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  1. Hi all. Looking for a recommendation. I'm wondering if I should enable asynchronous sample rate conversion on my DAC...or not. I'm struggling to hear a sonic difference. Wondering if there are any objective justifications. I'm running Roon Server with upsampling to highest rate, Raspberry Pi2 HiFi Berry SPDIF to Emotiva DC-1. Appreciate any suggestions. Thanks! Sent from my iPad using Computer Audiophile
  2. Another question. Why do vinyl recordings generally have significantly less DR compression? The same album squashed beyond all recognition in digital breathes very well on vinyl. Could it be a pure marketing decision? I think the labels look at digital as a commodity format where ear buds and pc speakers rule the day and benefit from compression. Whereas vinyl is considered "audiophile" despite having fidelity potential. This is the classic art vs commerce struggle.
  3. In the wake of all the noise from the recent U2 Songs of Innocence iTunes release, there are several articles stating that the band and Apple have another project in works. Apparently something in the works that is supposed to "change the way we all listen to music and view it". I'm definitely intrigued by the possibilities. From a recent article in Time Magazine: Bono tells TIME he hopes that a new digital music format in the works will prove so irresistibly exciting to music fans that it will tempt them again into buying music -- whole albums as well as individual tracks. The point isn’t just to help U2 but less well known artists and others in the industry who can’t make money, as U2 does, from live performance From a recent Billboard article: "We're working on other things as well with Apple that have to do with how music is heard and innovation, with [iTunes VP of content] Robert Kondrk leading that charge. There's a lot of things still to come that are really interesting. The band really wants people to engage with albums, they want them to support the art form of artwork and lyrics and video content and just get into their music in a much different way than an MP3 file. This is a long relationship." I know there were several comments last week about "no hi-rez announcement" from Apple during the iPhone 6 launch. I too, like many, were hoping for something positive on the fidelity front. Crossing my fingers that whatever the boys in U2 and Apple are up to...they consider the fidelity of the music alongside artwork, lyrics and video content. If we truly want folks to reconnect...we have to address the decline of audio quality in the mainstream music business. We'll see :-) Take care all, Clay
  4. I'm of a different mind. I think there are some really strong songs on this release. Granted, it may not be the "version" of the band that everyone is comfortable with. But I respect how these guys continue to explore new territory (for them). I think the greatest betrayal would be for them to try and re-create the Joshua tree or Achtung Baby. That would be sad. Anyhow my favorite songs so far are: "sleep like a baby tonight". I love how it invokes Kraftwerk and it just has a very cool strangeness to it. I also like "this is where you can reach me now". The "stonesy" guitar in the opening is totally cool and I love how The song goes into this whole "Clash-like" vibe from there. The final track "the troubles" is just sonically beautiful and I dig the inclusion of the Swedish female singer. Her voice is haunting. I guess it's a duet of sorts. Anyway, just my two cents on this album. I'll be buying the general release which is supposed to have several new songs songs and alternate acoustic versions of what was in the iTunes release. Take care all, Clay
  5. So we still don't know what you like. But if you like the Beatles, you might try a little experiment by buying "Love," which comes with both a CD at 16/44.1 and DVD-Audio at 24/96. (There are directions on the site regarding how to rip audio DVDs.) I think the alternate takes George Martin and son used on "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" and "Strawberry Fields Forever" sound terrific. Have a listen and see whether you think the 24/96 sounds different (better, worse) than the CD rip. Jud..thank you and thank you to all those that have responded to my post. A little overwhelming to see all the responses. I am a big Beatles fan and actually ripped my Love CD to uncompressed FLAC. Unfortunately I only have the CD-only version. Bummer. Needless to say the sound of the CD is wonderful. I can only conclude that this is a direct result of quality mastering. I know others have asked what kind of music I like. Well... Pretty much anything with a guitar. Whether that be folk , blues, rock and roll , and sometimes some classical Spanish guitar like Segovia. I also like things without a guitar. For example Kraftwerk. Or things where the guitar is not always central like Beck maybe. I have to say I'm a sucker for the big bands and artists like the Beatles, the stones, The Who, Rush, Pearl Jam, The Clash and the lads from Dublin... U2. I have also grown very fond of the ladies in recent years like Norah Jones and Natalie Merchant. Unfortunately for me it has not been easy to find good recordings of my favorite artists. Some have fallen victim to the loudness wars being run by record company marketeers . What a shame. But occasionally I do strike gold. I recently grabbed The Clash's Combat Rock in 24/96. It's terrific actually. But to return to the reason behind my post, everytime I go looking for new music, I have never bothered with 192. Everything I've read said its a waste of time. Now, I'm being told I'm listening underwater unless it is 192. I know there's a lot of smoke and mirrors in that statement. But I'd like to know, does anybody out there have an example of something they think is definitely better because it at 192? Either a native recording or a transfer? If anyone is passionate about something I'd like to know what it is and I may want to give it a shot. Again thank you to all of those that have responded. This is a great place!
  6. With the launch Pono, I've heard more noise about 192k than ever before. From the celebrity cheerleaders to those that say it is totally unnecessary. Being relatively new to the HiFi game, I'm not completely jaded...yet ☺. I would like to give it try. For those that are proponents, can you recommend a favorite recording that you feel really showcases the purported advantages? Regards, Clay
  7. Do you have any information to share on albums ATYCLB going forward? The last three albums (cd) have terrible DR values. Wondering if the versions at u2 website are better. Thanks, Clay
  8. I find all of their remastered downloadable albums found on the U2 website to be excellent sounding in their Deluxe packages. I own all of them from that site and the DR values are very respectable (11-12 ish). I have found that the lads albums from all that you can't leave behind forward have unfortunately fallen victim to the loudness wars. All albums before then have decent DR values. I'm looking for how to dismantle an atomic bomb and no line with good DR values. Does that U2.com downloads offer any improvement over the CDs?
  9. What is pono quality? What is pono certified? Do we have any new information on these two critical questions? Do we know anything beyond the stated sample rates and bit depths and the fact that it means righteous in Hawaiian? For this to be a true game changer, we have to have a more meaningful set of criteria and a robust control process to support it. If the lamp illuminates signaling pono quality and the reality is the files are mp3 upsampled to 192/24 I'm going to be one bummed dude. Is it possible to develop a set of minimum standards that the labels can abide by and that pono is willing to uphold that can give us the dynamics we so crave in our recordings? It's great to see all these artists on board but the folks that need convincing are the folks influencing the mastering process. That is where it seems to be going off the rails. That said, I will remain patient and continue to watch how this develops. Thank you all for your insightful posts.
  10. Do we have any new information on these two critical questions? Do we know anything beyond the stated sample rates and bit depths and the fact that it means righteous in Hawaiian? For this to be a true game changer, we have to have a more meaningful set of criteria and a robust control process to support it. If the lamp illuminates signaling pono quality and the reality is the files are mp3 upsampled to 192/24 I'm going to be one bummed dude. Is it possible to develop a set of minimum standards that the labels can abide by and that pono is willing to uphold that can give us the dynamics we so crave in our recordings? It's great to see all these artists on board but the folks that need convincing are the folks influencing the mastering process. That is where it seems to be going off the rails. That said, I will remain patient and continue to watch how this develops. Thank you all for your insightful posts.
  11. I have my old man's Saras of America speakers. They are model number 30. Is anyone familiar with these? Does anyone know what I have on my hands? I've been auditioning them and I really like their sound but I haven't made any decisions to fit them in my rig yet. Very little info on them on the Internet, basically nothing. My dad purchased them in the mid to late 1970s I think they may be a boutique speaker designer from Southern California. if anyone out there has any knowledge on these or any comments I would love to hear from you thanks!
  12. First, let me say, I'm very excited by all this news and the potential Pono could offer. I truly hope this is a success. But I’m still wanting to know more. My apologies if this has already been discussed, or if more information is available and I have overlooked it. However, the central question in my mind will be the quality of the content. We are all too familiar with hi-rez buffoonery - e.g. the recent Morning Phase debacle. These kinds of issues make folks like me, who are new to high-end audio game, pause with concern. That said, as I was browsing the FAQ…the one statement below is key for me. Apparently content will be certified. Does anyone yet know what that criteria is? Has Pono quality been defined a deeper level yet? I certainly hope there is more to it than sample rate or bit depth. Are we talking criteria that could ensure the content is mastered with quality in mind? Less compression…better dynamics? Crossing my fingers! The PonoPlayer will show you, via its user interface and a special “light” (to indicate a certified PonoMusic song) exactly what quality level you are hearing - when you are hearing Pono quality, and when you are not. If the light is lit, then the music you are listening to is Pono-certified as the best available quality. Regards, Clay
  13. Muchas gracias Pooger. Great advice. Just what I was looking for. Thanks for the guidance. Regards, Clay
  14. Hi there, I'm interested in building out a desktop system with active speakers. In regards to contemplating the DAC...my budget is fairly tight and thus products from Emotiva and Schiit are attractive. I'm trying to understand the relative merits of the DC-1 vs. Bifrost. Does the lack of a fully differential design represent a strike against the Bifrost? My active speakers have a balanced in. Does Emotiva's use of opamps strike a death blow against it? Does anyone have any thoughts? I like both of these companies. They share a similar approach to audio and their general ethos is something I relate to. Thanks for your time. Regards, Clay
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