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testing transcoding to wav24
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28-11-2013, 16:24
(This post was last modified: 28-11-2013 16:25 by mikejazz.)
Post: #1
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testing transcoding to wav24
Hello Simon!
I am currently testing this nice function of transcoding to wav, (as I have a linn ds, I am testing your suggestion of wav24). I have some questions: 1) what exactly is happening in the system and what are the changes done...For example you say "16-bit FLAC files are extended to 24-bit audio by padding each sample with zeros. 24-bit FLAC files are transcoded without changing the sample bit depth. The original lossless audio data is preserved in both cases." This seems to be very little processing. When transcoding to WAV, is the flac file also "decompressed"? 2) are are the theoretical beneficts from this approach? Does it have to do with 24bit samples? Or to the decompressed file? 3) I will report back my findings. My previous experiences of flac vs wav in my system were not conclusive, I got an impression of slightly better "easy going flow" on wav. But this is yet very subjective.. For now, I am not finding any negative impact, for sure... Thanks in advance for your comments and for these nice features! |
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28-11-2013, 17:04
Post: #2
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RE: testing transcoding to wav24
(28-11-2013 16:24)mikejazz Wrote: Hello Simon! The FLAC file is decoded to the original audio data that was used to create the FLAC file. This is similar to "decompressed", although it is possible for a FLAC file to be encoded without being compressed. Quote:2) are are the theoretical beneficts from this approach? Does it have to do with 24bit samples? Or to the decompressed file? Some people find that this sounds better with their renderer. The reason for this is not known, though it may be related to enabling the renderer to do less internal processing while it is playing the file. Quote:3) I will report back my findings. My previous experiences of flac vs wav in my system were not conclusive, I got an impression of slightly better "easy going flow" on wav. But this is yet very subjective.. On my Linn DS, I hear some improvement between FLAC and WAV, and I hear even more improvement between FLAC and wav24. I will be interested to hear if you have the same experience. |
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28-11-2013, 17:41
Post: #3
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RE: testing transcoding to wav24
(28-11-2013 17:04)simoncn Wrote:Quote:3) I will report back my findings. My previous experiences of flac vs wav in my system were not conclusive, I got an impression of slightly better "easy going flow" on wav. But this is yet very subjective.. What is your Linn DS? Mine is the humble Sneaky, and I am using only as a digital output to an external dac (Lyngdorf)... Are you using Linn as DAC/analog out? The differences could be more obvious in that situation? |
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28-11-2013, 18:18
Post: #4
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RE: testing transcoding to wav24
(28-11-2013 17:41)mikejazz Wrote: What is your Linn DS? Mine is the humble Sneaky, and I am using only as a digital output to an external dac (Lyngdorf)... I have a KDS/1 and a KRDS, both used as DAC/analog out. I hear a clear difference with both of these. Your setup is very different because you are driving the DAC externally, and I suspect that transcoding would have less effect in this setup. |
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06-12-2013, 02:12
Post: #5
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RE: testing transcoding to wav24
(28-11-2013 18:18)simoncn Wrote:(28-11-2013 17:41)mikejazz Wrote: What is your Linn DS? Mine is the humble Sneaky, and I am using only as a digital output to an external dac (Lyngdorf)... Exactly. Even in this situation there is a subjective impression of a easier flow of music when wav24 is enabled...I am not very inclined to many A/B comparisons, when I like the music, I just let go... |
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06-12-2013, 07:17
Post: #6
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RE: testing transcoding to wav24
(06-12-2013 02:12)mikejazz Wrote: Exactly. Even in this situation there is a subjective impression of a easier flow of music when wav24 is enabled...I am not very inclined to many A/B comparisons, when I like the music, I just let go... It's interesting to hear you are noticing a difference. Like you, I prefer to "just listen" and form an overall impression of my enjoyment of the music. |
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06-12-2013, 15:14
Post: #7
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RE: testing transcoding to wav24
(06-12-2013 07:17)simoncn Wrote: It's interesting to hear you are noticing a difference. Like you, I prefer to "just listen" and form an overall impression of my enjoyment of the music. Same here. I long ago came to the conclusion that what mattered was not whether I had the "best" equipment or setup, but whether what I did have was easy and satisfying to use over the long term. A/B comparisons are of limited use in that context, and may actually be misleading. When I bought my Akurate DSM, I enabled wav24 transcoding (from compressed FLAC) in MinimServer. The A/B comparison was a bit inconclusive; I thought I detected an improvement, but it wasn't massive. However, I stuck with the transcoding, as in my setup it is effectively a no cost option and it certainly did not harm the sound quality. Over time, I have come to notice and enjoy what mikejazz describes as the 'easier flow' of the music; the difference is even more marked when listening on headphones. My instinct is that the transcoding provides some but not all of this benefit, perhaps by making it easier for the Akurate to do its thing. The downside is that transcoding really requires a wired connection between the server and the renderer, but that is not an issue for me. David |
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