What music do you use to evaluate DACs?

[amirm]

I have a thought Bruce. To make the job easier when doing AB test, I like to hear the same thing over and over again. After all, you don't want to hear a note in equipment A and note two in equipment B. So how about we take the right few seconds and loop it for 3-5 minutes. It would be nasty to listen to but we are not trying to enjoy the music, but figure out what's wrong with our gear.

What say you?

 

[garylkoh]

I like this one:

In particular, track 4 - Canon in D.

Amir, since you asked for our DAC evaluation music, what music do you use to evaluate CODECs? I think that they would be just as relevant because many DACs have built-in SRCs.

 

[fas42]

I have a thought Bruce. To make the job easier when doing AB test, I like to hear the same thing over and over again. After all, you don't want to hear a note in equipment A and note two in equipment B. So how about we take the right few seconds and loop it for 3-5 minutes. It would be nasty to listen to but we are not trying to enjoy the music, but figure out what's wrong with our gear.

What say you?

This sounds like a job for Audacity. Copy a key piece of the waveform, and paste it over and over again, you get the idea. Should do the trick ...

Frank

 

[amirm]

We used a number of them Gary.

Castanet was one of the most challenging. No codec at almost any bitrate is transparent to it. Unfortunately I can't find the MPEG version online anywhere. This one is close to give you an idea: http://www.freesound.org/samplesViewSingle.php?id=57299

You can actually hear the pre-echo in the streaming version.

Next was Harpsichord. Another MPEG clip, it has rich harmonics that would magically change.

Then we had simple things like people applauding. This was an MPEG test but there wasn't anything special about it.

Male and Female solo voices are also commonly used. Suzanne Vega's song "Tom's Diner" is the track where she just sings with no music.

All in all, the theme was to have a a focused test clip that would severely push the codec. No audiophile tracks. No classical music since it is harmonic and pretty easy to compress.

In the old days, I used to have my own collection of popular music I used. Unfortunately I lost one of my servers and all the files are gone.

 

[Bruce B]

The best way I evaluate something is to listen to a small sample, around 20-30 seconds of music. I listen to this in a loop about 12-15 times, THEN quickly change to your other DAC. You will need a pre that can quickly switch between sources and be able to match signal gain within 0.1dB
I can detect differences of 0.25dB, so it will have to be below this threshold.

The Crane Song Avocet is great for this because it has 3 digital inputs, 3 analog inputs, 3 analog outputs and you can match signals between any I/O within 0.1dB

 

[ted_b]

Gary, Is that a redbook cd or is it the actual 24/352.8k native resolution DXD disc (i.e playable only on DXD players like early PS3, Sony 5400 etc)?

 

[Steve Williams]

I have the same Disc. It is downsampled to Redbook

A great album BTW

 

[LL21]

Personally, i tend to use the same albums i have used since the '90s plus a couple later ones...because i have heard them on so many systems over the years. Clapton Unplugged, Jurassic Park Soundtrack, Dennis Ferrer (deep house), Snoop/Dre (rap), Celtic Harp, Amos Lee (Debut Album on Blue Note), Beethoven's 9th Harnancount or Karajan, Angela Hewitt Beethoven Piano Concertos, David Brubeck Time Out. I bring these and usually by roughly 5 CDs i have a rough idea of what the unit is doing in terms of: clarity, midrange/voice, deep bass, speed of bass/rhythm and decay. I also have listened to these so many times, i know when something "special" is going on where i feel the music comes alive again even more than what my system at home does. Fortunately, it happens less often away from home these days!

 

[RBFC]

I have the same Disc. It is downsampled to Redbook

A great album BTW

I also own both the DXD and redbook versions. The DXD version is cleaner. At first listen, you might feel it's a little "bright", but I believe that this version is only letting more of the HF energy in the recording through. I love listening to the players running around to their instruments during the Pachelbel.

Lee

 

[Jinjuku]

Tim-I need to clairify my remark. When I said you need to know what the cymbal sounds like when it is softly struck and decays into blackness, I was referring to knowing what it sounds like on a recording that you are very familiar with so you can use that recording as a reference.

How does this work if you have never heard the recording on a Jitter free system?

 

[garylkoh]

I also own both the DXD and redbook versions. The DXD version is cleaner. At first listen, you might feel it's a little "bright", but I believe that this version is only letting more of the HF energy in the recording through. I love listening to the players running around to their instruments during the Pachelbel.

Lee

Yes, the DXD version is definitely better. Bruce mastered this one for Winston.

Trust me on this one - if there are any FIM CDs that you like, and you can find it in stock, buy it NOW.

 

[Steve Williams]

I agree Gary. Between Winston's wonderful release of older albums and having Bruce remaster them, I have all of the FIM albums and they all occupy top row of my music collection.

 

[RBFC]

Yes, the DXD version is definitely better. Bruce mastered this one for Winston.

Trust me on this one - if there are any FIM CDs that you like, and you can find it in stock, buy it NOW.

Will do.

Lee

 

[Ronm1]

Originally Posted by RBFC
I also own both the DXD and redbook versions. The DXD version is cleaner.

Now I'm confused I was under the impression that DXD was a redbook compatible format

I agree Gary. Between Winston's wonderful release of older albums and having Bruce remaster them, I have all of the FIM albums and they all occupy top row of my music collection.

I have the K2HD version of the Peterson disc, sounds very good to me...while I don't have all, about 8 disc. Without ? worth getting FIM releases. Big

from me!!

 

[Bruce B]

Now I'm confused I was under the impression that DXD was a redbook compatible format

I have the K2HD version of the Peterson disc, sounds very good to me...while I don't have all, about 8 disc. Without ? worth getting FIM releases. Big

from me!!

I'd love to know how you got a DXD file. As far as I know, Winston and I are the only ones with that.

Yes, it's just been mastered in DXD and produced in Redbook.

 

[RBFC]

As I understand it, the DXD version is simply remastered using the DXD sampling rate during the mastering process, then resampled to redbook for production.

Lee

 

[Steve Williams]

That's correct

 

[Ronm1]

I'd love to know how you got a DXD file. As far as I know, Winston and I are the only ones with that.

Yes, it's just been mastered in DXD and produced in Redbook.

Were did I say I had a DXD, I clearly stated that my disc is K2HD
My mention of DXD was only whether it was compatible with redbook.

 

[RBFC]

DXD uses 24 bit, 352kHz sampling rate. Some DACs are DXD-compatible, and the new Amarra 2.2 is up to 384kHz ready.

Lee

 

[Bruce B]

Were did I say I had a DXD, I clearly stated that my disc is K2HD
My mention of DXD was only whether it was compatible with redbook.

My question was directed at Lee. He said he had the DXD files and I was wondering where he got them. Sorry...