iTunes 8.02 sound problems...

[AudioDoctor]

Hi all, been lurking for a while finally registered because I have ran into a problem I can not solve on my own.

 

I use a Mac Mini as my server in my house, with all my music stored on an external drive connected to it, and it is still running iTunes 7.7 because in testing iTunes 8 on my laptop, a G4 iBook it sounds hollow and tinny, and like the singer is in a can, or a sewer pipe, singing, when I listen through headphones.

 

now, I dont know if it is because when I ripped the music onto this computer for my iphone I ripped it at 256k AAC and not lossless, however, interestingly enough, the music sounds perfect on the iPhone, well, as perfect as it can I guess, but the hollow and tinny sound is not there when listening on the iPhone.

 

Anyone have any ideas?

 

[AudioDoctor]

I am apparently a moron, lol.

 

I plugged in different headphones and it sounds great. You have no idea how long I have been dealing with this...

 

So, with that said, how do I optimize (if I can at all) itunes for playback of both 256K AAC files ripped from CDs and AIFF files ripped from CDs?

 

[Innertuber]

Well once it's ripped I think you have a few things you can basically do.

 

1) Keep iTunes volume at 100%.

2) Start upgrading the DAC amp path.

3) Keep the iTunes eq and volume leveler stuff off.

 

Prior to ripping you would generally want AIFF, error correction on.

 

 

 

[AudioDoctor]

I have two separate systems, both using iTunes, but the Mac Mini is used as the music server connected through a dac via USB, and then off to the stereo, the laptop is there so I can put songs in a compressed format onto my iPhone.

 

The mac mini has a 1TB external drive with everything on it in AIFF format, with error correction on. EQ and Sound Check stuff, off.

 

The laptops only difference is that I ripped the music in 256K AAC for the iPhone.

 

I was just wondering if there are settings within iTunes that I should set for best playback, or if it is ok left alone, specifically, on the mac mini.

 

[Innertuber]

you sound good, just volume in iTunes at max I would say