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Disagree with the FLAC Recs.........

Posted by Todd Krieger (A) on September 20, 2014 at 20:56:11

In Reply to: Squeezebox Evil Plan Fails--need help!, posted by mr9iron on September 19, 2014 at 22:18:53:

I find lossless playback formats like FLAC decoded in real time to be less tolerable than even lossy playback formats like (at least 256 kbps) MP3.......

"I am a total nube on this digital stuff, and although I have been on the asylum for quite a long time, I think this is my first post in the Digital Forum.."

Welcome!!

"Here is my situation:

"I launched an evil plan to set up a network hard drive that will store all of my CDs and what ever digital music comes along. I set up a Logitech Squeezebox server and a Logitech network receiver to stream the music to my system. The receiver is running an optical out to my PSB Dlink DAC. This is the same DAC I use on my CD player.

"I figured I would copy my CDs to the drive using iTunes Apple lossless and I would have ultimate CD quality sound and loads of storage. I copied a CD that I am super familliar with and tested it.. Success?"

Apple Lossless decoded in real time will have a similar ill effect to FLAC decoded in real time..... I don't like any lossless format decoded in real time.

"No! It ends up sounding like complete crap, it sounds jittery, dull, slightly distorted, and lack of bass and dynamics..it sounds compressed, or something is wrong. I put the CD back in just to be sure... It is like night and day."

You're probably picking up the jitter components of lossless playback decoded in real time. This jitter seems to be correlated to the music signal. (One sonic artifact of lossless playback decoded in real time that I've experienced is the vibrato from solo singers or instruments being "smoothed out" somewhat.... Kind of spooky.)

"I am not sure what the culprit is... Or if it is everything, is anyone trying a similar set up? Maybe my ambition to have uncompressed, uncompromised CD quality sound is misguided? Bad plan?"

If you have CD playback that is very satisfying to you, I think you'll likely be disappointed with *any* server based playback. (My personal issue is that the sound quality is dependent on the whatever hardware and ripping/playback software used. The sonic character of the files changes when either copied or defragmented. Too many variables in PC-based audio playback.) If you must have a server, I'd recommend using only non-compressed WAV or (Apple) AIFF files.

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