32 bit PCM and DSD playback via Lumin

[ItsintheTiming]

I thought this item from the High Definition Tape Transfers (HDTT) blog was worth sharing as it discusses - very loosely and subjectively imho - the playback of 32 bit DXD compared to 24 bit and DSD 256. The exciting thing also is there are download links to the files of music discussed. Comparing the sound of these files I found interesting and informative. I played the files from an SSD drive housed in a self powered box + LPSU via USB into my Lumin U2 Mini, this was connected via USB to my Holo Audio Spring 3 V2 DAC which is a NOS DAC with separate DSD and PCM DACs. DSD is played back natively no PCM conversion. The links in the blog are not obvious but are the line containing the file name further down the page.

https://www.highdeftapetransfers.ca/blogs/news/what-we-hear-with-dxd-32-bit-files

[wklie]

Note that there are two types of 32-bit audio files: integer and floating point. If it is indeed a 32-bit integer file, then truncation vs dithering to 24-bit would be an interesting listening test to try.

 

However, the first download link seems to be a 32-bit floating point file. So I don’t think the truncation hypothesis applies here. The TRPTK page linked from this article provides good explanation(s) why sound quality may differ.

 

I believe 32-bit floating point is more common than 32-bit integer audio file, although I have seen the latter type to be available for download / purchase.

 

For those doing serious listening tests, I recommend manually decompressing the FLAC (2nd and 3rd links) to WAV first, so as to reduce one more variable in an apple-to-apple comparison.

[chrisc]

Your comment about decompressing the FLAC to WAV is an interesting point and one that had never occurred to me

 

I have ripped thousands of CDs and SACDs using dbPoweramp and always chose "No compression".  After all, hard disc space is cheap, so why not

 

Should there be any audible difference between compressed and non-compressed FLAC files?

 

What is it that is gained from this exercise?

 

I just converted a Chuck Corea album as follows: