pc as my source

[falconcry72]

Due to the high Q of most bass anomalies, a parametric EQ will usually be more helpful.

So Face, have you found the DSP's or EQ's in JRiver to hurt SQ (aside from bad settings lol).

[98Badger]

In a different league in what way? Media management or sound quality?

IMO the sound quality of JRiver is leaps and bounds better than Mediamonkey. I used mm for quite a while. In addition, you have so many more options for organizing and customization. Consider it does bit perfect ripping, file conversion and has the option of room correction. You do get quite a bit of value for $50.

[falconcry72]

IMO the sound quality of JRiver is leaps and bounds better than Mediamonkey...

My question was a bit rhetorical about sound quality because if you're using a bit-perfect playback method, i.e, WASAPI or ASIO, how could the sound quality be any different at all? Not talking about features here, just SQ.

[AsSiMiLaTeD]

My question was a bit rhetorical about sound quality because if you're using a bit-perfect playback method, i.e, WASAPI or ASIO, how could the sound quality be any different at all? Not talking about features here, just SQ.

The driver is just an interface, there are still other things going on in the software that can affect sound.

I can't comment on the two programs here, but on the Mac platform I have Amarra, BitPerfect, and Audirvana Plus all that send bit perfect data into my DAC and all sound very different.

I think the phrase bit perfect is thrown around too loosely, I don't know that there is such a thing and if there is I don't know how we can know for sure that it exists.

How's that for some Friday morning existentialism for ya...

[Face]

So Face, have you found the DSP's or EQ's in JRiver to hurt SQ (aside from bad settings lol).

Configured correctly, only an increase.

I think the phrase bit perfect is thrown around too loosely, I don't know that there is such a thing and if there is I don't know how we can know for sure that it exists.

AFAIK, bit perfect=asynchronous.

[falconcry72]

The driver is just an interface, there are still other things going on in the software that can affect sound.

I can't comment on the two programs here, but on the Mac platform I have Amarra, BitPerfect, and Audirvana Plus all that send bit perfect data into my DAC and all sound very different.

I think the phrase bit perfect is thrown around too loosely, I don't know that there is such a thing and if there is I don't know how we can know for sure that it exists.

How's that for some Friday morning existentialism for ya...

hmm. shows what I know!

[falconcry72]

Configured correctly, only an increase.

Ok Mr. Face, I got another one for you:

I am currently using a 1.0 ohm resistor in the tweeter attenuator portion of the crossover on my 3.7's. Do you think that digital EQ'ing at the PC would be even less obtrusive to SQ; meaning, would I be better off putting a good jumper in the tweeter attenutor spot and addressing frequency response issues up front on the PC???

TLDR: what degrades SQ more: a physical resistor in the crossover or digital EQ'ing at the PC level?

[SCompRacer]

The DIY crowd have been reclocking I2S before handing it off the DAC to reduce jitter. They test for bit perfect but reducing jitter is the goal.

Mike, can you swap DSD channels in JRiver like you can in foobar? DSD swaps R and L channel from I2S. If you can do it in software, it saves a digital switching solution to correct the swap.

[seabeerob213]

you guys got me so lost, lol i like the v-link 192 and am curious to know why FLAC is better than WMA if they are both lossless, an external DAC will come when i get my PC and my HK 3490 together, and i see a lot of people upgrade their units to a detachable, how simple is it to do that to my AVR, and for the present i will use a free service, and i see you guys are in a bit of disagreement to the best one is, but i think the suggested to me as being easiest to use will be a good way to familiarize myself with some of this stuff, thanks you guys, i will check out the shops in seatle suggested to me by zingo, to see if they have the v-link, and if they dont order one in march when my vacation is over

[blehmbo]

Have you tried using the pure direct setting on the rx-v765? It should minimize the amount of processing that is done to the signal (unfortunately bass management is one of those things).

As far as I know there shouldn't be a difference between lossless formats, maybe other than cpu overhead and player compatibility. Converting between lossless formats shouldn't cause any decreases in quality.

[blehmbo]

Since you plan on getting a DAC in the future, consider skipping the v-link and putting the cash toward a DAC that supports asynchronous USB. It seems to be a feature that is becoming more common in entry level DACs.

[Tbone289]

Since you plan on getting a DAC in the future, consider skipping the v-link and putting the cash toward a DAC that supports asynchronous USB. It seems to be a feature that is becoming more common in entry level DACs.

This is the route I would take also (and I did!). I have tried several in the $150-$400 range, and would highly recommend the Musical Fidelity V-DACII. To my ears, it is the best of the class.

[seabeerob213]

Since you plan on getting a DAC in the future, consider skipping the v-link and putting the cash toward a DAC that supports asynchronous USB. It seems to be a feature that is becoming more common in entry level DACs.

sounds like a good plan to me, if others have tried it and liked it, i dont see why not

[skrol]

I want to get more serious about building my music library on my PC and I see many recommendations for JRiver and a good DAC. If I am presently only using the sound card, does JRiver make sense? Also, I see recommendations against using JRiver for MP3's. Why?

Thanks
Stan

[EndersShadow]

I want to get more serious about building my music library on my PC and I see many recommendations for JRiver and a good DAC. If I am presently only using the sound card, does JRiver make sense? Also, I see recommendations against using JRiver for MP3's. Why?

Thanks
Stan

I would think regardless of how your sending the music out JRiver would be a good choice. Your source file and playback program are the beginning of the chain, so if they are low quality, no matter what other gear you have upstream from it (soundcard, speakers, etc) wont make that big a difference.

[Tbone289]

I have no idea why that would be. JRiver should be able to decode mp3 just as well as any other format.

[falconcry72]

I want to get more serious about building my music library on my PC and I see many recommendations for JRiver and a good DAC. If I am presently only using the sound card, does JRiver make sense? Also, I see recommendations against using JRiver for MP3's. Why?

Thanks
Stan

Are people saying that JRiver is not good at playing MP3's, or that MP3's are not good to be played on JRiver? lol. The answer is that MP3's have no place in a hifi rig, period. But I agree with TBone, JRiver can play MP3's as well as any other media player.

[skrol]

Thanks for the clarification. I plan to convert CD's to FLAC but some music I only have in mp3 format (for now).

[falconcry72]

Thanks for the clarification. I plan to convert CD's to FLAC but some music I only have in mp3 format (for now).

hey, it's better to have music as MP3 than not at all! I use MP3's in my car on my ipod, and stuff like that... but for the main rig? Lossless only.

[EndersShadow]

Thanks for the clarification. I plan to convert CD's to FLAC but some music I only have in mp3 format (for now).

I am in the same boat, some of the music I have in MP3 is the only format I can ever get it in as I have lost/discarded the original CD or never had it to begin with.

So in my main rig I have a combined library of all the CD's I did still have in FLAC, and now buy ONLY CD's to rip to FLAC so moving forward I am good. However I did add in all the compressed MP3's that I cant find elsewhere into that system simply because lots of those are songs I dont listen to critically but more for fun.

I mean who cares if you are listening to Nelly's Party People lossless or MP3 lol, either way your cranking it for the bassline and to nod your head and bounce along to the beat hehehe....

[skrol]

What do you guys use for ripping vinyl to FLAC?

[seabeerob213]

i also still have a bunch of music in mp3 or other compressed type files, but i have a playlist composed of all my lossless files and one of the stuff i like the most,

[KellyMic]

What do you guys use for ripping vinyl to FLAC?

I use Sound Forge but only to record. It's pop filter is not good and distorts the music. I do all cleanup in another wav editor then to flac.