I understand that @GraemeH prefers replaying a FLAC file vs replaying the correspondent WAV file on the NDX2. What is strange or interesting about that? Even though the two files contain the same data, they are different and have to be processed differently by the NDX2.
The good thing is that every decent UPnP server supports transcoding. Thus, no matter whether one has stored the data in FLAC, AIFF or WAV, one can send them to a streamer in whatever format one finds that sounds best on that streamer.
I can do a near immediate change between FLAC & WAV. I find that FLAC resolves complex richly layered music more convincingly. Each distinct part slightly better articulated.
Itās slight, but noticeable with a keen listen - to my ears.
Sure but in one case it needs to be decompressed by the NDX2, in the other case it doesnāt. Hence the two files have to be processed differently and thus can sound slightly differently.
This doesnāt actually matter because one can send the data in the format that one prefers, no matter how the data is stored.
This also implies that discussing the advantages and disadvantages of different lossless file formats in terms of sound quality is quite pointless.
Decompressing a FLAC file is actually very cheap and the overall processing work can actually be less in the case of FLAC files.
Moreover, we are takling about small differences and very subjective preferences: even if processing FLAC files would require more resources than processing the correspondent WAV files (which does not need to be the case) and even if this would result in more noise: there is no reason why a small amount of noise should not be perceived as an improvement of the sound quality!
Thatās what I am saying, the additional load by decompressing the flac is minimal. The data after decompressing is the same. So why would it sound different (edit: even better) - if it does: āstrange or interestingā
(Edit: always regarding the NDX2 - I think it is generally accepted that on the old platform it was different, but not better)
It could be all these thingsā¦ I decouple my DAC from my NDX2 streamer and I donāt hear many drawbacks of FLAC noiseā¦ but with my first gen NDX I found it quite noticeable.
Yes digital noise is something Naim focussed much effort on the newer generation streamers such as layered PCBs, use of LVDS, and improved screening.
But if you assume that the cost of decompressing FLAC files is negligible, then you have to conclude that, at least for certain components of the streaming board, the work of processing WAV files is about twice the work of processing FLAC files. This is because of the fact that the size of WAV files is about twice the size of FLAC files. It is really very difficult to draw reliable conclusions without knowing whether the components that are negatively affected by larger files matter more or less (in terms of noise generation) than the components that are affected by the work of decompressing smaller files!
I agree that it is difficult to draw reliable conclusions without deep knowledge about all the components.
I disagree that I āhave to conclude that, at least for certain components of the streaming board, the work of processing WAV files is about twice the work of processing FLAC files.ā
āIn a PCM stream, the amplitude of the analog signal is sampled regularly at uniform intervals, and each sample is quantized to the nearest value within a range of digital steps.ā -from Wikipedia
When replaying a PCM stream, you simply take each of these consecutive values and recreate the corresponding amplitude in the wave form in the analog domain. This is more or less the least processing imaginable
Decoding the FLAC involves recreating the same PCM stream by decompressing the FLAC and then creating the corresponding amplitude in the analog domain, in exactly the same way as if you had started with the PCM (WAV) to begin with. The FLAC processing is an overhead, though small.
But I only replied because you asked why it would be strange and interesting if the FLAC SQ was better, but after this everything you wrote seems to agree that it is in fact difficult to conceptualize how this could be. So maybe it is strange and interesting after all if it is to GraemeH
It canāt be the case because Flac, on my system, sound clearer and airier. Wav are a bit more congested, but a bit more body.
As for tubes distortion, I prefer not to comment, but disagree completely. All depends which tubes , how they are implemented, and a lot more aspects. Not all tubes components sound soft, colored and romantic. Itās a myth.
The tubes thing was just an example that I knew you would understand regarding added noise and subjective pleasantness. You did understand, and it does not matter one bit if it is true for tubes or not (and there was a reason for the winky smiley )
Regarding the flac thing, well, then I am officially out of ideas
Yes but I doubt that the digital processing noise coming from maths operations on the CPU to decompress the FLAC would be related to the music like harmonic distortions are
Talking about FLAC - I am so happy I recently acquired the CDS3 to give me all the time I would like to get my rips in order. The whole flac talk here inspired me to get started on this and I am realizing the amount of work is huge before I would consider giving up on CDs (many of which are not on streaming or too dear to me to rely on the randomness of streaming services licensing deals). Many happy years with the CDS3 ahead while I fix up the FLAC folder slowly
I found ripping my CDs a fairly painless process. If I wanted to listen to one, I simply stuck it in the Unitiserve, and about 4 minutes later I could play the rip. A quick glance over the metadata to make sure it was correct, which it usually was, and thatās it.
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