Apple Lossless vs iTunes Plus

Just wanted to jump in and thank the posters here for one of the most intelligently written and thought-provoking digital threads I've seen here.

Unfortunately, I can't conclude much other than to focus on my analog and wait out some more progress before taking any big steps toward looking at computer-based audio and/or ripping all my CDs(in the ultimately wrong format--that being whichever one I choose!).

As a former software programmer, I am officially on record as saying I'd trust Marco's ears over somebody's code...theories are theories, the devil's in the details. Cheers,
Spencer

Hey Spencer - thanks for the vote of confidence. I'm sure there must be scientific reasons for what I'm hearing and likely they're buried in the ripping software.

My friend, whose system I've enjoyed over many years now, and where I've done lots of interesting comparisons, has a really nice analog rig (Teres/Shelter/Origin/Einstein). Just recently I brought my MW Transporter over there and we listened over a weekend, mostly comparing preamps and digital front ends (all very nice stuff too including the MW TP and Empirical PaceCar and Electrocompaniet player), throwing in his vinyl rig every now and then. I have to say that I still prefer vinyl - BUT that the margins are becoming narrower and narrower every time I've had the opportunity to make such comparisons. This, in spite of all the file ripping foibles mentioned here, given that all the PC files we were listening to had been ripped in iTunes to either AL or WAV or AIFF. I'm not suggesting you give up your analog, and I agree, there's lots to sort out in PC Audio. OTOH There is a whole lot to be desired for having an entire library of music at your fingertips that you can mix and match at will though without hesitations. It's definitely worth a listen to what's out there these days - you may be very pleasantly surprised that the margins of difference can be surprisingly narrow, with plenty to be enjoyed in both arenas.

Some utilities which may be of interest to Mac users:

XLD
A lossless audio format converter. Use the GUI version. IMO the best lossless format converter on mac and its free.
http://tmkk.hp.infoseek.co.jp/xld/index_e.html

Max
The best audio ripper on the Mac. Its like EAC on Windows. Free too. I wouldn't trust iTunes....
http://sbooth.org/Max/

Marco,

Yeah, I got to hear a friends' ModWright Transporter and was very impressed. One of the top digital sources I've heard. That experience was the first time I actually felt a positive reaction to any digital gear that made think, "Perhaps we will get 'There' someday soon". Enjoy,

Spencer

Yeah, I got to hear a friends' ModWright Transporter and was very impressed. One of the top digital sources I've heard. That experience was the first time I actually felt a positive reaction to any digital gear that made think, "Perhaps we will get 'There' someday soon".

Spender - Yes, it really is a damn fine digital front end (certainly the best I've heard), and in our comparisons that weekend we both picked it out consistently in blind comparisons to the other digital sources we had (Empirical, Northstar, Electrocompaniet) as our preference without any exception. Your friend will probably tell you that rolling the tubes (1 rectifier and 2 output tubes) in the MW TP can have a tremendous impact on the presentation (I think because they are closer to the source - well, they are at the source). I've never heard swapping a rectifier tube make such a large difference in any amp I've owned, but in the TP the difference can be profound. There's a tube-rolling thread for the MWTP on Audiocircle that is currently running at 56 pages of posts, to give you some idea of what I'm talking about. If your friend hasn't checked that out they should as it may open up a whole new level of performance to them. To save them the long read - The almost universally favored combination with occasional variations, is the EML 5U4G Mesh combined with either 6CG7 cleartops, or 6SN7 Tungsol Rounds with octal adapters (the TP has 9-pin output sockets). There's also some discussion on other threads where some report a marginal preference of running the network into the TP via a wired ethernet connection. The TP also has a word-clock input, which I've wanted to try with my friend's PaceCar (not sure how that would work out).