AyreWave- A New OSX Audio Player Released AT RMAF

[Charles Hansen]

iTunes is just a front end for QuickTime. The QT engine has some definite bugs. If you start with an uncompressed 24-bit file and convert to ALAC (Apple Lossless) everything is OK. But take the same file and convert back to the original format (WAV or AIFF) and it is truncated to 16 bits.

 

I found this out the hard way and lost dozens of DVD-A's that had been carefully ripped to my hard drive. This is when you want to start one of those "Things I Hate About Apple" threads...

 

Now I keep an external hard drive formatted in FAT32 (which can be read by both OS X and Windows). When I need to convert something, I put it on that drive and use dBpoweramp to convert. It's not free, but it works perfectly for me.

 

[Lars]

I agree Charlie, dbpoweramp is a great program. Unfortunately, AW doesn't read the data with files converted to WAV using dbpoweramp.

 

[CG]

OK guys, now I'm confused.

 

iTunes doesn't do the job, or at least do it right. I just discovered even more problems with metadata in the latest version while checking this whole thing out. Grrrr....

 

But... I just downloaded a sample wav file from the 2L web site. I then converted it the file to aiff format and added album artwork as well as metadata to it using Max. It loaded into AyreWave just fine, with all the information showing perfectly. It even played nicely.

 

What am I doing wrong??

 

 

 

 

[jhbpa]

Was it higher rez than Red Book?

 

Maybe I don't know how to add the metadata with Max?

 

However, I'll never have metadata for the 2,500 LP's I'm halfway through archiving (eight years into the project).

 

If you'll PM me with an email address I'll set you up to try a few iTrax 24/96 wav files.

 

Thanks,

 

John

 

 

[CG]

96 KHz & 24 bit.

 

http://www.lindberg.no/hires/test/2L53SACD_04_stereo_96k.wav

 

 

 

[CG]

There may well be some basis for why a 96 KHz 24 bit wav file might sound different than a 96 KHz 24 bit aiff file of the same source material.

 

The basic difference for the data in these formats is that a wav file is formatted to be little endian while aiff is big endian. Best to look up what that means if you're not familiar with the terms.

 

If you subscribe to the idea that the least processing needed for the data gives the best audio system performance, then reducing the need for converting between the two formats for your computation system and DAC could favor one file type over the other. Of course, that's a pretty wide set of criteria since there's so many different possibilities with all the permutations.

 

[Andrew S.]

Always one to admit when I'm wrong - I can now categorically state that the Ayre Wave is a lovely player when sued in Memory mode. It really shines cf non memory.

 

Well done chaps.

 

[jhbpa]

Lars is correct, and the issue here is file tags for AyreWave.

 

 

 

 

[Purite Audio]

It is a nice sounding player, I prefer it to PM, but Imho Amara knocks it into a cocked hat.

Keith.

 

[Lars]

"It is a nice sounding player, I prefer it to PM, but Imho Amara knocks it into a cocked hat."

 

And this comes from an Amarra dealer.

 

Thanks

 

 

[jhbpa]

He's "in harmony with truth".

 

[Purite Audio]

Opposed to a PM schill?

Thanks

 

[Lars]

Actually, I announced AyreWave to everyone. With your logic, that now makes me an AyreWave schill.

 

You're a nice guy Keith, but let's not be silly.

 

[SteveS1]

The version I have, Amarra Mini 2.0.1 is not up to PM1.65a imo, much less "knocks it into a cocked hat". I like the Ayre Wave a lot.

 

Steve

 

[Purite Audio]

Steve Hi, yes that is 2.1, it is extremely good.

Keith.

 

[SteveS1]

When is it due? I understand there is a "Integer Mode" version of PM to come before year end too.

 

Steve

 

[sq225917]

Keith, do you think you could select between Amarra and another player without seeing what was playing. ( the Amarra 'delay pop' would be hidden- of course.)

 

[findog3103]

Does anyone else still get a clicking sound when using USB connection? However, there is no audible click using toslink.

 

[bottlerocket]

I could not find an issue tracker for AW so posting here.

 

I am still finding intermittent problems with the sample rate changing in a playlist with tracks of different sample rates.

 

Supporting Info

1) Using hog mode and memory play.

2) The playlist is large (about 3 gig)

3) It always gets the first track right.

4) The hi-res tracks are in WAV and the redbook are in AIFF.

5) If I stop and start a track that is playing in the wrong sample rate with the stop and play buttons, it will pick up the correct sample rate on restart of the track.

6) If I grab a subset of tracks with mixed sample rates from the same playlist, the problem goes away.

 

I am really liking the simple user interface and sound. I also like the idea of saving off a few playlists from Itunes and then keeping Itunes shut down.

 

 

[Encore]

I've been through the entire thread, and I'm sorry if I have missed something. Isn't AW compatible with Hiface drivers? I have just received an EVO, and it is sounding rather promising, but before I venture out into trying AW, I would like to be sure that there are no compatibility issues ...

 

Aside from that, from what I've been able to gather, AW is a stand-alone application, ie. it doesn't need iTunes. Is that correct?

 

It also seems that with AW, one can access the music library through a folder structure, which would be really helpful to me. This is how I currently access my music with Squeezeserver, and although I plan to get all my music files properly tagged, I can't see when I'm going to find the time for that, so until then accessing through the folder structure is a viable alternative.

 

[I. G.]

The integer mode doesn't work with the hiFace driver otherwise it's compatible.

 

[CG]

I suggest you download AyreWave and try it for yourself in your own system.

 

You could learn more that way in 10 minutes (unless you are using dial-up internet access) than you could by any other means in a week. (No offense to the people who volunteer information here on CA...)

 

[Encore]

CG and IG, thanks. I'll give it a try.

 

[CG]

Please let us know what your experience might be. Good, bad, or something in between.

 

[CG]

Bottlerocket,

 

Could you describe what your DAC is, your computer, the operating system version, and the type of connection you are using? (Firewire, USB, etc. - no need to describe the cable and all, unless you feel it might be important). That could help with remotely diagnosing any problem.