it was independent of mastering. 

 

This happened to me for the first time with PlayClassics' format comparison samples.

I haven't tried with files from other sources since then, and I will always buy the (generally second hand) CD edition unless the HR download is cheaper.

 

In fact I'm currently thinking about replacing my dozen or so HR files with the 16/44.1 version...but when I think that I'll have to re-tag everything again I change my mind. ?

[firedog]

2 hours ago, PeterSt said:

Key point here is : find that one and only decent original transfer

Which one are you referring to? There are multiple versions, even on CD.

[Wilderness]

7 hours ago, cjf said:

I'm sure there is something half respectable being created somewhere out there. I've just not witnessed or heard it myself in a very long time. If it does exist, it certainly doesn't seem to get any airplay over the FM Band.

 

Thank God for XM!

From the last one to 18 years: Robert Rich, Banco de Gaia, Biosphere, Low, Dirty Three, Leila Abdul-Rauf, Mount Fuji Doomjazz Corporation, Nadah Al Shazly, Helena Espvall, Hurray for the Riff Raff, Duet for Theremin and Lap Steel, Deaf Center, Patrick Chartol, Yael Illah, Meg Baird, Mazzy Star, Cowboy Junkies, Marissa Nadler, Melody Gardot, Melanie De Biasio, Gillian Welch, Anais Mitchell, Joan Shelley, Patty Larkin, After in Paris, Claire Michael Quartet, Ólafur Arnalds & Alice Sara Ott, etc.  This isn't the kind of music that gets a lot of airplay on FM, but it can be found online without much effort.

 

I like a lot of music from the 1960s and 1970s, including classic rock, folk, singer songwriter, jazz, and blues, but I am also finding a lot of worthy music from 2000-2018.

 

If cost is a barrier, you could consider a streaming service.  If Tidal is too expensive, there is Apple or Amazon.  I prefer to purchase and build a library of downloads.

 

With what is available online now, we are fortunate to have so many options to find, enjoy, and appreciate music.  I hated most of the music on the radio when I was growing up.  I am obsessed with music now.

[semente]

3 hours ago, numlog said:

Yes, I use HQ player and oversample 44.1kHz to 352.8 PCM. I gave DSD conversion plenty of chances with different filters modulators etc. but I feel there is a loss of clarity, it may be slightly denser and captures the body of voices and instruments better but at the cost of adding slight roughness or grain which is unpleasant.

 

Or maybe it's the other way around, and you enjoy the "grain" of the PCM conversion which is or may be perceived as "sharpeness".

This is what I feel when I compare DSD 5.6MHz to PCM 384kHz with my DAC. But I'm am convinced that it could be very much DAC dependent.

[semente]

3 hours ago, PeterSt said:

 

No sir, it is not.

It is a FACT though, that your digital chain is so lousy (you tell that yourself) that you won't be able to discern a bit from a byte.

So who are you to come up with such facts ?

 

Are you in the neighborhood soon ?

 

Come now, Peter, the man's got ProAc speakers with ribbon tweeters and a Discrete Ladder DAC (not a ‎R2R)...

[semente]

3 hours ago, GUTB said:

 

It's a fact. There's no evidence to the contrary. There is no serious counter opinion.

 

[PeterSt]

3 minutes ago, firedog said:

2 hours ago, PeterSt said:

Key point here is : find that one and only decent original transfer

 

Which one are you referring to? There are multiple versions, even on CD.

 

Good question ... (I only have stored the front cover of it, and this tells nothing).

All I know is that only after a couple of years I found "the" one on CD, whereas the Hires version was there for a longer time already (and that one you one want to listen to). Anyway, it is not the HDCD version, of which also two exist ...

 

Currently I'm coincidentally working on comparison software, showing me the least compression for the versions (of any album) I have.

[semente]

2 hours ago, numlog said:

We need an online hi res test

 

See here:

 

 

[firedog]

13 minutes ago, PeterSt said:

 

Good question ... (I only have stored the front cover of it, and this tells nothing).

All I know is that only after a couple of years I found "the" one on CD, whereas the Hires version was there for a longer time already (and that one you one want to listen to). Anyway, it is not the HDCD version, of which also two exist ...

 

Currently I'm coincidentally working on comparison software, showing me the least compression for the versions (of any album) I have.

The 40th anniversary box set has, among the 5 discs: a remaster of the original master tape. 

A needle drop recording of a UK first pressing, from Robert Fripp's personal archive copy. 

[Audiophile Neuroscience]

1 hour ago, semente said:

 

It's not just the mastering engineer that is to be blamed:

 

 

 

Did she win American Idol...the more you screeeeeeeaaaammmmmm the more you connectttttttt.

 

I now have much greater respect for the poor engineer !