CD Ripping software

Modern computer processors and motherboards dynamically vary both cpu voltage and cpu clock rate as processing requirements vary from instant to instant. It would seem conceivable, depending on the particular hardware, that noise transients associated with those abrupt changes in voltage and clock rate could contribute to jitter on the computer's digital output that is being used, with those noise transients essentially bypassing intervening circuitry. That kind of effect could conceivably be sensitive to the cpu's involvement in decompressing losslessly compressed audio files.

The fact that the decompression process does not represent a heavy load for the cpu may actually worsen the severity of this effect, because it could result in frequent SWITCHING of cpu voltage and clock rate that would not occur under an essentially continuous heavy load.

It would be interesting if those reporting sonic differences between playback of different lossless formats were to see if those differences persisted when all of the computer's power saving features are disabled. That would include "Intel SpeedStep," which can be disabled in the BIOS of many computers, and, for Windows 7 machines, the settings change I described here (which did in fact resolve the playback problem reported by the OP in that thread).

Regards,
-- Al

"And so is a $49 CD player from Radio Shack "

If I had to guess at what you're trying to say, you seem to feel that FLAC is "cheap" like a Ratshack CDP. This says a lot about your biases, but nothing about FLAC.

Almarg's scenario is as likely as any I suppose for accounting for sonic differences associated with format.

But again, if so, it is not because the flac format looses anyting (when done correctly) but for other reasons associated with the playback.

I really like using network players, especially wireless ones, as the digital source feeding the DAC because a network player like a Squeezebox connected to wireless LAN has no electrical connection to the rest of the computer gear that it sources from. I like that level of isolation from the computer domain as an insurance policy against potential noise introduced by gear that is not designed necessarily for hifi audio.

Of course I have heard some say wireless lan does not sound as good either, however I would disagree from my experience. I have never heard a wireless source in my rig sound anything but spot on regardless of source format.

10-10-11: Mapman
I really like using network players, especially wireless ones, as the digital source feeding the DAC because a network player like a Squeezebox connected to wireless LAN has no electrical connection to the rest of the computer gear that it sources from. I like that level of isolation from the computer domain as an insurance policy against potential noise introduced by gear that is not designed necessarily for hifi audio.

Excellent point, Mapman.

I would imagine that in most cases wired as well as wireless network connections would provide effective isolation from the effects of computer-generated noise, despite the presence of an electrical interconnection in the case of wired ethernet. In both cases the packetizing and buffering of the data that is being communicated over the link mean that jitter at the computer interface becomes irrelevant.

All of which of course suggests another experiment those reporting sonic differences between lossless formats could do, especially if their computer does not have provisions for disabling the power saving features that cause cpu clock rates and voltages to fluctuate, as I described. :-)

Best regards,
-- Al

FrankC,

Thank you! This is exactly my point. FLAC sounds thin, bright and lifeless, IMO, regardless of computer type and operation system. Apple lossless MP4 sounds a lot better, so is WavPack and Monkey's Audio (APE). The latter was my favorite, but WMA lossless is what I like best, most likely due to the fact that, unlike the others mentioned, it is a fixed bitrate lossless compression, not variable.

Daverz,

Sorry, what I meant was that even a $49 CD player is absolutely bit-perfect and there are no losses, you can compare the output data with a high-end CD transport, and you will find out it is exactly the same. But how it sounds? What will really impress you is the fact that, even if you change DAC input format, you will still hear a sound quality difference, and that is with everything else the same.

Mapman,

I have installed a SB based upgrade to many customers inside their NWO Esoteric based players. I went to the extent of building linear power supplies (including removing the switching power supplies under the mini wi-fi card), four new low jitter clocks, sample rate converters, high speed buffers, etc. Sound improved by still nowhere near the VRDS-NEO transport on A-B test with the same disc. This is the reason adopting Marco's HiFace that is also highly upgraded (with its charge pumps removed too) and built into the NWO player and the DAC-S. The sound is much closer to the VRDS-NEO and much better than SB or Transporter with even the wildest upgrades installed.

Again, if someone has a benefit from this information, I am happy, if not, that is fine too!

Best wishes,
Alex Peychev