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In Reply to: RE: "Accurate" or not, you. . . posted by Larry I on July 10, 2014 at 11:29:47
Larry, good suggestion. But - it doesn't explain why the downloaded version of the same 44k/16bit file sounded better than the ripped version. Same mastering for both files. Downloaded version sounded much like the silver disc did on my Marantz player. Obviously not a direct comparison, but the download had the satisfying punch I had come to associate with that familiar recording.
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It might not necessarily be an apples-to-apples comparison (the download might be from a different digital source, such as a different master). Because you ripped to WAV, you should be getting the best possible sound from a CD rip.
There was a multi-issue article in The Absolute Sound that came out a little more than a year ago which purported to be a thorough analysis on the subject. The authors concluded that type of rip mattered a lot (WAV preferred over all other lossless formats), and that even the program used to rip WAV files mattered. I have no idea myself whether these claims are true or not. I have heard a demonstration of a CD ripped to WAV and stored on a NAS vs. a thumbdrive file of a file of the same CD ripped to FLAC and played on the same server (Naim NDS). The WAV file sounded better to me, but, even this test was not exactly an apples-to-apples comparison.
I currently have my 4,200+ collection of CDs ripped to WAV on a Naim NDS/Uniti system. The sound is decent, but, I actually prefer the sound of my CD player (Naim CD555). Although both are made by Naim, nothing is really shared by the two systems, aside from the same separate power supply, so I cannot say that the difference has anything to do with files vs. CD playback. But, I do have some doubts about the claims that playback from files is inherently superior to CD playback.
Altho, I agree that NDS and CD555 sound different rather than which one is better but properly recorded high res files off a turntable sounds definitely better over the CD555. Actually I thought that was the only reasons I was going to get an NDS. I think that there are number of ways to improve the sound, but fundamentally, I think that they are different animal. ( one would prefer over the other I think )
Did you listen to both of your 555PS separately? Sometimes, there are differences in unit to unit. So for the head unit comparison, it's preferable to use the same exact power supply for an AB dem.
The types of rips absolutely matters from mediocre to pretty good.
Yes, it is ripped by an nServe to a 8TB Qnap NAS (also backed up by an 8TB Qnap at a friend's place (backed up by internet link)). I have a separate laptop that I thought I would use for editing of the metadata, but, I have found that using the iPad that is the remote control for selecting music to do editing is actually just as easy to use.
I have not done any kind of side-by-side comparison. I simply noted that the "sound" is different and that a system that sounded very similar, whether I played digital or vinyl sources, is no longer that similar. Because I listen more to my digital source, I have retuned the system to make that source sound good, and now the vinyl sounds a bit too dull in the upper midrange (my speakers allow for a lot of adjustment of driver output).
I own only one power supply. When I went to the NDS, I simply pulled the CD555 and switched in the NDS.
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