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Sound levels: Apple lossless vs. original CD

I have been following many threads on this as I try to set up my computer based server system. I have gone out and purchased a Mac in order to simplify all the issues vs. a PC based system.

I have been recording in Apple lossless format and I find there is a noticable difference with lower quality as compared with my inexpensive CD player that I am using (an inexpensive Panasonic).

I am playing both methods back through a DAC - Musical Fidelity X-Dac v8 (the latest model).

The data stream from the CD player is via optical output miniplug - through an optical converter to digital coax cable (there is no cable available directly from optical mini to coax). The data stream from the Mac is via USB output to the DAC USB input.

First - the music via the inexpensive CD player sounds better. There is a noticable difference in the voices being more forward from the music (less compressed?). The Mac sounds excellent - but the CD still sounds better.

Second - the sound level from the CD player is much louder (perhaps 25-35%% louder). If I am streaming digital bits from both sources, why is the CD player much louder than the Mac? This doesnt make sense to me??

Lastly - would there be any reason to copy in AIFF rather than Apple lossless? It seems now - but I just want to get the lastest view.

Any help is appreciated ! Thanks !
markny
spiritualized
138 posts
 
Elf73 You claim that ALL is "lossy". Would you please explain what you mean? Everything I have read suggests that ALL is indeed lossless, bit for bit. I am using a MacBook into a Wavelength Brick USB DAC streaming ALL files to my system and it sounds superb. I also own an Audiomeca CD player which I will do some A/B testing with this afternoon.
elf73
104 posts
 
I meant Apple Lossless is "lossy". Aiff and WAV as far as I know is bit for bit... all formats sound pretty good to my ears. Just nit-picking.

A lot of people seem to like Apple Lossless (it's the worst on my system.. just curious if others had the same result), but I don't know why, if people have an external hard drive etc... they wouldn't just import in Aiff (itunes) or WAV. Especially after all the money they spent on actual store bought CDs.

Myself, personally, I don't have too many CDs and really like the uber-convenience of a computer based/digital source.
sfar's avatar
sfar
1,773 posts
 
Elf73, Apple lossless isn't lossy, it's lossless. It encodes the bits to save disk space but then decodes it on playback to be the same as the original file. People use it because it saves disk space. That may not be an issue if you have big hard drives connected to your computer but it is very useful when you want to put lossless files on an iPod.
elf73
104 posts
 
Hmmm.... not sure how that works. Regardless, if it sounds good, than that is all that matters. Just wondering if anyone did a comparison before they ripped everything into Apple lossless.

I'll have to do a more comprehensive one, when my system is complete, just to satisfy my curiousity.
spiritualized
138 posts
 
Elf73 I have over 3000 Cds digitized to 3 external hard drives. I encoded to ALL, because to my ears, it was indiscernible from AIFF & WAV. My understanding is that ALL works similar to ZIP files, completely bit for bit lossless.
MarkNY I did some testing this afternoon, between my computer setup and my CD player. It was completely unscientific, so please take this for what it is. It was immediately apparent that my CD player outputs much louder than my USB DAC. I have a DK integrated with a meter on the front panel that meters the output of the device you are listening to, so this was easy to verify. With the CD player engaged, a wealth of detail and layering jumped out at me. Switching to my computer setup, the result was initially disappointing. Much more muted, not as much depth and less low end information. Of course, as I raised the volume to match the Cd setup, all the missing layering and depth started to reappear. The two setups still sounded markedly different, but I feel this is to be expected between any two components. If I was asked if I was hearing a difference between the file types, I couldn't honestly answer. But my gut tells me, it's more likely to be a difference between the components.
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