soloburnmike

David I was really okay with your post as being objective and sticking to your observations until this part: "My only concern is that the credibility of Blue Coast could be affected because of their outspoken claims that WAV sounds superior to FLAC in their testing...and that there could be a difference in sound among FLAC compression levels. The PCM data are the same. Any verifiable difference in sound quality can therefore only be attributed to a shortcoming somewhere upstream in the playback system." My intent here is NOT to fan the flames - just state a few observations and facts. I have been involved in the development of pro audio products for 20 years. I cut my teeth at Studer the company most of us remember as making some of the most amazing multi-track recorders on the planet - and probably recorded more grammy records than any other recorder. I had product management duties for all types of analog and digital audio products over the years at Studer, Digidesign, Tascam, etc. I was involved in development of some of the first pro digital products and after that the chip sets for pro gear. That was the bleading edge of pro audio and Cookie has lived it with me. Cookie Marenco, Blue Coast's founder has the most amazing ears I have ever heard. I brought her in countless times to help me develop products. She has helped my companies win TEC awards, AES awards, even technical Grammys and Oscars. I joke that if Cookie says "well it doesn't completely suck" then I have a winner! From recording monitors to A/D converters Cookie would nail down problems even my internal programmers and hardware engineers couldn't find. At Digidesign in the 16-bit days she claimed to hear something that no one else heard. The EE's did bit comparisons all day long and laughed. The software guys thought she was nuts. Sure enough about TWO YEARS later the bug was isolated and fixed because another "golden ears" heard it. Cookie stuck to her guns and she was correct. So if Cookie tells you she hears something, I have a list a mile long of industry winning products that tells you she does. There isn't anything subjective about that. She is known throughout the pro world for this reputation and she may honestly be the best. In the pro world the test gear gets you close and people like Cookie take you the rest of the way. Her's the punch line: there is no way on this green earth bit comparisons and test gear find the details like the human ear does - period. I know that sounds crazy but talk to any of the good engineers at the best pro audio companies in the world and they will tell you the same thing. Look at an AP plot for a $79 mic and a $5,000 mic. They look pretty much the same. We get products as close as we can with testing, then we take them to the pros for verification. It's people like Cookie that find the devil in the details that we pro audio people love. So please don't throw someone under the bus based on your observations just because you don't hear the difference. I completely get you don't hear it. I don't hear many of the things Cookie hears! I vote for everyone on this thread to grab your martini, close your eyes and kick back with your favorite song. Isn't the music what its supposed to be about anyway as opposed to statements about someone's credibility? FYI - just so you know I am a real person, you can find me on the internet: Michael Newman - I now do digital marketing for musical instrument companies. But if I start developing ANYTHING in the audio markets again you know who's going to help me. Peace and love high rez folks. I know it's time for me to grab a drink!