I run various versions of Windows and have all my machines networked. I keep all of my files on a RAID NAS, and a shadow copy of the of all the files on a separate disk my work machine. There's a ridiculous amount of files down there in the basement. In addition to HD FLACs, I have a lot of lossless WMA, regular FLACs, and MP3s as well.
HD FLACs (all the files, really) on the work machine is WinAmp or Windows Media Player with a FLAC playback plug in through decent headphones.
I have the several different connections from a Windows 7 machine to the home theater setup (optical-coaxial-and analog RCAs) in the living room. I get 96/24 audio playback thru the digital connections, when playing HD FLACs or blu-ray. Again I use WinAmp or Windows Media Player with a FLAC playback plug in for audio.
I record LPs and tapes into 2 channel 96/24 FLACs using Sony Sound Forge Pro 10. For the past 6 or 7 years I've been recording selecting lossless WMA 9 at a high bitrate, but have recently switched over to FLAC. If one is better than the other, I can't tell. I didn't initially buy into the HD part, but I am all the way there now. Properly amplified and/or with decent headphones, those files are killer.
I convert for the ipod mp3 VBR at the highest setting, (the best way to do mp3, if imho...). In a running car or with inexpensive h-phones or ear buds walking the dog, they sound pretty good to me. I don't stream files to my phone, I use an ipod classic.
itunes will convert WMA files to VBR MP3 into my itunes library automatically. I try to avoid iTunes as much as I can except when dealing for with the ipod. Sound Forge easily down converts folders of HD FLAC to whatever you want at whatever bitrate you select.
2000- Atlanta, GA: New Orleans, LA: Memphis, TN: Nashville, TN
2003- Raleigh, NC: Charlotte, NC: Atlanta, GA
2004- Asheville, NC (hometown show)
2006- Cincinnati, OH
2008- Columbia, SC
2009- Chicago, IL x 2 / Ed Vedder- Atlanta, GA x 2
2010- Bristow, VA
2011- Alpine Valley, WI (PJ20) x 2 / Ed Vedder- Chicago, IL
2012- Atlanta, GA
2013- Charlotte, NC
2014- Cincinnati, OH
2015- New York, NY
2016- Greenville, SC: Hampton, VA:: Columbia, SC: Raleigh, NC : Lexington, KY: Philly, PA 2: (Wrigley) Chicago, IL x 2 (holy shit): Temple of the Dog- Philly, PA
Put the show you want on a USB and plug it right into the reciever. Not loss of quality or conversions needed. I've just accepted that Flac HD can only be played to its capabilities at home if you don't have a Pono with good headphones.
JRiver or Foobar2000 to a USB DAC, making sure that the files are bit perfect.
Winamp is dead. It was my fav for years. JRiver is absolutely the way to go. Intuitive, clean, awesome DLNA streaming, etc. Im really surprised more people arent using it.
JRiver or Foobar2000 to a USB DAC, making sure that the files are bit perfect.
Winamp is dead. It was my fav for years. JRiver is absolutely the way to go. Intuitive, clean, awesome DLNA streaming, etc. Im really surprised more people arent using it.
Winamp 5.666 Build 3516 is all you need. It is the best. It doesn't get any better then this. Tough to pick another player. If it still runs on Windows 10 and any new Windows software upgrades after this, why use anything else?
As for the PonoMusic World player, I didn't like it at all. Pono asked everyone to upgrade their software few months back. Windows & Norton red flagged it. The Pono upgrade kept requesting I accepted incoming / outgoing internet connection within the Pono software. I deleted the software completely from that PC.
Winamp is dead. It was my fav for years. JRiver is absolutely the way to go. Intuitive, clean, awesome DLNA streaming, etc. Im really surprised more people arent using it.
Winamp 5.666 Build 3516 is all you need. It is the best. It doesn't get any better then this. Tough to pick another player. If it still runs on Windows 10 and any new Windows software upgrades after this, why use anything else?
As for the PonoMusic World player, I didn't like it at all. Pono asked everyone to upgrade their software few months back. Windows & Norton red flagged it. The Pono upgrade kept requesting I accepted incoming / outgoing internet connection within the Pono software. I deleted the software completely from that PC.
Has it had a release since Aol sold it? I thought it was unsupported.
+1 for Winamp. I've been using it since the the late 90s. The Final build they made before it got discontinued still works fantastic (it's not like someone invented some new widely used audio formats since then). Winamp is the bomb!
As for listening in the car. I struggle with that too. When I bought the car stereo I couldn't find one that did flac, so it does mp3 via cd or usb drive. I tend to be lazy and settle for mp3 (it's not like I ever bothered to upgrade from the stock speakers in the car, so flac is a little overkill for the car). If I do want to listen to flac in the car I use my portable player (fiio X3). I plug it in the Aux plug on the car stereo.
At home I have a media box for the TV called a Popcorn Hour A-400. It can do HD flac too, so that's how I listen to HD flac (or regular flac) on the home stereo.
That's my setup so I can use flac wherever I go. I would hope that one day I can find an affordable car stereo that can natively support flac. That would be cool.
I use Decibel for my Mac for all my hi-rez files. All else just goes through I tunes. I had JRiver a while back and I liked it, but I think Decibel is better. I have three different usb dac's, Schiit Modi 2, Dargon Fly v.1, and HRT streamer. I use the Dragonfly for when I on the go with headphones and when I want to demo the quality of hi-rez in my friends systems. The HRT for when I am lazy and my iPhone needs to charge and I just want to listen to spotify. My Schiit is the bomb. It is hands down the best dac for the price. All my files are on my iMac and I just plug and play into my Creek Evo amp.
St Pete '92 Orlando '92 St Pete '94 FL '96 WPB 1 and 2 '98 WPB 1 and 2 '00 Tampa '00 Tampa '03 Kissimmi '04 WPB '08 Tampa '08 Camden 1 and 2 '08 KC 10 Clearwater 1 '12 (EV) Wrigley '13 Tampa '16 Fenway 2 '16 Oakland 2020 (Canceled Covid) Camden 2022 (Had to sell got Covid) Raleigh 1 and 2 2025
I use Decibel for my Mthac for all my hi-rez files. All else just goes through I tunes. I had JRiver a while back and I liked it, but I think Decibel is better. I have three different usb dac's, Schiit Modi 2, Dargon Fly v.1, and HRT streamer. I use the Dragonfly for when I on the go with headphones and when I want to demo the quality of hi-rez in my friends systems. The HRT for when I am lazy and my iPhone needs to charge and I just want to listen to spotify. My Schiit is the bomb. It is hands down the best dac for the price. All my files are on my iMac and I just plug and play into my Creek Evo amp.
thanks, I will have to try decibel. Always searching for something a little better. I am also familiar with Schiit bifrost. Good rep for sure. I am currently choosing between the Emotiva Stealth and the Xda-2 which I found for only 275.
Comments
HD FLACs (all the files, really) on the work machine is WinAmp or Windows Media Player with a FLAC playback plug in through decent headphones.
I have the several different connections from a Windows 7 machine to the home theater setup (optical-coaxial-and analog RCAs) in the living room. I get 96/24 audio playback thru the digital connections, when playing HD FLACs or blu-ray. Again I use WinAmp or Windows Media Player with a FLAC playback plug in for audio.
I record LPs and tapes into 2 channel 96/24 FLACs using Sony Sound Forge Pro 10. For the past 6 or 7 years I've been recording selecting lossless WMA 9 at a high bitrate, but have recently switched over to FLAC. If one is better than the other, I can't tell. I didn't initially buy into the HD part, but I am all the way there now. Properly amplified and/or with decent headphones, those files are killer.
I convert for the ipod mp3 VBR at the highest setting, (the best way to do mp3, if imho...). In a running car or with inexpensive h-phones or ear buds walking the dog, they sound pretty good to me. I don't stream files to my phone, I use an ipod classic.
itunes will convert WMA files to VBR MP3 into my itunes library automatically. I try to avoid iTunes as much as I can except when dealing for with the ipod. Sound Forge easily down converts folders of HD FLAC to whatever you want at whatever bitrate you select.
livefootsteps.org/user/?usr=446
1995- New Orleans, LA : New Orleans, LA
1996- Charleston, SC
1998- Atlanta, GA: Birmingham, AL: Greenville, SC: Knoxville, TN
2000- Atlanta, GA: New Orleans, LA: Memphis, TN: Nashville, TN
2003- Raleigh, NC: Charlotte, NC: Atlanta, GA
2004- Asheville, NC (hometown show)
2006- Cincinnati, OH
2008- Columbia, SC
2009- Chicago, IL x 2 / Ed Vedder- Atlanta, GA x 2
2010- Bristow, VA
2011- Alpine Valley, WI (PJ20) x 2 / Ed Vedder- Chicago, IL
2012- Atlanta, GA
2013- Charlotte, NC
2014- Cincinnati, OH
2015- New York, NY
2016- Greenville, SC: Hampton, VA:: Columbia, SC: Raleigh, NC : Lexington, KY: Philly, PA 2: (Wrigley) Chicago, IL x 2 (holy shit): Temple of the Dog- Philly, PA
2017- ED VED- Louisville, KY
2018- Chicago, IL x2, Boston, MA x2
2020- Nashville, TN
2022- Smashville
2023- Austin, TX x2
2024- Baltimore
It's hard to use any music software other then Winamp.
...
Needs more live Pearl Jam Flac-HD's!
It's made by the JRiver people.
http://m.bestbuy.ca/?lang=en#/catalog/productdetails.aspx?ajax=true&sku=10302147&lang=en-CA
Put the show you want on a USB and plug it right into the reciever. Not loss of quality or conversions needed. I've just accepted that Flac HD can only be played to its capabilities at home if you don't have a Pono with good headphones.
As for the PonoMusic World player, I didn't like it at all. Pono asked everyone to upgrade their software few months back. Windows & Norton red flagged it. The Pono upgrade kept requesting I accepted incoming / outgoing internet connection within the Pono software. I deleted the software completely from that PC.
Winamp is dead. It was my fav for years. JRiver is absolutely the way to go. Intuitive, clean, awesome DLNA streaming, etc. Im really surprised more people arent using it.
Winamp 5.666 Build 3516 is all you need. It is the best. It doesn't get any better then this. Tough to pick another player. If it still runs on Windows 10 and any new Windows software upgrades after this, why use anything else?
As for the PonoMusic World player, I didn't like it at all. Pono asked everyone to upgrade their software few months back. Windows & Norton red flagged it. The Pono upgrade kept requesting I accepted incoming / outgoing internet connection within the Pono software. I deleted the software completely from that PC.
Has it had a release since Aol sold it? I thought it was unsupported.
Give JRiver a shot. Its exceptional imo.
As for listening in the car. I struggle with that too. When I bought the car stereo I couldn't find one that did flac, so it does mp3 via cd or usb drive. I tend to be lazy and settle for mp3 (it's not like I ever bothered to upgrade from the stock speakers in the car, so flac is a little overkill for the car). If I do want to listen to flac in the car I use my portable player (fiio X3). I plug it in the Aux plug on the car stereo.
At home I have a media box for the TV called a Popcorn Hour A-400. It can do HD flac too, so that's how I listen to HD flac (or regular flac) on the home stereo.
That's my setup so I can use flac wherever I go. I would hope that one day I can find an affordable car stereo that can natively support flac. That would be cool.
Orlando '92
St Pete '94
FL '96
WPB 1 and 2 '98
WPB 1 and 2 '00
Tampa '00
Tampa '03
Kissimmi '04
WPB '08
Tampa '08
Camden 1 and 2 '08
KC 10
Clearwater 1 '12 (EV)
Wrigley '13
Tampa '16
Fenway 2 '16
Oakland 2020 (Canceled Covid)
Camden 2022 (Had to sell got Covid)
Raleigh 1 and 2 2025