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franky

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  1. Mike, I would bet one would be hard pressed to observe a difference in sound quality between transcoding from one lossless format to another vs no transcoding (although I haven't tried it myself). And also, transcoding directly on the server makes a lot of sense since the files would be converted first before being sent to a renderer for playback requiring less downstream processing. But I believe most here would agree (please correct me if I'm wrong) that it would be better if one could avoid the extra computer processing altogether required by a conversion and decompression during playback by doing the conversion (from FLAC to WAV) ahead of time if possible.
  2. +1 on the backup. Mirrored drives protect one's data in case of disk failure. They will not protect data from such things as accidental deletions, data corruptions or power surges to name a few. Once Synology's built-in package - Media Server is installed, you should be able to stream anything in a music, photo, or video folder (or any other folder you designate) to a DLNA/UPnP enabled device. I use the same folder for streaming directly from the NAS that is also mounted for playback on my computer (although as I said, I did run into all kinds of metadata issues with my WAV files streamed directly from the NAS). But for me (and I believe many others) the sound quality is best when files are streamed to a computer installed with jriver (or other playback software). And mounting a drive to the computer is the easiest and best way to do this. Of course sound quality depends on one's particular playback device and its implementation. Also, although I don't have anything connected directly to my Synology via USB, from what I understand this is a reasonable alternative in terms of sound quality but may be less than ideal compared for instance to a properly configured computer. Additionally, it makes sense what Mike is saying that if you are not using your computer as the renderer, it is probably better to stream directly from the NAS since this would seem to involve less layers of processing. The problem I have is then I run into my metadata issues. In any case, I believe any type of transcoding or conversion would result in sound degradation.
  3. Lack of clarity and boomy bass are not adjectives that I would use describe the HD650's to my ears. The bass is substantial (which one could describe as dark) but is quite welcome for my musical tastes and the clarity is more than sufficient. That being said, if the source is compromised (such as without a proper amp) I believe these headphones can be somewhat unforgiving, especially in the bass (i.e. boomy).
  4. I have copies of both the HDtracks versions (purchased around early 2012) and the DVD-A's of "Remain In Light" and "More Songs . . . " and to my ears there seems to be something wrong with the HDtracks versions which has obviously been confirmed graphically and by others (it wouldn't be the first time I've been taken by HDtracks but really what choice do we have?). Moral of the story - do your research. In any case, the DVD-A's definitely sound better.
  5. I can't answer you too much about a Vortexbox but I'm pretty sure they have plenty of storage for most people's needs. I hear nothing but good things about them. For a Caps computer, you would probably want to have external storage. Regarding the Synology, I have a 412+. They all run on the same OS (Disk Station Manager) so I'll just cut and paste from the owners manual: Note: You can play the following multimedia file formats on Synology DiskStation with DLNA/UPnP enabled DMA1  Audio: AAC, FLAC, M4A, MP3, Ogg Vorbis, PCM, WAV, WMA, WMA VBR, WMA PRO, WMA Lossless So I'm not sure where you saw that FLAC wasn't supported. I use FLAC all the time, in fact if you want to use the built in Audio package (Audio Station) I would suggest you use FLAC (or at least not WAV since I encountered all kinds of metadata problems with WAV). Personally, I access my files on my iPad from my computer running J River with the apps Jremote or Plugplager (I think android has a good Jriver app).
  6. Bleedink, where did you get your info about the hi res Zeppelin and how likely do you think this is going to happen? If done properly, it would be a momentous occasion for me. I have the Remasters and I think they sound pretty good but I think most of my Zep cd's are not that great (I'm not sure if their Diament's or not as they are buried in a box somewhere). For instance, my ITTOD sounds like crap, but hey it's Zeppelin (although some Zep fans don't consider this album Zeppelin) and I think crappy sounding Zeppelin is better than just about anything else.
  7. I use a Wavelength Proton with my HD650's and they sound awesome to me (although I haven't auditioned many headphones since there is nowhere to do so where I live). I don't think they do so well without an amp. Also, I can take the Proton and a Macbook Pro when I travel.
  8. I have nowhere near the skills of some of you but here is one of my favorite pictures. untitled.bmp
  9. I have nowhere near the skills of some of you but here is one of my favorite pictures. untitled.bmp
  10. Sorry Wisnon, you are the one that brought TAS into the conversation. Also, the "A" Student may be smarter than the "B" Student according to the (test) numbers but in fact due to other circumstances (cultural or otherwise) the opposite may in fact be true. Especially in your case where the numbers are not even of the same test. Regarding the issue of SOTA, perhaps one could further the debate by reference to linguistics, or Philosophy of Language, but I believe comparing inconsistent numbers adds little to such a debate. Also, I only said, "I got sucked in" to this thread when in fact it has been somewhat entertaining, akin to being amused by the Court Jester. I'm not complaining but unfortunately this type of entertainment tires quickly.
  11. It also sounds to me like wisnon is just trying to pick a fight. Look, I don't know to much about the Invicta but I own a Peachtree iNova and it's a friggin' concert in my house night or day. Also, I can't believe I read through this thread either but since it was supposedly about a Peachtree product (of which I am a great fan) I got sucked in. Regarding the tube amp, I rarely use it unless the music is harsh or compressed. I figured it was for the people who stuck their iPods on top with all of their iTunes so as to take away the harsh edges of the MP3's. for High quality files it seems to dull the experience but does create a really cool sound stage. As far as the specs, since winson seems to trust reviews by TAS (from his posts), I'll quote Robert Harley when talking about specs who says, "Don't be swayed by technical claims - listen to the product for yourself." (P21, The Complete Guide to High-End Audio).
  12. Mav, I envy you. I don't think I burned my wife in properly. She doesn't do anything that I've tried to train her to do. I'm clinging to the hope that if its not too late I can still do a proper burn-in. Unfortunately, I believe this particular component may be damaged forever. In his instruction manual for the Proton, J.G. Rankin says regarding burn-in, "Please use it as you would normally and this will happen better than continuous use". In retrospect, this is where I might have gone wrong.
  13. At the risk of being off-topic I would like to know why Chris C doesn't write a book along the veins of Jim Smith or Robert Harley. I for one would buy it knowing there would be volumes of useful information from Chris himself as well as others on this site (as Jud points out) which would most likely be unavailable elsewhere. Chris could be the editor, and all the information could be subdivided into chapters by subject matter, could easily be referenced, and appeal to all levels of expertise. As far a dealing with so called "delicate subjects", I believe Jim Smith addresses these issues appropriately and inoffensively by calling a section that deals with them, "controversial corner". Also, as new information comes to light, there could be corrections, news letters or further editions. Just a thought.
  14. Richard, I never purported to be enlightened in any manner whatsoever. That was uniquely your reference. I was merely pointing out what most rational people should realize are basic indisputable facts.
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