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nxrm

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  1. I have no objections if you would let me know where to.
  2. Yes, I see. Sorry about that; I saw someone's post here about the May DAC and I chimed in. Please excuse the intrusion.
  3. My friend Pierre at diyaudio.com loves his Holo May DAC with his speakers, posts 15266, 15276. https://www.diyaudio.com/community/threads/beyond-the-ariel.100392/page-764 But I don't think he uses subs, while I need to use a pair of these as my speakers only play down to 70Hz. https://www.rythmikaudio.com/F12.html https://www.rythmikaudio.com/download/XLR2_sealed_quickguide.pdf All of my sources are digital via my pc, so use of room correction software is possible, but only if a multichannel DAC were used. But which of those truly sound as good as this? https://www.kitsunehifi.com/product/holo-audio-may-dac/ I suppose the best sounding compromise would be to only include the pair of powered subs into any room correcting DSP filter loop with only two DAC channels. If yes, would someone please recommend the best paid or free software for this purpose?
  4. Thanks for this extremely thor Thanks for your review on those Forrsell and Crane Song DACs. I've yet to decide on a stereo DAC for my main speakers. But as I have three Rythmik F12 subs, I thought instead of going with the Merging Hapi or Okto DAC 8 Pro 8 channels DACs. But how likely would either sound as good as these or other higher end stereo DACs? Simple economics impacting parts quality per DAC channel and the rest of the fabrication costs would say no. For example, the Hapi versus Merging's own NADAC. There was a likely very cost effective Forsell MDAC-4 four channel DAC. The four channels would do for my subs and I could get a separate stereo DAC for my mains. The MDAC-4 also had the 26dbu output I prefer for level matching in case of gain loss. But since Fred retired they are virtually impossible to find.
  5. Certainly, many if not most engineers are painfully aware of these sonic assaults inflicted on recordings for reasons that have nothing to do with artistic preference and everything to do with crass marketing trickery. https://gearspace.com/board/mastering-forum/1401406-intersample-clipping-audible.html Obviously, the trouble is engineers also know that they must either comply with what those who are paying them believe they need to do in order to sell the record or risk getting fired. And this is precisely why producers and artists need to be told how they are mutilating their own products and making them sound like crap, at least on relatively decent audio systems-not to mention on high res systems. AND they need to be told by US, the consumers-who populate forums like this-as we clearly have the biggest stake in putting an end to this practice. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loudness_war So yes, as is done when necessary in all other affairs, naming names of offending producers and artists is justified. https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/LoudnessWar/TheWorstOffenders How else to put an end to else can this problem?
  6. Certainly, many if not most engineers are painfully aware of these sonic assaults inflicted on recordings for reasons that have nothing to do with artistic preference and nothing but crass marketing trickery.https://gearspace.com/board/mastering-forum/1401406-intersample-clipping-audible.html Obviously, the trouble is engineers also know that they must either comply with what those who are paying them believe they need to do in order to sell the record or risk getting fired. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loudness_war And this is precisely why producers and artists need to be told how they are mutilating their own products and making them sound like crap, at least on relatively decent audio systems-not to mention on high res systems. AND they need to be told by US, the consumers, as we have the biggest stake in putting an end to this practice. So yes, as is done when necessary in all other affairs, naming names of offending producers and artists is justified. https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/LoudnessWar/TheWorstOffenders How else to put an end to else can this problem?
  7. nxrm

    dbPoweramp or EAC?

    Does it matter if you save the track to a WAV or FLAC file?
  8. nxrm

    dbPoweramp or EAC?

    Okay, I see that you used dbpoweramp to rip select tracks from the CD, rather than the ripping the entire disc. And I see that the app generated some kind of CRC code for each track. But how would I use that code to prove whether that ripped track has errors?
  9. nxrm

    dbPoweramp or EAC?

    But what I wish was true with dbpoweramp is that you could rip only the tracks you want for a CD, save each to an uncompressed FLAC file-which I think (unlike WAV files) automatically generates a code-which could then be compared to codes of all such independently ripped tracks from that CD title in a worldwide database like AccurateRip and/or other databases to thereby check for errors. But this is only possible if the whole CD is ripped.
  10. I haven't ripped CDs in years but when I did it was only select tracks on CDs. Now I need to do so again, with ripping select tracks from ~ 2 dozen CDs. Last year I had Steiger Dynamics custom build my quiet HTPC: Intel Xeon 1390, Gigabyte W480 board, 32GB ECC memory, LGWH16NS60 BD drive. I've only ever used EAC for CD ripping,; that was > 12 years ago; Dell Dimension 8300; Pentium 4 CPU 1GB RAM. I can't recall ever having a audible errors. But sometimes yes, transient clicks. Errors? But what's the most likely cause, as I can't recall a single CD in my large collection having any scratches? I always ripped in Secure mode and only saved to uncompressed WAV files. The only other problem I had about 13 years ago was that sometimes EAC would crash. What was the most likely cause of that problem? Now that I need to install a ripper in my new pc, EAC or dbpoweramp? I heard that the latter is much more advantageous but only if you're willing to rip the entire CD-in which case you can exploit the worldwide database (and not just the AccurateRip database) to verify bit accuracy. But I only want to rip select tracks. So stick with EAC or switch to dbpoweramp for other reasons?? Please share facts, opinions, experiences.
  11. Presumably, none of this has changed with the Hapi MK2 as there's nothing new to replace the DA8 and DA8P boards, says this video. I'd only be using the Hapi MK2 as an 8 channel DAC for my mains and 3 subs, so no ADC card needed. Nor do I play any SACDs and the DA8P card does no upsampling, so just the DA8 card for me. Not that the these DAC cards use them, but what accounts for the subjective sonic differences users find between ESS and AKM DAC chips? FWIW, I think RME is the only brand making 8 channel interfaces that uses AKM chips.
  12. I've been over the Hapi a whole lot here and it really seems the way for me to go. But now that I learned fro Keith W there that I don't need to install any Merging ADC card-and just use a single USB connected (Beringer) mic/ADC/preamp to make measurements, can anyone thing of another 8 channel (even a six channnel) DAC (and not a processor like the Lyngdorf or Theta Digital) with DAC chips and/or output stages which would conceivably sound substantially better than the Hapi (besides the NADAC)? Also, must have at least very close to 6.9v unbalanced and 13.8v balanced outputs like the Hapi? Budget ~ $7K.
  13. Thanks for this valuable feedback. About your two channel system, since you mention only the DCS two channel DAC for use with it, I presume you're not using any subs with that system, so no other DACs beyond the DCS for use with software-based room correction? Assuming you're happy with your bass response, at least after room correction, then you're also happily free of the need for subs and the additional DAC channels needed to send them convolved signals for room correction. Unfortunately, as explained, my main speakers only play down to 70Hz so subs are unavoidable-as are more DAC channels if I choose to use software to eq the subs to the room. Thus, using a single multichannel DAC/ADC box seems the only practical solution. What's the difference between the Merging Anubis and Hapi? If the Hapi has both MCH DACs-and ADCs to facilitate test signal recordings for DIRAC Live or other RC software-why would I need or want Anubis? With my mains plus four Rythmik F12 subs, I would need at most six DAC/ADC channels. What's the minimal number of Hapi channels you can buy? While this 2.4 system would be mostly for music, I do want to play BD movies via the optical drive in my pc and displayed by JRiver and my Nvidia card on my Sony OLED TV, feeding the card's HDMI video output to the TV. But I also want to have my Pioneer LX500 BD player feeding the TV's other HDMI video input. How could I connect the Pioneer's SPDIF output to the HAPI? Hopefully, not with some expensive interface. The other important concern is audio attenuation quality issues. By now things might have changed for the better due to driver file and/or other aspects of software design, but for a long time most audio attenuation done via software left the using incurring some kind of penalty. Typically, bit depth loss, yes? Is this still is the price to be paid when doing audio level attenuation via JRiver, Foobar and VLC players? If yes, please don't tell me that just to get lossless audio attenuation using HAPi that I'd have to spend this much for something like Anubis, when it clearly offers so many other features which I will NEVER have use for. https://www.frontendaudio.com/merging-technologies-anubis-premium-sps-interface/ I see that, after his reviews of the Exasound e38MK2 and Okto DAC Pro 8 MCH DACs, Kal Rubinson now has the Merging Hapi. Though forthcoming reviews of it at Stereophile are unlikely, I hope that Kal would share detailed descriptions of the Hapi's sound quality across all discernible parameters, here or elsewhere. BTW, as I recall he has Benchmark power amps which have the advantage of hardwired adjustable input sensitivity over a wide range. Thus, regarding the other extreme, where I may not have enough output level, depending on the amount of RC software imposed gain loss, Kal's Benchmark amps can likely be adjusted to make up for it. No such options with my amps, but are which are matched much too sweetly to my speakers. Thus, how could I know before investing in a solution anything like HAPI if an acceptably tweaked convolved signal will provide ample output voltage to the balanced and/or unbalanced inputs of my main amp and subwoofer plate amps? Assuming I could return the Merging or other brand hardware without incurring fat restocking fees, where would I go from there? The only thing that comes to mind would be just using a DAC/ADC with RC software determine what acoustical corrections I could make to the room physically, short of tearing down walls, and so forth; adding bass traps, diffusers, et al. Then add a low noise, low distortion dc coupled line stage with multiple balanced outputs between the stereo DAC's balanced outputs my four subs. Then will have to experiment with positioning the subs around the room and hope for the best?
  14. Please excuse this lengthy post but I didn't want to forget asking every question I had about this complex topic, and if I'm going about solving my problems in the best sounding way. Media players like roon rightly have their adherents especially if it may offer seamless solutions for room correction. https://community.roonlabs.com/t/solution-for-4-channel-motu-m4-or-focusrite-audio-interface-and-xo-in-a-f-a-s-t-configuration/139931 However, I don't like being tied to one particular player-be it Foobar, JRiver, VLC or my old version of Samplitude DAW. Presently, my bigger problem is that my custom designed main speakers are still away from being built, I haven't time yet to shop for and settle on a DAC (s) and have no hands on experience using Camilla, DIRAC Live, REW or any other room correction software. And based on the following questions I won't yet know which if any RC software can best help me correct any glaring room mode problems, beyond what I will first need learn to correct acoustically (as all experts advise). Then how to compensate for however much gain loss the software may cause, where the DACs' output voltages might be inadequate to cleanly drive my main speakers power amp and/or the plate amps of my four Rythmik F12 subs. Additionally, while these MCH DACs likely sound amazing at least for the price https://www.oktoresearch.com/dac8pro.htm https://motu.com/products/avb/8a https://beta.prismsound.com/products/titan/ , how good will their tonality and other subjective sound quality metrics (e.g. soundstage size, imaging) be for use in the entire system? That is, should I instead use one of these MCH DACs for my subs only and use a perhaps better sounding stereo DAC for the main speakers? https://www.kitsunehifi.com/product/holo-audio-may-dac/ I'm thinking that this may be advantageous because my main speakers and subs are passively crossed and because DACs chips (AKM) used in some stereo DACs may be easier to configure and also use with output stages to help reduce intersample overs distortion, which unfortunately is often a direct consequence of the "loudness wars" between competing record producers and/or artists. https://benchmarkmedia.com/blogs/application_notes/intersample-overs-in-cd-recordings?_pos=1&_sid=0eeb1f150&_ss=r Much discussion about that ongoing tragedy here https://gearspace.com/board/mastering-forum/1401406-intersample-clipping-audible.html At the same time at least some of those RC software and/or DAC choices may also depend on the following First, my passively crossed mains only play down to 70Hz, though I suspect that any of those three MCH DACs-perhaps especially the Okto (a good choice even though unlike the other two it has no ADCs??) will reproduce that range from ~ 65Hz on down quite faithfully. Yes? Second, would there be audible or disastrous timing issues if two USB ports from my pc (music source) each feed the USB input on the stereo DAC and MCH DAC? If yes, can it be solved by simply connecting one of the PC's USB ports to a USB hub to thereby feeding both DACs from the same USB port? If neither of those fixes work then what might? Third, would there be any benefit to using the "better" sounding stereo DAC for the main speakers and the MCH DAC for the subs but to only have the subs' DAC in the "convolving" filter loop, since it's the subs which mostly interact with the room's mode (e.g. standing waves). Yes? Fourth, as most MCH DACs are made for the pro audio community they include an ADC for each channel, where consumer DACs like the Okto don't have any built in ADCs. Obviously, this would require that a separate ADC would needed be used between the PC's USB input and the test signal recording microphone (and if need be a mic preamp) for the live recording of each test tone playback by a speaker and sub. So what model ADC and mic to use? Fifth, which if any RC software flavor might likely impose the least amount of gain loss to avoid needing line stages between the DACs' outputs and the mains power amps or subs' plate amps? Ultimately, what worries me is that using two different DACs will make part of what's heard sound colored, but I can't know for sure. And then how problematic are the other questions. Please advise.
  15. Yes, that looks like the plan: Subscribe to backblaze for document storage backup s and upload updates to same. And have a ZFS based NAS for my youtubes, music FLAC files and MKV files of DVD rips.
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