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Listening To Flac: Audiophile advice needed

AnonAnon Posts: 11,175
edited May 2008 in Given To Fly (live)
OKAY....so I will open the floodgates....be kind. I have a lot of questions and would totally appreciate someone taking the time to read all of this and respond....

I have managed to compile a really good collection of shows in FLAC format, but have some questions that may or may not be stupid.

First OFF....let me set the stage....

1. I have this amazing receiver......
Pioneer VSX-94TXH

http://www.vanns.com/shop/servlet/item/features/538999162?v_c=GoogleBase

2. JBL S312 Studio SPeakers

3. PC connection to the receiver.


Facts:
1. I know I can listen to FLAC through my Winamp setup and through my speaker now.
2. I know FLAC is lossless and sounds simply amazing.

Questions:
1. Can I do anything else with FLAC, like place it on a CD?
2. Can anyone recommend bookshelf speakers that would do my receiver justice? I have Sennheiser 650 headphones, and the combo makes the music sound like something you have never experience....the technology (Advanced MCACC) makes every sound hit you at once and you can distinguish everything like never before......

I am looking at 600-1500 bucks....I am drawn in to the Klipsch 81 bookshelf speakers...any advice on this?

3. I know about SACD, but with such a good receiver, is there such a thing as a better cd player? Or are the all the same until you get up the SACD.
4. Does a SACD player make regular CD's better?

5. Any advice that you think is fitting or that may be relevant to my general position....please expand...

I APPRECIATE IT ALL!!!!!!
Post edited by Unknown User on

Comments

  • Evacuation RulesEvacuation Rules Posts: 2,162
    > 1. Can I do anything else with FLAC, like place it on a CD?

    You can download FLAC Frontend which can decompress the FLAC's back into WAV's. Then you can burn them to a CDR or do anything you want with them.

    http://flac.sourceforge.net/download.html

    > 3. I know about SACD, but with such a good receiver, is there such a thing > as a better cd player? Or are the all the same until you get up the SACD.
    >4. Does a SACD player make regular CD's better?

    SACD's have multi-channel capabilites and higher fidelity than a standard CD. "Hybrid" SACD's have two layers...a "regular" CD layer and an SACD layer. The "regular" layer is the same as any standard CD. There is no difference in quality if you play a standard CD in an SACD player. The player gives you the ability to play a 5.1 or stereo SACD.

    And remember - this is very important - CD's and SACD's are only as good as the tapes that were used and the person who did the mastering. There are some very, very bad mastering engineers out there and a lot of them are English, so English music hasn't fared too well in the CD age. It also doesn't help that a lot of record companies and studios discarded the session tapes after a master was made in order to save money and space, effectively eliminating the chance of there ever being mutli-channel mixes of classic albums such as Piper At The Gates Of Dawn. Luckily, someone had the presence of mind to save most of the Beatles tapes, so I'm hopeful there will be 5.1 Beatles releases someday.

    So investigate and ask questions before you buy a CD or SACD, if you intend on getting "audiophile" quality product. There are lots of bad masterings out there, even SACD's!
  • hrd2imgnhrd2imgn Southwest Burbs of Chicago Posts: 4,902
    if you want audiophile you have to go to a local dealer as the big box stores have shit compared to the little guys.

    There are audiophile Cd players from Carver and some other places, but they cost big bucks. Speakers....well it is all personal preferences my man. One mans gold is anothers it sounds like shit.

    good luck to you
  • AnonAnon Posts: 11,175
    JWBusher wrote:
    > 1. Can I do anything else with FLAC, like place it on a CD?

    You can download FLAC Frontend which can decompress the FLAC's back into WAV's. Then you can burn them to a CDR or do anything you want with them.

    http://flac.sourceforge.net/download.html

    > 3. I know about SACD, but with such a good receiver, is there such a thing > as a better cd player? Or are the all the same until you get up the SACD.
    >4. Does a SACD player make regular CD's better?

    SACD's have multi-channel capabilites and higher fidelity than a standard CD. "Hybrid" SACD's have two layers...a "regular" CD layer and an SACD layer. The "regular" layer is the same as any standard CD. There is no difference in quality if you play a standard CD in an SACD player. The player gives you the ability to play a 5.1 or stereo SACD.

    And remember - this is very important - CD's and SACD's are only as good as the tapes that were used and the person who did the mastering. There are some very, very bad mastering engineers out there and a lot of them are English, so English music hasn't fared too well in the CD age. It also doesn't help that a lot of record companies and studios discarded the session tapes after a master was made in order to save money and space, effectively eliminating the chance of there ever being mutli-channel mixes of classic albums such as Piper At The Gates Of Dawn. Luckily, someone had the presence of mind to save most of the Beatles tapes, so I'm hopeful there will be 5.1 Beatles releases someday.

    So investigate and ask questions before you buy a CD or SACD, if you intend on getting "audiophile" quality product. There are lots of bad masterings out there, even SACD's!

    Thanks so much.....Since I will be listening to my FLAC bootlegs and soundboards more than my studio albums, I think I will stay away from the SACD player and put the money in some ridiculous speakers. UNLESS....you think something like the Marantz SACD for about 900 bucks would turn my huge collection into gold. I am patient and, though I have an Ipod, when I want to listen to a CD I have no problem finding it and pulling it out etc.....

    BUT AGAIN.....once I link my computer files up to my system, my FLAC files will carry me through.....

    SO....are there any adjustments I can make to maximize the sound on the FLAC player etc??

    I am sure if I want to use computer files, I should go back and reburn my cd's at a higher rate.....OR buy the SACD......



    SO.....you can help me again.

    1. That Marantz SACD is in my budget....do you think it would be a great addition since I would still spin a lot of cd's in addition to my computer files.......
    2. I know it is personal preference, but I am not interested in splitting hairs with myself or looking for the PERFECT speaker.....with that in mind, do you have any recommendations for a shelf speaker at 1000 bucks a pair? I have reviewed the Klipshe rB-81, Polk l91 HD speakers and some Ascend Accoustic Sierra 1. I really wish someone would write to me and say....I tried all types of speakers, X works like a charm for our music...buy them.
    3. Lastly.....if I use that program to decompress the FLAC and get them onto a CD, where do we end up? A regular sounding CD, or is the quality still present.......obviously it is decompressed but we are starting with a golden egg, so what are we eating once it is on a cd......I could go on, but then we are back at the chicken or egg came first question?

    Thanks soooooooo much for replying. I cannot tell you how much it helps.
  • AnonAnon Posts: 11,175
    hrd2imgn wrote:
    if you want audiophile you have to go to a local dealer as the big box stores have shit compared to the little guys.

    There are audiophile Cd players from Carver and some other places, but they cost big bucks. Speakers....well it is all personal preferences my man. One mans gold is anothers it sounds like shit.

    good luck to you

    Thanks for the reply! Could you narrow down my search and list a few that you would recommend deserve a hearing? I couldnt care less about how they look, so if you have some ideas on flat out rocking speakers, I will search for a local shop that has em and I will test drive em.........thanks a ton.

    M
  • AnonAnon Posts: 11,175
    JWBusher wrote:
    > 1. Can I do anything else with FLAC, like place it on a CD?

    You can download FLAC Frontend which can decompress the FLAC's back into WAV's. Then you can burn them to a CDR or do anything you want with them.

    http://flac.sourceforge.net/download.html

    > 3. I know about SACD, but with such a good receiver, is there such a thing > as a better cd player? Or are the all the same until you get up the SACD.
    >4. Does a SACD player make regular CD's better?

    SACD's have multi-channel capabilites and higher fidelity than a standard CD. "Hybrid" SACD's have two layers...a "regular" CD layer and an SACD layer. The "regular" layer is the same as any standard CD. There is no difference in quality if you play a standard CD in an SACD player. The player gives you the ability to play a 5.1 or stereo SACD.

    And remember - this is very important - CD's and SACD's are only as good as the tapes that were used and the person who did the mastering. There are some very, very bad mastering engineers out there and a lot of them are English, so English music hasn't fared too well in the CD age. It also doesn't help that a lot of record companies and studios discarded the session tapes after a master was made in order to save money and space, effectively eliminating the chance of there ever being mutli-channel mixes of classic albums such as Piper At The Gates Of Dawn. Luckily, someone had the presence of mind to save most of the Beatles tapes, so I'm hopeful there will be 5.1 Beatles releases someday.

    So investigate and ask questions before you buy a CD or SACD, if you intend on getting "audiophile" quality product. There are lots of bad masterings out there, even SACD's!





    Another question........

    On that site you provided, it says you can rip a CD to FLAC format.....does that mean a CD has data on it that exceeds what a regular CD player could handle, and therefore can be extracted with the program and then replayed through another FLAC player? If so, should I simply convert my select CD's to FLAC format, keep them stored on my harddrive and then play them as I mentioned......thus bypassing any need to purchase a SACD player etc.....

    >>???

    I hope I could ask that without confusing you......thanks again....

    M
  • JulienJulien Posts: 2,457
    I have studiolab speakers that I pay about 400 euros. They are very good.
    http://www.speakerfactory.com/studiolab_speakers.html
    2006: Antwerp, Paris
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  • ZanneZanne Posts: 899
    FLAC format and an SACD player have absolutely nothing to do with eachother.. and FLAC ripped to wav and then burnt to CD (CDDA) wil not lose anything. I'm not sure why you keep referring to a SACD player.. I assume you think it will make your flac conversions sound better, but it won't.

    EDIT: If you plan on playing ANY music from your PC out, make sure your PC sound card is very high quality. This is where you'll find a difference.. that and in the speakers you are outputting the sound through.
    Just me
  • AnonAnon Posts: 11,175
    Zanne wrote:
    FLAC format and an SACD player have absolutely nothing to do with eachother.. and FLAC ripped to wav and then burnt to CD (CDDA) wil not lose anything. I'm not sure why you keep referring to a SACD player.. I assume you think it will make your flac conversions sound better, but it won't.

    EDIT: If you plan on playing ANY music from your PC out, make sure your PC sound card is very high quality. This is where you'll find a difference.. that and in the speakers you are outputting the sound through.


    Oh, I totally know they are two separate issues.......I was saying that I want to build an amazing system and was just curious about SACD players in general. The number one thing I need is a good pair of shelf speakers. The second thing I needed was a way to play my FLAC files through my Pioneer receiver to get to my speakers. That is where my general question came in of "how can I use FLAC other than just through my Winamp" because that was all I had done up until now......so....back to your advice..which I greatly appreciate......I am still at the question should I build a catalouge on my computer that I can play and control through my receiver or if I should use my FLAC files how I can, upgrade to a SACD to get the most out of my current CD collection or rip all my CD's into FLAC format etc........

    Believe me, there are five hundred questions and I am still unsure what to do. ALTHOUGH....it is getting easier with all the input......

    M
  • AnonAnon Posts: 11,175
    Zanne wrote:
    FLAC format and an SACD player have absolutely nothing to do with eachother.. and FLAC ripped to wav and then burnt to CD (CDDA) wil not lose anything. I'm not sure why you keep referring to a SACD player.. I assume you think it will make your flac conversions sound better, but it won't.

    EDIT: If you plan on playing ANY music from your PC out, make sure your PC sound card is very high quality. This is where you'll find a difference.. that and in the speakers you are outputting the sound through.


    Hey...the advice on the card.....would that still matter with my receiver...?? It processes everything digitally....and i mean everything. It is amazing...so as long as the computer file reaches the receiver, it should upconvert etc...right? This is where I really dont know what I am talking about, so if you could explain.......Pioneer Elite 94
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