FAST audiophile ripping

[christoffe]

The only (totally crazy) explanation I have is that somehow noise is associated with the files on my NAS drive.

Hi Mani,

the only explanation is "not proper shielded cables" against HF emissions. The HF emissions/immissions is for all highend manuf. of USB/ HDMI etc. cables a major argument for their special shielding.

Joachim

[crisnee]

As Chris suggests, dbpoweramp might be an option. Would be interesting to compare rips from dbpoweramp to EAC (using both the 'highend' settings)

The difference between rippers is not in the quality of sound of the ripped file. The differences are convenience, speed, and percent of time they make an accurate rip and that sort of thing. If the cds are ripped correctly, all ripped files will be identical (assuming of course that the compression settings were identical). So if you can check your files for accuracy after they've been ripped and they are, that's all that matters.

As to play back, that's another issue. Some say certain compressed lossless formats sound better than others. If that is so, that would have to do with the decoders and playback software etc., not the files themselves, which after all are bit perfect, proof being that they can all be converted back to their original form.

-Chris

[Bigear]

If the cds are ripped correctly, all ripped files will be identical (assuming of course that the compression settings were identical). So if you can check your files for accuracy after they've been ripped and they are, that's all that matters.

Yes, that's the theory.
With the test version I ripped a CD with dbpoweramp which I earlier had ripped with EAC, both secure mode and Accurip, no cache. I agree, the UI of dbpoweramp is nicer but with the checkups, it took me over 15 min to rip the CD  (Adele 21).
EAC was approx. 30 min.  Both compressed to FLAC.
However, it seemed that in the playback the dbpoweramp had a very light amount of brightness added, making it slightly more 'digital'. I know I'm at dangerous grounds here (placebo, beer etc.). It would be interesting if anyone else can affirm this (or disagree).

 

[crisnee]

However, it seemed that in the playback the dbpoweramp had a very light amount of brightness added, making it slightly more 'digital'. I know I'm at dangerous grounds here (placebo, beer etc.). It would be interesting if anyone else can affirm this (or disagree).

This makes no sense unless you ripped it to a different compression level or did something else to the file (versus the EAC file) that would cause it to be more difficult to decode.

You can't ever truly compare the sound of two files on a computer because there are always factors affecting one that don't affect the other.

If you really think there is a difference I'd first compare the files to ascertain whether that they are identical (same compression ratio--I don't think there's anything else but check it). If they are I would then listen to them individually i.e. reboot your system, play file 1, reboot your system play file 2. Repeat, this time playing file 2 first. Don't do anything to the system in between or before playing either file. Try to make sure everything else is identical as can be. Of course you'll still be listening to the files at different times and in slightly different environmental conditions, but that's life.

As to the time it takes to rip files with Dbpoweramp. Use the regular rip mode (that's what I was referring to), not the secure mode, then if Accurip comes up with errors on particular tracks re-rip those in secure mode.

-Chris

[Bigear]

Hi Chris,

thanks for your advices, I will try.

Cheers,

Quint

[PeterSt]

Chris,

I hope it is known that I am not much into voodoo stuff, but there's really more going on than "check your files". Please don't bother; it is not about that. What it *is* about though, is that some things are beyond our comprehension. Yes, also mine. Most easy is to think about the playback location and what *that* can do. I mean, at least that makes sense *to me*. Not that I worked on it to eliminate it, but it matters - I know.

When you have some time, read this : Burning audio CD while XX playing.
This is not to be denied !
It is not the same subject as we talk about here of course, but it will tell you that things are going on which are right against IT thinking. I'm in the IT business for 35 years now, and I do believe this (all). But I can't explain it (yet). So I'm strange.

Peter

[crisnee]

When you have some time, read this : Burning audio CD while XX playing.
This is not to be denied !

Peter, I just took a quick look at the thread, my eyes are too tired for more at the moment. Anyway, it doesn't seem so strange to me (if I got the gist of it in my quick overview). After all a ripper just rips what comes through as an electrical signal (right?). So if the signal is effected by something, it just records to file whatever comes it's way. But all this has nothing to do with the ripper, just the signal, which I think you implied/said in your post.

Of course I may have missed something in my quick perusal of the other thread.

-Chris

[PeterSt]

Maybe you only missed this little phrase from my last post :

It is not the same subject as we talk about here of course

... and as I said too, I am able to explain this. But let's not forget, what we by now seem to accept as known (fact), sure was not back at the time of that topic.

Give it time and we will all understand more of it.
Peter

[crisnee]

Maybe you only missed this little phrase from my last post :

It is not the same subject as we talk about here of course

Actually I didn't miss it, (I don't miss nothin') which is why I wrote the following in my post:
 Quote "which I think you implied/said in your post."

I said what I said just to make sure other readers wouldn't confuse what you said with the subject at hand.

And by the way I do think it's a good thing to compare flac files (and others) to see if they're identical. If they do measure as identical but sound different than I can see only the following scenarios as possibilities.

1. That they measure as identical but are not. How could this happen? An incomplete measuring device. For instance 3+4+3=10, 4+3+3=10 if you measure just for result they're identical, but as a whole they're not. Also, and this doesn't seem possible re measuring files of just bits, but that somehow we don't know how to measure for something that's there.

2. As mentioned in an earlier post of mine, they sound different because they're played at different times and therefore in a different environment (slightly) and the listener too has changed (slightly). One might say those changes are extremely minor. Well consider this, one minute it's raining the next it's not. Or as that grating message (because I see it way too often) says "everything matters."

3. Voodoo. Black magic. White magic. Gray area magic.

4. Bias, prejudice, your ears. That sort of thing.

5. Because of where the files are in your system, and what has happened to your system before you played one that's different from what happened before you played the other, even if it is only playing 1 before 2 as opposed to the other way around.

Any other ideas?

-Chris

[CoenP]

6. The files are written in a different ways on the hdd and it is the difference in hdd reading pattern (read noise) that you observe.

7. I have allways wondered how long startconditons or errors (even single ones) persist in the music. Not playing true nos some filtering is allways applied  (steep filters are usually FIR). These filters have a 'memory' for all samples involved in the filteralgorithm. The larger the offset or error, the more noticable this should become. I allways considered FLACs as lossless, so data in flac = data out flac. Never tested this though.

If the data  and checksum (which accounts for sequence) are equal and it still sounds different, it must be the processing (on the pc or in your brain ).

Rambling on,

Regards, Coen

[PeterSt]

7: One (anlomaly) spike is enough to change the whole track. With nice gapless ? the whole album ...

[crisnee]

I allways considered FLACs as lossless, so data in flac = data out flac. Never tested this though.

Well the test for lossless is: Can the compressed file be converted back to the original (the exact original). In the case of flac, supposedly it can. I don't assert this, but then I don't assert anything except perhaps that something = itself.

-Chris

[juanpmar]

"the only 'real' Plextor optical drive available seems now to be a DVD R/W  PX L890SA. Not sure if this one supports FUA though. Can't find it on the web."
Bigear


Hey Quint, have you found out if the PX L890SA is "real" Plextor for sure and if it supports FUA?. It can be found as cheap as 25€ in Amazon Spain.

Regards, Juan