This year's present from Lynne [G]

... of course I meant LINN's present to everyone ...

24 downloads of studio (or lower) quality tracks to enjoy in the lead up to Christmas (and all through the years to come !)

http://www.linn.co.uk/christmas

A gentle reminder for those collectors of Studio Master recordings that we are now up to day 2 of LINN's free downloads.

 

This idea seems to be catching on: I see DG is also running Advent calendar downloads, and DECCA was offering some random prize approach this Christmas:

http://my.deutschegrammophon.com/en/advent-calendar/

Hi Elephant

not sure that this music is my cuppa tea mate, lol, but i downloaded. 

Thanks for making us aware of it :-)

And this year they seem to be allowing you to download up to 10am (GMT) on the third day. In the past there has been a sudden cut-off at 10am on the day after the download release.

Yes, not all the music is to everyone's taste! And last year one of the downloads seemed to be corrupted either during download or on my computer transfer. When I transferred the file to the Olive One and tried to play it it nearly blew the speakers with nothing but a deep loud rhythmic bass noise. As it played on the computer I guess that this was a router transfer problem. I' ve learned a lesson though.... turn the volume right down until you know you' ve got a good file copy.

Graham

On second thought i'm actually quite liking the downloads!

The quality is amazing.  I never really thought that was possible.  I never even knew what a stereo master was lol 

Thanks elephant

I have used these freebies to discover artists and had some great finds - Barb Jungr for example

Thank you for the link, I really appreciate ☺

About "Almost like being on love", how does the song - and specifically the deepest bass - render on your equipment?

On my side (Essence + BL8000 + BL11), sometimes it's not that pleasant... Kind of resonance may be !?!

I tried to read the file from my Mac with Vox instead of Neutron from my Android tablet, and it's slightly "less bad", but not a lot.

Christophe:

Thank you for the link, I really appreciate ☺

About "Almost like being on love", how does the song - and specifically the deepest bass - render on your equipment?

On my side (Essence + BL8000 + BL11), sometimes it's not that pleasant... Kind of resonance may be !?!

I tried to read the file from my Mac with Vox instead of Neutron from my Android tablet, and it's slightly "less bad", but not a lot.

I had downloaded both ALACs for that day, so I tried both on a variety of configurations - all at volume 70 - however I do not have a kit as good as yours.

1. 16 bit 44.1 KHz MacMini's iTunes playing via HDMI to BV8-40's central speaker - OK
2. 16 bit 44.1 KHz MacMini's iTunes playing via HDMI to BV8-40 in speaker 2 mode driving BeoLab 3s - lovely
3. 16 bit 44.1 KHz MacMini's iTunes playing via HDMI to BV8-40 in speaker 3 mode driving BeoLab 3s and central speaker - also good
4. 24 bit 48.0 KHz MacMini's iTunes playing via HDMI to BV8-40's central speaker - OK however double bass a little boomy on the lowest notes
5. 24 bit 48.0 KHz MacMini's iTunes playing via HDMI to BV8-40 in speaker 2 mode driving BeoLab 3s - a hint of rosin on the lowest notes
6. 24 bit 48.0 KHz MacMini's iTunes playing via HDMI to BV8-40 in speaker 3 mode driving BeoLab 3s and central speaker - a bit more of a burr to those lowest notes
7. 16 bit 44.1 KHz MacMini's iTunes playing via line out jack to BeoPort to BV8-40 in speaker 2 mode driving BeoLab 3s - at 70 almost blew out my ear drums ... interesting that this chain of technology was much LOUDER so I reduce the volume to 52 - and there were subtle differences - I have always been convinced the BeoPort adds quality even though the theory is that the MacMini's line out would have an inferior DAC arrangement
8. 16 bit 44.1 KHz MacMini's iTunes playing via line out jack to BeoPort to BeoLink Wireless transmitter - receiver to BeoLab 11 to BeoLab 6000s - every time I do this I just "fall in love" with my 6000s - but even with the BL11 at the front of the chain there was not the subtle details of the BeoLab 3s
9. 16 bit 44.1 KHz MacMini's iTunes playing via line out jack to BeoPort to BeoLink Wireless transmitter - receiver to BV8-32 central speaker - this was the most muffled of all - much to be expected - I did not test my H6 :-) nor the BL4s - I think my wife is tired of hearing the same track more than 10 times !  (I however am going to look at their other tracks and recordings !) 

Chris Hill's double bass solo starts at ±2:29 at some notes are fine but the very low ones on the BV8-40's speaker in solo mode have a muffled resonance but on the  Lab 3s it sounds like rosin ...

Is that what you found "bad" ? 

Making tests like these is a very different matter.

You compared the two (16/44.1 - 24/48) versions from iTunes (MacMini).

Did you manually change the output settings of the Mac (Audio Midi utility) each time, you choose a different format?

Otherweise you would be comparing same with same: in the default settings the Mac changes any sound output to 16/44.1.

If you do not want to change manually, you will have to use a program like BitPerfect (there are other solutions too), which automatically changes the bitrate/samplingfrequency (according to the input of the file) before outputting it.

"Under Apple's OS/X operating system, when iTunes plays back a music track, it looks at the format of the track itself, and then looks at the settings of the output device.  If the settings do not match, iTunes will automatically convert the file from its own ‘native’ format to the format which the output device has been set to.  Most audio experts agree that this process inevitably results in some degradation of the sound quality.  Your only recourse, if your music collection contains tracks with different music formats, is to go into the Audio Midi utility and manually change the output settings each time the format of the music file changes.  Most users find this to be an annoyance."

 

Injecting another device in the chain - when comparing - and especially changing the level of the volumen can make things pretty uncomparable.

And we don't know how the audio engine of the 8-40 handles the input! We don't know if there is some kind of up-/downsampling going on there either.

I am not saying that one should not do such comparisons, but one should be very carefull drawing conlusions from a few tests.

P.S.

The quotation is from:

http://bitperfectsound.blogspot.de/p/what-is-bitperfect.html

 

MM

elephant:

I think my wife is tired of hearing the same track more than 10 times ! 

I see what you mean 😄

The muffled resonance is the right word, and it may come from the room configuration.

I hear this only with this song (for now) !

I tried other places and settings and the resonance is only slightly reduced, or the same...

It appears mainly around 1:53+  3:14+  and. 3:55+ 

Thank you for the tests !

Christophe. I enjoy challenges so it was a pleasure.

I neglected to state the obvious that the three different locations are three different rooms.

And three very different styles of room. IE shape, furnishings, and objects

Also where I was varied Vis a Vis the speakers.

PS Millie - an unfortunate by product of shifting to the BeoPort was that I had to rely on my ears' sense of volume as the visual feedback had disappeared

Hi Mille

Thank you for your insights.

I can always rely on you know more than me and having better recall of the facts. I wish I had your memory.

And thank you for the implicit reminder of the placebo effect: I know I changed XXX to a better configuration therefore my eyes and ears will deceive me ...

Does it work when wives dye their hair ?