The Verve catalog has been mastered to 24/96, for download on HDtracks. This is great news. We're all hoping there will be more and more mainstream labels publishing hi res files. Lots of great music on Verve, especially jazz.
http://www.avguide.com/article/hdtracks-welcomes-verve-music-group-9624-sound
Hmmmmm - all in flac
I may have to take a shot at "Getz/Gilberto".
HDTracks use to send out discount coupons periodically but I haven't seen any in awhile. They do have a Specials section on their site that changes occasionally. Not sure if any of the new Verve have made it to the Specials list.
I picked up the 24/96 version of Ella and Louis - Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald on Verve from HD Tracks. A nice improvement over my CD version.
mike
When you guys download these do you play them back at this high resolution from your computer, or do you convert from FLAC to MP3 (or something similar) and burn a CD? If the latter then I'm not sure why you boher with a high resolution download.
I haven't downloaded any HD material yet, but that was one of my reasons for wanting a Touch.
HD to the hard drive and then stream directly to the Touch or Touch/DAC combo.
-Mike
Quote from: BobM on June 03, 2010, 09:36:20 AM
do you play them back at this high resolution from your computer
Full resolution from PC to DAC, so the hardware has to be compatible.
Flac full resolution to Touch. Most of the time it works perfect but occasionally, the 24/96 playback gets choppy and needs rebuffering. Someday I'll run ethernet wire to the Touch rather than using wireless.
I had some dropouts w/ my several-year-old router and bought a new one. Not a dropout since...
-Mike
I've got a Dlink 655 router which, while very good, is currently on a different floor at the opposite side of the house. If I could just figure out how to move that without reeking havoc with everything else I suspect I'd be golden.
Mike, let me know if dropouts return when you try the Touch with 24/96 material.
Quote from: mdconnelly on June 03, 2010, 11:12:50 AM
Flac full resolution to Touch. Most of the time it works perfect but occasionally, the 24/96 playback gets choppy and needs rebuffering. Someday I'll run ethernet wire to the Touch rather than using wireless.
Theoretically, if you run an ethernet cable you are also getting a direct copper link back to the PC that contains that crappy noisy switching power supply, which is isolated from the music system if your data stream is traveling wirelessly. Nothing for nothing.
Although I would be curious to see if it really made that much difference in reality since I guess the noise could also be traveling back through your breaker box and into the music system.
IS there anybody out there who has tried to compare the sound of a hardwired vs. RF ethernet system and can shed some insight onto this?
Quote from: mdconnelly on June 03, 2010, 01:47:25 PM
I've got a Dlink 655 router which, while very good, is currently on a different floor at the opposite side of the house. If I could just figure out how to move that without reeking havoc with everything else I suspect I'd be golden.
Have you thought about a powerline adapter to bring ethernet over to where you need it?
This has worked very well for me... no issues streaming content... audio or video...
http://www.amazon.com/NETGEAR-XAVB101-Powerline-Ethernet-Adapter/dp/B001AGM2VI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1275603199&sr=8-1
No, I haven't but then, I always figured that any power filtering/conditioning equipment would essentially block or at least hinder the use of ethernet over power lines (caveat: spoken without having a clue what I'm talking about). Hmmmm....
Quote from: mdconnelly on June 03, 2010, 03:48:29 PM
No, I haven't but then, I always figured that any power filtering/conditioning equipment would essentially block or at least hinder the use of ethernet over power lines (caveat: spoken without having a clue what I'm talking about). Hmmmm....
Usually the powerline conditioning is done in between the outlet and the equipment which would usually be at a point afterwhich the ethernet signal has already been extracted. My fear would not be whether the powerline conditioner would impede the transmission of the data. My worry would be whether your chosen powerline conditioner could effectively prevent any noise imparted onto the power by the data signal from degrading the performance of the rest of the audio system......
Quote from: tmazz on June 03, 2010, 04:09:21 PM
Quote from: mdconnelly on June 03, 2010, 03:48:29 PM
No, I haven't but then, I always figured that any power filtering/conditioning equipment would essentially block or at least hinder the use of ethernet over power lines (caveat: spoken without having a clue what I'm talking about). Hmmmm....
Usually the powerline conditioning is done in between the outlet and the equipment which would usually be at a point afterwhich the ethernet signal has already been extracted. My fear would not be whether the powerline conditioner would impede the transmission of the data. My worry would be whether your chosen powerline conditioner could effectively prevent any noise imparted onto the power by the data signal from degrading the performance of the rest of the audio system......
My only experience with this was that I use to use X10 devices around my house to control lights. But when I introduced various surge protectors on TV or computer, the X10 devices worked intermittently at best if they were on the same run as the surge protector. So I was wondering if the same would be true for ethernet. Hopefully, it is running on a completely different frequency that would be immune to this.
Quote from: BobM on June 03, 2010, 09:36:20 AM
When you guys download these do you play them back at this high resolution from your computer, or do you convert from FLAC to MP3 (or something similar) and burn a CD?
For me it's PC to DAC at native resolution, up to 24/192 otherwise it would be indeed pointless. :)
Quote from: tmazz on June 03, 2010, 02:44:26 PM
Theoretically, if you run an ethernet cable you are also getting a direct copper link back to the PC that contains that crappy noisy switching power supply, which is isolated from the music system if your data stream is traveling wirelessly. Nothing for nothing.
Some interfaces have internal transformers for galvanic isolation but not very many from what I understand. I have not tried them but in-line transformers are available (http://industrialcomponent.com/oem/protek5iso.html) for $150 that will completely isolate the line. I am going to order one and find out if it improves the sound. That doesn't get rid of the switcher in the PC but with low power PC's that can be addressed by a reasonable linear supply.
mike
Quote from: mdconnelly on June 04, 2010, 06:05:16 AM
Quote from: tmazz on June 03, 2010, 04:09:21 PM
Quote from: mdconnelly on June 03, 2010, 03:48:29 PM
No, I haven't but then, I always figured that any power filtering/conditioning equipment would essentially block or at least hinder the use of ethernet over power lines (caveat: spoken without having a clue what I'm talking about). Hmmmm....
Usually the powerline conditioning is done in between the outlet and the equipment which would usually be at a point afterwhich the ethernet signal has already been extracted. My fear would not be whether the powerline conditioner would impede the transmission of the data. My worry would be whether your chosen powerline conditioner could effectively prevent any noise imparted onto the power by the data signal from degrading the performance of the rest of the audio system......
My only experience with this was that I use to use X10 devices around my house to control lights. But when I introduced various surge protectors on TV or computer, the X10 devices worked intermittently at best if they were on the same run as the surge protector. So I was wondering if the same would be true for ethernet. Hopefully, it is running on a completely different frequency that would be immune to this.
Wow Mike, that's a strange one. I would understand if the x10 was connected on the output side of the conditioner, but from your description it sounds as if the x10s were connected on the line side of the conditioners. Not quite sure why that should have an effect. Just another power conditioning interaction that seems to behave outside of normal expectations. Not the first one I've seen and I'm sure it won't be the last.