WAV vs FLAC revisited

[Bruce B]

Well right, but what we've been talking about is the same software playing a wav format against a flac made from that wav -- in real time. In every program I've tried including Media Center 17 the flac has less detail and air. The only exception to this is the Jplay mini player which does not use the real-time decoder engine for flac playback, but rather completely decodes it before playing. Jplay running under Media Center 17 also works well.

Different subject, have you found it necessary to make any electrical (audio related) changes to the Avocet?

--Bill

I use JPlay mini as well for testing.

The Avocet we use is the 3 unit surround model. The only thing I've had done is updated to the latest firmware and such and had Dave bypass one of the outputs and just make it a "send".

 

[Bulldogger]

Well right, but what we've been talking about is the same software playing a wav format against a flac made from that wav -- in real time. In every program I've tried including Media Center 17 the flac has less detail and air. The only exception to this is the Jplay mini player which does not use the real-time decoder engine for flac playback, but rather completely decodes it before playing. Jplay running under Media Center 17 also works well.

Different subject, have you found it necessary to make any electrical (audio related) changes to the Avocet?

--Bill

As Jriver does DSD file decoding,is there a similar issue to the flac issue for audio quality? What I am asking specificially is if there is a benefit to decoding DSD to PCM, in advance for playback using Jriver even though Jriver can do the conversion to PCM and playback?

 

[bblue]

As Jriver does DSD file decoding,is there a similar issue to the flac issue for audio quality? What I am asking specificially is if there is a benefit to decoding DSD to PCM, in advance for playback using Jriver even though Jriver can do the conversion to PCM and playback?

Good question. I've never tested it.

It would depend on how their real-time conversion works, but overall I'd think the differences (if any) would be minimal. (of course, I thought that of FLAC conversion originally)

--Bill