testing transcoding to wav24

[DavidHB]

(06-12-2013 07:17)simoncn Wrote:  It's interesting to hear you are noticing a difference. Like you, I prefer to "just listen" and form an overall impression of my enjoyment of the music.

Same here. I long ago came to the conclusion that what mattered was not whether I had the "best" equipment or setup, but whether what I did have was easy and satisfying to use over the long term. A/B comparisons are of limited use in that context, and may actually be misleading.

When I bought my Akurate DSM, I enabled wav24 transcoding (from compressed FLAC) in MinimServer. The A/B comparison was a bit inconclusive; I thought I detected an improvement, but it wasn't massive. However, I stuck with the transcoding, as in my setup it is effectively a no cost option and it certainly did not harm the sound quality. Over time, I have come to notice and enjoy what mikejazz describes as the 'easier flow' of the music; the difference is even more marked when listening on headphones. My instinct is that the transcoding provides some but not all of this benefit, perhaps by making it easier for the Akurate to do its thing.

The downside is that transcoding really requires a wired connection between the server and the renderer, but that is not an issue for me.

David