watchnerd

I don't and never said I did.

"Your 24/192 files on the iPOD are being reduced to 16/44.1 for playback..." It would if I would let it. But I turned off the downsample feature, so it just refuses to sync them. However, 24/192 plays just fine with external DAC.

I convert from FLAC to ALAC using XLD. These all import into iTunes (on OSX) just fine, even crazy huge files like 24bit/192khz files. No playback issues to report. However, what they won't do is play back on iOS devices at that bit rate.

Now how do I check which kernel level my AppleTV is running? Yes, I know it's iOS, and a different chipset, but all this does make me wonder if there is some tweaking to be done there, too...

Chris & Eloise, I'm wondering why you feel that 96khz is the max for optical out, given that (at least on new MacBook Pros), the optical out seems to be capable of doing 24/192, according to Apple: "The headphone / line output jack accommodates optical digital audio output, analog audio output with a 24-bit, 44.1-192 kHz D/A converter, digital audio output up to 24-bit stereo and 44.1-192 kHz sampling rate and supporting encoded digital audio output (AC3 and DTS)." See: http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1596

I got the new AppleTV last week. Previously, I was using Airport Express with Toslink out. I've now switched to AppleTV using HDMI. Bitrate is now 48k. It seems to sound a bit better, but there are so many variables involved (including different loudness levels) that I can't vouch for it being a real equipment difference. Home sharing is sweet because I don't need to control everything from the computer now. Usability, overall, is much better. The Airport Express has now been relegated to extending my wireless network and no longer handles music.

I feel pretty lucky when I find stuff I want in 'regular' lossless. True hi rez is so rare I've more or less given up on looking for it.

"but at some point won't transferring the contents of huge data files potentially do more harm than the suggested improvements of ultrasound?" Can you elaborate? Because I don't understand your thinking on this. Unless the file becomes corrupted, why would it moving it around be harmful to its sound?

Just confirmed that the higher sampling frequency isn't correct. Looking in the Audi Midi settings for my 3 week old MBP: Highest bitrate: 2ch-32bit Highest sample rate: 96khz

"The latest MacBook Pro puts out 32-bit 196 kHz, which should make the tweak-heads happy." I have a pretty new Intel i5 15" MBP, about 3 weeks old now, but hadn't heard this. Do you remember where you read about it? And were you talking about via USB, optical, both, or other? Thanks!

Just got mine today, listening to it now via USB out of my Macbook Pro. I ordered a silver model from Amazon. http://www.nuforce.com/hp/products/iconhdp/index.php Current cans are AKG 701. Listening to standard 16/44.1 lossless at the moment, but will try hi-rez shortly. Happy to answer any questions.

"Sometimes things are so noticeably different that a double blind test just isn't needed, you know!" If the differences are that obvious, then you should be able to easily pinpoint the differences in a blind test with a high degree of accuracy. And if that happens, that's pretty amazing for files that are bit identical. That would be very very interesting.

"I can't explain the differences I hear but I do - so that leads me to try & find out why" There are really two possible scenarios here: 1. The heard difference is a psychosomatic effect, i.e. our mind playing tricks on us 2. The heard difference is due to some unknown phenomenon not easily explainable with current theories As someone with a scientific background, I think you can appreciate that Occam's Razor implies we should rule out #1 (the more likely scenario) before proceeding to #2. And I'm with DLF: I'm a skeptic because *I know how easily my mind can play tricks on me* and have proven it to myself several times in listening tests.

And what did you due to eliminate the possibility of the psychosomatic effects we know we're all vulnerable to?

I listed to the two files randomly using shuffle play in iTunes. I listened 10 times to each one (ugh). Listening done via AKG 701 headphones. I wouldn't detect any differences.