XXHighEnd

Hi Peter,

I mentioned in another thread that sometimes I had problems playing a file... This is one example...

The messages simply says: Wrong header for file (...)

The file is a plain WAV file, no tags, no nothing I am aware of.

I have included the log.

Thanks,

Alain

Hi Alain, thank you for reporting this.

This problem was known already (I think for 0.9z-5 only or maybe one version earlier).
IIRC it is caused by WMP rips which actually do something "illegal".

It has been solved before (long ago) but the problem sneaked in again.

Peter
:15a:

Hi again Peter,

FYI, this download (the whole album) comes from Naim Label, bought a few weeks earlier. I have another download from them, but no problem. Strange... When I rip, I use EAC...

By the way, I have downloaded an album from HDtracks yesterday... There is something wrong with it. I thought I could mention it: Deep Purple "Machine Head". I am waiting for their answer. I have this album on vinyl, CD, Audio Fidelity CD an now in 24/96. But this last version seems weird. The Hammond on the right channel (DP mostly had the guitar on one channel and the hammond on the other) in "Highway Star" intro is almost not there and there are fluctuations in the sound that I am not sure of. I have written to HDtracks to ask for a refund or in hope that they will correct the matter... I do not systematically buy hi-res downloads, but... If they come from DSD, maybe they should be available in DSDIFF...

Thanks again. I am still amazed at the "rendu" of the music with XXHIGHEND. It now is a pain when I have to come back to any other player...

Alain

Oh boy. Don't buy anything from HDTracks !
I seem to have all the versions they subsequently upload lately. Including Machine Head (I have seen only one hires album so far which is from different origine than what I have here).

I can't see it is a downmix from 5.1 or something, but it probably is and a rare good one (most of those clip).
The rarity of this one is that it clearly shows it's DSD originated, while the package also includes 6.1 surround. Notice though it is a DVD-A, and *not* an SACD. Still I'd say that this has been an SACD in some earlier life (??). On that matter, it should exist in SACD version as well ... (I did not look it up).
I am far from sure about this, but in this case the combination I see does not fit.

Btw, there is no high frequency output at all, but it is also not upsampled or something. It's just the tape quality from that age. Max high freq output is something like 19KHz.

All together, officially this should be one of the better (because it technically doesn't flaw much). However, if this is a downmix ...
(I never noticed it, but I also hardly ever play any hires).


About the "Naim" problem ... I don't know. It could be about a same general problem (that bug which currently is in there). But in the past I had to "fix" many anomalies from random official download sites.
If you want you can send me an errorneous track. Then I can look and try to "fix" that.

Peter

Peter

Peter,

Yes I could send you a song, but how and where ? I think it exceeds the maximum allowed...

As for the hi-res thing, why don't you recommend it ?

I have downloaded many from HDT in 16/44 and a few in 24/88,24/96, etc...

I understand that the max freq response does not legitimate the price difference and the hi-res as for frequency response, but is it only about frequency response or it also has with tonality and other attributes (apart from dynamic range and filtering purpose) ?

Alain

Hi Alain,

You can use (free) FileMail to send a track.

And I am sorry, I meant "HiRes" when I said not to buy from HDTracks. The Redbook will be okay I guess.

Point is : that HiRes is no HiRes at all. Filtering response is destroyed in advanced with it (because filters were used to create those malicious files). Tonality ? a laugh.
It all sounds like super sh*t. Not because HiRes does, but because they are fakes (say, 95% of them).

But if you think it is better, that's ok of course !

Regards,
Peter

Hi Peter,

Can you provide me with an email address where I can send that file to ?

I will write to you some questions but I will do my homework first about hi-res :-)

Thanks again.

Alain

Oh, I am sorry !

sales -@t- phasure . com

Received the file. Thanks.

I moved your HiRes questions to here : HiRes / HDTracks quesions (http://www.phasure.com/index.php?topic=1751.0).

Peter