iTunes Sounds Best

[mneveux]

After reading through a lot of posts here and getting started in moving my CD collection to my computer, I have found that to me that iTunes sounds best in terms of sound quality.

 

My setup consists of a late 2015 21.5" iMac with a Sumiko Pro-Ject USB Box DAC which is connected to my 40 year old McIntosh Mac 1900 receiver. My CD player is a Marantz CD5004. For speakers, I am using BIC America RTR-EV15's which have a 15" woofer and horn tweeter. I am old school when it comes to speakers in that the bigger the better! The setup has always sounded good.

 

The strange thing is that CD's now ripped in Apple Lossless sound better than when the CD's are played through the CD player.

 

Even stranger, I have tried Audirvana, Amarra HiFi, Roon, BitPerfect and one other that I don't remember the name. They all sounded thin and uninspiring.

 

I use Tidal HiFi for streaming and the Amarra for Tidal app which sounds fantastic.

[jhwalker]

After reading through a lot of posts here and getting started in moving my CD collection to my computer, I have found that to me that iTunes sounds best in terms of sound quality.

 

My setup consists of a late 2015 21.5" iMac with a Sumiko Pro-Ject USB Box DAC which is connected to my 40 year old McIntosh Mac 1900 receiver. My CD player is a Marantz CD5004. For speakers, I am using BIC America RTR-EV15's which have a 15" woofer and horn tweeter. I am old school when it comes to speakers in that the bigger the better! The setup has always sounded good.

 

The strange thing is that CD's now ripped in Apple Lossless sound better than when the CD's are played through the CD player.

 

Even stranger, I have tried Audirvana, Amarra HiFi, Roon, BitPerfect and one other that I don't remember the name. They all sounded thin and uninspiring.

 

I use Tidal HiFi for streaming and the Amarra for Tidal app which sounds fantastic.

 

Interesting - in my setup, iTunes consistently sounds strident and thin, while any of the other players sounds "better"

 

I always *thought* they should all sound the same, but clearly different implementations (even of "bitperfect" output) can sound different with different processing chains.

[ipeverywhere]

My CD player sounds better when plugged into my DAC than on its own. I just like the sound of my DAC.

 

My DAC in my "receiver" sounds pretty much the same with iTunes and Audirvana. Audirvana on my DAC sounds a bit better than iTunes on my DAC. iTunes while using OSX up sampling (via MIDI) sounds terribly digital and overly processed on the DAC. Audirvana on my DAC with 2x upsampling and some tweaking of the iZotope filters sounds downright amazing!

 

I guess.. I'm just saying some software plays better with some DACs and each DAC might need some knobs moved in that software to get the best out of it. I'm be surprised that, without some more tweaking, you couldn't get Audirvana to sound better than iTunes.

[mneveux]

I guess.. I'm just saying some software plays better with some DACs and each DAC might need some knobs moved in that software to get the best out of it. I'm be surprised that, without some more tweaking, you couldn't get Audirvana to sound better than iTunes.

I didn't really attempt any tweaking. I installed and gave it a try. Perhaps I should look a little deeper into it. I was just expecting it to be better and it wasn't at the get go.

[ipeverywhere]

I didn't really attempt any tweaking. I installed and gave it a try. Perhaps I should look a little deeper into it. I was just expecting it to be better and it wasn't at the get go.

 

My initial listen to Audirvana was that _some_ material sounded better. After some tweaking there is just no better sound that comes out of my system from a ripped CD. It is night and day difference. You'd think it was a different mastering of the same recording if played with anything else. Certainly worth the time to play with it a bit.

[CR250]

"The strange thing is that CD's now ripped in Apple Lossless sound better than when the CD's are played through the CD player."

 

Its not because Apple Lossless sounds better than a CD, its because you're using a different source, and it sounds different. Think of the computer as a CD player. If you can hear the difference between CD players, there's no reason to expect any different with a PC as a source.

[mneveux]

Its not because Apple Lossless sounds better than a CD, its because you're using a different source, and it sounds different. Think of the computer as a CD player. If you can hear the difference between CD players, there's no reason to expect any different with a PC as a source.

I don't think the Apple Lossless sounds better in itself. I think that the external DAC may just be better than what the CD player has. The thing that bothers me is that I have tried a number of so called "Audiophile Players" and none of them sound better then iTunes on my system.

[wgscott]

[Jimmypowder]

I don't think the Apple Lossless sounds better in itself. I think that the external DAC may just be better than what the CD player has. The thing that bothers me is that I have tried a number of so called "Audiophile Players" and none of them sound better then iTunes on my system.

 

Well I must say that ITunes sounds the worst in my setup compared to Audirvana , Amarra or through Roon using a Auralic Preamp , Schiit Yggdrasil dac and IMac .

[TubeLover]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrb8jor8tps

 

+1

 

jc

[master]

That's a new one, for me iTunes absolutely sounded the worst. Okay, VLC was even worse, but not by that much.

 

Foobar and JRiver (especially) were in a different league, even when comparing apples to oranges (Mac to Windows).

[mneveux]

For me all other players just sound flat and uninspiring. I looked around a lot at Audirvana and Jriver and just can't find anyway to make them sound better than iTunes.

 

Is it that all you guys like your music to play flat? I like to be able to hear and also feel the bass as well as the shimmering highs of cymbals and I just do not get that with any of the recommended audiophile players.

 

For me, Amarra for Tidal is right on par with iTunes.

 

What am I dong wrong???

[Jimmypowder]

For me all other players just sound flat and uninspiring. I looked around a lot at Audirvana and Jriver and just can't find anyway to make them sound better than iTunes.

 

Is it that all you guys like your music to play flat? I like to be able to hear and also feel the bass as well as the shimmering highs of cymbals and I just do not get that with any of the recommended audiophile players.

 

For me, Amarra for Tidal is right on par with iTunes.

 

What am I dong wrong???

 

First of all , this reads like a troll post . I'm beginning to believe this is a troll thread

 

I would have your ears checked.

[mneveux]

First of all , this reads like a troll post . I'm beginning to believe this is a troll thread

 

I would have your ears checked.

This is definitely not a troll post, I am serious. All other players sound flat with no frequency response. I am just like most of you, trying to improve the sound.

 

My ears are perfectly fine...

[Jimmypowder]

This is definitely not a troll post, I am serious. All other players sound flat with no frequency response. I am just like most of you, trying to improve the sound.

 

My ears are perfectly fine...

 

Member since 1/15/16 = Troll thread .

[wgscott]

Are you using iTunes equalization or other enhancement settings?

 

"Better" is subjective but "different" is something we should be able to track down.

 

The usual argument here is about how it might be possible to hear any differences between bit-perfect playback software.

[mneveux]

Are you using iTunes equalization or other enhancement settings?

 

"Better" is subjective but "different" is something we should be able to track down.

 

The usual argument here is about how it might be possible to hear any differences between bit-perfect playback software.

Yes, I am using the iTunes equalizer "Rock" setting and then boosting the bass and treble a bit more.

[mneveux]

Member since 1/15/16 = Troll thread .

What does it matter when I joined? I found the forum in my search to setup and improve my computer audio.

[wgscott]

Yes, I am using the iTunes equalizer to boost bass and treble.

 

Well, there you go. If you want to compare it to something else, either play it flat via iTunes, or use the same equilizer settings on the other software.

[wgscott]

What does it matter when I joined? I found the forum in my search to setup and improve my computer audio.

 

 

It's ok. I justed April 19, 2010 and I'm a troll.

[Melvin]

What am I dong wrong???

 

Nothing. There are folks in the industry who think iTunes sounds excellent also. I'm fond of A+, Amarra, and HQPlayer but what do I know?

[mneveux]

Well, there you go. If you want to compare it to something else, either play it flat via iTunes, or use the same equilizer settings on the other software.

Most of the other players had no options to adjust the EQ. When Audirvana starts, it also loads up iTunes but sounds totally different.

[mneveux]

Nothing. There are folks in the industry who think iTunes sounds excellent also. I'm fond of A+, Amarra, and HQPlayer but what do I know?

HQPlayer is one I have not tried.

[Melvin]

HQPlayer is one I have not tried.

 

And why not? There is a free trial if I remember correctly. It's superb with the right system.

[wgscott]

Most of the other players had no options to adjust the EQ. When Audirvana starts, it also loads up iTunes but sounds totally different.

 

That is because it is playing the music flat and bit-perfectly. Experiment with the AU plug-ins. You can use the built-in equalizer AU plug-in to duplicate what iTunes does, and I'll bet the difference goes away.