|
Audio Asylum Thread Printer Get a view of an entire thread on one page |
For Sale Ads |
76.16.23.231
I just discovered a very unusual problem when ripping. I have been ripping all my CD's on Linux using GRIP and CDParanoia. I then convert the WAV files to Apple Lossless to use on my mac mini as a jukebox. For whatever reason, I just popped in a CD to my drive and began playing it in itunes. I noticed that the Paranoia WAV sounded significantly different than simply playing the same track off the drive. It was a solo acoustic guitar CD and the Paranoia rip had a clearer more forward sound to it than the same track coming off the CD. Nothing is turned on in itunes as far as EQ and sound check and the paranoia rip is perfect without error messages of any kind. I am not sure why this could be. I even ripped the a track with itunes to AIFF and put it side by side the paranoia rip and the same thing happens with the ripped files. The itunes rip sounds just like the CD and the paranoia rip has the brighter sound. No compression involved either, just raw WAV's. Here is another zinger. When I play the song in Linux off the CD drive, it sounds exactly like the paranoia rip, no audible difference. What is going on in the process that I am not understanding. Is paranoia simply extracting the disc more accurately or is there something lurking that I don't understand? Any help would be appreciated.
Follow Ups:
OK I just went over to my mac mini and popped the CD in. This way I can hear through my main system (BTW-Denon AVR3805/Heathkit AA121 tube amp on fronts/KEF iq3 front speakers) I ripped the first track with MAX using the paranoia ripper to AIFF, put it in itunes and compared the CD in the drive and in my home player to the paranoia rip I just made in MAX.....THE SAME THING. The rip sounds closer and for lack of a better descriptive word brighter but no other differences really. No distortion or other artifacts of any kind, just clearer. This is not placebo effect here, it is quite clear. I would actually say the paranoia rip sounds better than the track off the CD but I want to know why? And comparing off my home player to the rip is the SAME result. They are all going through the Denon DAC via optical cables so they are all even using the same DAC so that variable is controlled. I DONT GET IT. Shouldn't the rip and the AIFF sound the same when coming off the same drive. I have been at this a while but I am truly stumped. Just in case anyone was wondering, the CD is Leo Kottke-A Shout Toward Noon. Someone please help me understand this??
Try listening to inflections and vibratos by the performers.... A ballad would be a good thing to try.
simply mean it is louder?
No way, I checked playback levels and the it is for sure "less muddy" I guess. Guitar strings more steely and forward. As a follow up...I tried some other CD's to see if I had the same (problem?) and after a few, it seems this is the only one that this happens with, it is clearly audible nonetheless. If nobody believen me I will send them the 2 1:30 WAV files of the tracks ripped on itunes and paranoia.
Is it possible that the disc is recorded with pre-emphasis?I encountered a disc like this once. EAC will correctly identify it as having pre-emphasis, but the rip preserves the file (in other words does not de-emphasize the file) IIRC iTunes will de-emphasize during the rip process (but sounds like sh*t) Playing the original CD, the Denon will properly de-emphasize during playback, but playing from an AIFF the Denon will not de-emphasize (not recognizing a pre-emphasis tag) and the song will sound very bright.
When you put a disc in, will CDParanoia properly identify a disc as having pre-emphasis?
That's a good quesion. That I don't know but it sounds like you might be on to something. It seems to be related to that CD only as I have tried to duplicate the same conditions with many others and the rips are indistinguishable from the CD. It MUST have something to do with that disc along the lines you suggest. I will check fo that but I'm not sure I can see that in either MAX for OSX or GRIP in Linux.
BINGO...Sure as SHI*. I didn't know such a thing existed. MAX showed no but K3B showed Pre-Emphesis ON. I will rest easy now! Thanks!Now what is the Copy/No Copy Flag. I didn't have a problem ripping anything with that one on?
This post is made possible by the generous support of people like you and our sponsors: