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Author Topic: Am I crazy thinking wav sounds better than flac?  (Read 31005 times)
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PeterSt
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« Reply #15 on: March 13, 2012, 08:03:08 pm »

Eric, maybe you forgot, but you have a special version; handed to you just for the cause ... many months back already by now ...
(this was about Coverart for the main reason).

Regards,
Peter
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For the Stealth III LPS PC :
W10-14393.0 - July 17, 2021 (2.11)
XXHighEnd Mach III Stealth LPS PC -> Xeon Scalable 14/28 core with Hyperthreading On (set to 14/28 cores in BIOS and set to 10/20 cores via Boot Menu) @~660MHz, 48GB, Windows 10 Pro 64 bit build 14393.0 from RAM, music on LAN / Engine#4 Adaptive Mode / Q1/-/3/4/5 = 14/-/0/0/*1*/ Q1Factor = *4* / Dev.Buffer = 4096 / ClockRes = *10ms* / Memory = Straight Contiguous / Include Garbage Collect / SFS = *10.13*  (max 10.13) / not Invert / Phase Alignment Off / Playerprio = Low / ThreadPrio = Realtime / Scheme = Core 3-5 / Not Switch Processors during Playback = Off/ Playback Drive none (see OS from RAM) / UnAttended (Just Start) / Always Copy to XX Drive (see OS from RAM) / Stop Desktop, Remaining, WASAPI and W10 services / Use Remote Desktop / Keep LAN - Not Persist / WallPaper On / OSD Off (!) / Running Time Off / Minimize OS / XTweaks : Balanced Load = *62* / Nervous Rate = *1* / Cool when Idle = n.a / Provide Stable Power = 1 / Utilize Cores always = 1 / Time Performance Index = Optimal / Time Stability = Stable / Custom Filtering *Low* (16x) / Always Clear Proxy before Playback = On -> USB3 from MoBo -> Lush^3
A: W-Y-R-G, B: *W-G* USB 1m00 -> Phisolator 24/768 Phasure NOS1a/G3 75B (BNC Out) async USB DAC, Driver v1.0.4b (16ms) -> B'ASS Current Amplifier -> Blaxius*^2.5* A:B-G, B:B-G Interlink -> Orelo MKII Active Open Baffle Horn Speakers. ET^2 Ethernet from Mach III to Music Server PC (RDC Control).
Removed Switching Supplies from everywhere (also from the PC).

For a general PC :
W10-10586.0 - May 2016 (2.05+)
*XXHighEnd PC -> I7 3930k with Hyperthreading On (12 cores)* @~500MHz, 16GB, Windows 10 Pro 64 bit build 10586.0 from RAM, music on LAN / Engine#4 Adaptive Mode / Q1/-/3/4/5 = 14/-/1/1/1 / Q1Factor = 1 / Dev.Buffer = 4096 / ClockRes = 1ms / Memory = Straight Contiguous / Include Garbage Collect / SFS = 0.10  (max 60) / not Invert / Phase Alignment Off / Playerprio = Low / ThreadPrio = Realtime / Scheme = Core 3-5 / Not Switch Processors during Playback = Off/ Playback Drive none (see OS from RAM) / UnAttended (Just Start) / Always Copy to XX Drive (see OS from RAM) / All Services Off / Keep LAN - Not Persist / WallPaper On / OSD On / Running Time Off / Minimize OS / XTweaks : Balanced Load = *43* / Nervous Rate = 1 / Cool when Idle = 1 / Provide Stable Power = 1 / Utilize Cores always = 1 / Time Performance Index = *Optimal* / Time Stability = *Stable* / Custom Filter *Low* 705600 / -> USB3 *from MoBo* -> Clairixa USB 15cm -> Intona Isolator -> Clairixa USB 1m80 -> 24/768 Phasure NOS1a 75B (BNC Out) async USB DAC, Driver v1.0.4b (4ms) -> Blaxius BNC interlink *-> B'ASS Current Amplifier /w Level4 -> Blaxius Interlink* -> Orelo MKII Active Open Baffle Horn Speakers.
Removed Switching Supplies from everywhere.

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Eric
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« Reply #16 on: March 14, 2012, 02:22:15 pm »

Yes thank you, I forgot....glad you didn't!
Cheers,
Eric
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3.2GHz CPU, 8GB RAM, XXHE 1.186a, W7x64 SP1 Ultimate on 2.5" 10Krpm SATAII spinning disk, 8GB RAM / KS:Phasure NOS1 Out 4.0 / #4 Engine / Adaptive / Buffer 4096 / ClockRes 1ms/ Stop All Services / Monitor Off / SFS = 0.4 / not Invert / No XTweaks / Playback Drive = External USB3 (USB powered) HDD / Unattended/ Minimize OS / Peak Ext / ArcPredict / PA- / Q1,-,3,4,5=14,-,0,0,0
Control Panel: Sample Rate: 352.800kHz/ USB Buffer Size: 8ms
Amps: BD-Design bridged Gainclones
christoffe
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« Reply #17 on: February 09, 2015, 11:50:10 pm »

Let's start again:

I will make some test's on Tuesday with critical tracks.

NOS1a will reveal differences?

http://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/new-methods-for-quantifying-sonic-performance-part-two/

See first part of .... .

Joachim
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christoffe
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« Reply #18 on: February 10, 2015, 01:37:07 pm »

Hi,

XXH is a memory player and is writing the “FLAC to WAV” converted files to ........ , and the CPU has no load during replay.

There seems to be less noise with WAV files, but I would not be able to make a judgment during a “blind test”.

Joachim
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benananda
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« Reply #19 on: June 30, 2015, 07:42:22 pm »

Old post, and I haven't been on in years. But, I had to put in my two cents.

In my experience, wav always sounds better than flac. I have had this experience with CD and HD going back and forth, with xxhighend and regular players as well, though I find differences easier to discern on xxhighend. I do not know the reason for it, but i have become a purist over the years, taking out links in the chain to make the signal/source as simple as possible. This is why I use "Pure direct" on my Maranz receiver , rather than Audessey corrections. Recently this premise was validated for me once again, when I found that by simply unhooking the HDMI out from my receiver, the sound changed in a subtle way I would say had more dimension to it. I think you really have to have golden ears here, but I always find the pure wav to be better.
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USB to Matrix Mini-i (16bit 48Khz max)  (0.9z-7)
Windows 7 Ultimate 64bit SP1 on SSD, XX on other SSD, music on SATAII spinning disk (on SATA3 port of MB!), MB is Z77 Gigabyte G1 sniper m3, Ivy Bridge i5 3570, / Engine#4 Special Mode / Q1/2/3/4/5 = 2/0/0/0/0 / Q1Factor = 2 (Dev.Buffer = 256) / ClockRes = 1ms / Straight Contiguous / SFS = 430 / not Invert / Playerprio = Low / ThreadPrio = Real Time / Unattended playback All off especially LAN!
PeterSt
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« Reply #20 on: July 01, 2015, 04:57:39 pm »

Hi,

I never really compare WAV to FLAC, but do you use a RAMDisk as playback drive ?
It should be virtually impossible to perceive differences in that case (but use Unattended Playback).

Regards,
Peter
Logged

For the Stealth III LPS PC :
W10-14393.0 - July 17, 2021 (2.11)
XXHighEnd Mach III Stealth LPS PC -> Xeon Scalable 14/28 core with Hyperthreading On (set to 14/28 cores in BIOS and set to 10/20 cores via Boot Menu) @~660MHz, 48GB, Windows 10 Pro 64 bit build 14393.0 from RAM, music on LAN / Engine#4 Adaptive Mode / Q1/-/3/4/5 = 14/-/0/0/*1*/ Q1Factor = *4* / Dev.Buffer = 4096 / ClockRes = *10ms* / Memory = Straight Contiguous / Include Garbage Collect / SFS = *10.13*  (max 10.13) / not Invert / Phase Alignment Off / Playerprio = Low / ThreadPrio = Realtime / Scheme = Core 3-5 / Not Switch Processors during Playback = Off/ Playback Drive none (see OS from RAM) / UnAttended (Just Start) / Always Copy to XX Drive (see OS from RAM) / Stop Desktop, Remaining, WASAPI and W10 services / Use Remote Desktop / Keep LAN - Not Persist / WallPaper On / OSD Off (!) / Running Time Off / Minimize OS / XTweaks : Balanced Load = *62* / Nervous Rate = *1* / Cool when Idle = n.a / Provide Stable Power = 1 / Utilize Cores always = 1 / Time Performance Index = Optimal / Time Stability = Stable / Custom Filtering *Low* (16x) / Always Clear Proxy before Playback = On -> USB3 from MoBo -> Lush^3
A: W-Y-R-G, B: *W-G* USB 1m00 -> Phisolator 24/768 Phasure NOS1a/G3 75B (BNC Out) async USB DAC, Driver v1.0.4b (16ms) -> B'ASS Current Amplifier -> Blaxius*^2.5* A:B-G, B:B-G Interlink -> Orelo MKII Active Open Baffle Horn Speakers. ET^2 Ethernet from Mach III to Music Server PC (RDC Control).
Removed Switching Supplies from everywhere (also from the PC).

For a general PC :
W10-10586.0 - May 2016 (2.05+)
*XXHighEnd PC -> I7 3930k with Hyperthreading On (12 cores)* @~500MHz, 16GB, Windows 10 Pro 64 bit build 10586.0 from RAM, music on LAN / Engine#4 Adaptive Mode / Q1/-/3/4/5 = 14/-/1/1/1 / Q1Factor = 1 / Dev.Buffer = 4096 / ClockRes = 1ms / Memory = Straight Contiguous / Include Garbage Collect / SFS = 0.10  (max 60) / not Invert / Phase Alignment Off / Playerprio = Low / ThreadPrio = Realtime / Scheme = Core 3-5 / Not Switch Processors during Playback = Off/ Playback Drive none (see OS from RAM) / UnAttended (Just Start) / Always Copy to XX Drive (see OS from RAM) / All Services Off / Keep LAN - Not Persist / WallPaper On / OSD On / Running Time Off / Minimize OS / XTweaks : Balanced Load = *43* / Nervous Rate = 1 / Cool when Idle = 1 / Provide Stable Power = 1 / Utilize Cores always = 1 / Time Performance Index = *Optimal* / Time Stability = *Stable* / Custom Filter *Low* 705600 / -> USB3 *from MoBo* -> Clairixa USB 15cm -> Intona Isolator -> Clairixa USB 1m80 -> 24/768 Phasure NOS1a 75B (BNC Out) async USB DAC, Driver v1.0.4b (4ms) -> Blaxius BNC interlink *-> B'ASS Current Amplifier /w Level4 -> Blaxius Interlink* -> Orelo MKII Active Open Baffle Horn Speakers.
Removed Switching Supplies from everywhere.

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CoenP
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« Reply #21 on: July 02, 2015, 05:53:46 pm »

Hi,

No RAMdisk in here, but I didn't notice any SQ differences between FLAC and WAV anymore since my NOS1(a) days. On SQ I couldn't tell them apart.

They are handled slightly differently however by the software though since my FLACs play without hiccups, while the same music in WAV (and all other WAVs) tends to stop for a brief moment after 20-25 seconds. It happens with all XXversions higher than 0.8 yet this hardly bothers me since most of my music is in FLAC for "real-estate" reasons.

regards, Coen
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Settings: Qn: , SFS: , timeres: XT tweaks: , buf: 4096, driver: 8 ms,

Audio PC (jan 19): XXHE PC v1 with RAMdisk w.o. videocard and 1 of 2 cpu fans + BRIX/USB3 storage musicserver. ETN to Fibre converters (linear supplies), 500m SFP modules & 5m OM4 cable. Power cable PE not connected, together with nos1 and poweramp in separate "audio" powerstrip.

Clarixa set + Intona (or Lush 1m), Phasure NOS1a-75B G3 USB (buf 16 ms)-> Blaxius ->SE EL95 (0,8W triode) + cheap link to Abaqus 300W plateamps> Bastanis cable-> Bastanis Sagarmatha Duo ("DIY").

[other sources: TD124/3009SII-i/Grace F9/lounge LCR phono; Rega Planet 1997 vintage]
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