What other equipment do you use with your Ascend speakers? What is your next upgrade?

[goldark]

Interested in what other associated equipment fellow Ascend owners use with their speakers. Is it a 2 channel setup? Home theater? Mix of both?

What electronics/subs/TV's do you use with them?

I can start.

I have Sierra 2 mains across the fro,nt 3 (am awaiting Luna's for the surrounds). Running them off just a receiver, Denon X4000 with a 60 inch LG plasma and a couple of Rythmik LV12R. Once I upgrade my surrounds my TV (to an OLED) and associated equipment to handle 4K (receiver, disc player), I honestly think I'd be set for a very long time. No Atmos for me unless my living situation changes.

What do your setups consist of?

[sludgeogre]

Towers and Horizon with RAAL across the front, HTM-200-SE's for surrounds, dual Rythmik F12 subs. Awe-inspring speakers, for sure. Speakers amped with an Emotiva XPA-5 Gen 2, so I have way more power than I'll ever need, which is nice.

I currently have a Marantz AV7701 for a processor, but I have grown to really hate it. I ordered an Emotiva XMC-1 this weekend, since they are on sale and the HDMI 1.4b versions are on closeout at $1699. I don't plan on getting 4k any time soon so I jumped on the 1.4b version.

The AV7701 was great at first, when I was only using it with my PS4 for the most part, but I'm in a new room and using a computer and other devices, and I'm having a lot of problems. Apparently in 2014 they developed a bug with Netflix's version of Dolby Digital Plus, they released a patch for it a few months later, but it doesn't work!!! I get all sorts of glitches/popping/chriping/scratching when watching Netflix. I have to use my old PS3 and run it in LPCM. It also rarely connects to my network. I watch a ton of Netflix and I'd rather have my processor do the decoding instead of HAVING to use a device that can (my Nvidia Shield doesn't do any decoding) so it's a real POS. I'm going to move it to a stereo system downstairs, because it works just fine in stereo. Never going to buy a Marantz product again. If you can't fix decoding in TWO YEARS, why would I buy your product?

Also just bought a BenQ HT2150ST projector and Silver Ticket 100" fixed frame screen. Love both of them. Insanely detailed picture with fantastic depth of color. I only sit 8 feet from it and it's just a joy. Really can't see the need for 4K or HDR with how great this looks. I can't even stream 4K with my connection, so I'm really happy buying all of the 1080p and HDMI 1.4b stuff that are at the best prices they've ever been at right now.

[goldark]

I had the exact same issue with Dolby Digital on Netflix with my X4000 (no surprise I guess, since Denon and Marantz are owned by the same company), but luckily, a firmware update fixed the chirping from the surrounds. 4K projectors seem pretty expensive, but if there's any screen where 4K would be noticeable, it'd be a 100" screen. Nice setup - are you going to get Lunas for surrounds too? Ribbons all the way around seem pretty enticing.

[MusicHead]

I ordered a pair of CMT-340 last week as my new LR speakers, do I qualify for this thread? :) They will be happily driven by an Emotiva Fusion 8100. It is a mixed music/HT system, 5.1 with a Rythmik L12 taking care of the low end.

I am not as finicky with HT as I am with 2-ch music, so the rest of the speakers are an odd collection of an Audiosource MTM as Central speaker and a couple of 3-way Altec Lansing as Surrounds.

I am still holding onto an old Vizio 42" LCD, I want to jump straight to a 4k OLED in the 50" range once prices gets little lower. I also have a Seiki BD player (wanted a region free one), Nintendo Wii and a Roku HD.

Upgrade path besides the new TV:

- Get a HTM-200 as Center (need a slim one)
- Go separate with more power, for example Basx or Emersa pre/pro + amp from Emotiva.
- Once I have more power at hand, buy a pair of Sierra Luna as my mains and move the 340s to Surround duty
- New 4k Roku
- Oppo 4k player
- New gaming console

With two kids in college and two cars needing replacement it will probably take me 5 to 10 years to do all of the above, but hey, you gotta plan to make it happen, right? ;)

[Kef3992]

I have the Sierra 2's for the front left and right. Horizon is my center and HTM 200 SE as surrounds. (My wife asked me what I wanted for Christmas and I told her I wanted the Lunas to replace the 200SEs). Subwoofer is a LV12R

Anthem MRX 510 receiver, OPPO 103D blue ray player, Epson 6040UB projector, and a Kenwood CD 2260M 100 disc CD player.

I would say it is 50/50 music and movies. Last March, my wife retired early to be a stay at home grandma for our first granddaughter Aonesty Elizabeth. ( We call her Aony ). When I was building our theater room, I thought I was building it for me and my wife. Now that Aony is here, I realize I built it for her. Let me tell you, there is nothing better than sitting in Aony's theater room watching Elana of Avalor with her. To see the joy on her face every time we watch movies with her is something special.

[goldark]

I ordered a pair of CMT-340 last week as my new LR speakers, do I qualify for this thread? :) They will be happily driven by an Emotiva Fusion 8100. It is a mixed music/HT system, 5.1 with a Rythmik L12 taking care of the low end.

I am not as finicky with HT as I am with 2-ch music, so the rest of the speakers are an odd collection of an Audiosource MTM as Central speaker and a couple of 3-way Altec Lansing as Surrounds.

I am still holding onto an old Vizio 42" LCD, I want to jump straight to a 4k OLED in the 50" range once prices gets little lower. I also have a Seiki BD player (wanted a region free one), Nintendo Wii and a Roku HD.

Upgrade path besides the new TV:

- Get a HTM-200 as Center (need a slim one)
- Go separate with more power, for example Basx or Emersa pre/pro + amp from Emotiva.
- Once I have more power at hand, buy a pair of Sierra Luna as my mains and move the 340s to Surround duty
- New 4k Roku
- Oppo 4k player
- New gaming console

With two kids in college and two cars needing replacement it will probably take me 5 to 10 years to do all of the above, but hey, you gotta plan to make it happen, right? ;)

It's not always about the destination but the journey :) a part of me feels like it might be bittersweet reaching my end game. Part of the fun is researching, auditioning, and tinkering.

[goldark]

I have the Sierra 2's for the front left and right. Horizon is my center and HTM 200 SE as surrounds. (My wife asked me what I wanted for Christmas and I told her I wanted the Lunas to replace the 200SEs). Subwoofer is a LV12R

Anthem MRX 510 receiver, OPPO 103D blue ray player, Epson 6040UB projector, and a Kenwood CD 2260M 100 disc CD player.

I would say it is 50/50 music and movies. Last March, my wife retired early to be a stay at home grandma for our first granddaughter Aonesty Elizabeth. ( We call her Aony ). When I was building our theater room, I thought I was building it for me and my wife. Now that Aony is here, I realize I built it for her. Let me tell you, there is nothing better than sitting in Aony's theater room watching Elana of Avalor with her. To see the joy on her face every time we watch movies with her is something special.

Now that is a sweet story :)

[sludgeogre]

I had the exact same issue with Dolby Digital on Netflix with my X4000 (no surprise I guess, since Denon and Marantz are owned by the same company), but luckily, a firmware update fixed the chirping from the surrounds. 4K projectors seem pretty expensive, but if there's any screen where 4K would be noticeable, it'd be a 100" screen. Nice setup - are you going to get Lunas for surrounds too? Ribbons all the way around seem pretty enticing.

There's athread at AVS forums about this issue, and some people are still having it while others got fixed. It's pretty strange, and really frustrating that the AV7701 is still afflicted.

Going with a 4k projector would cost me at least triple over what I have now, so I just wasn't prepared to spend that much on a barely perceptible improvement. HDR is the real upgrade as people say, and there's so little support for it anyway, that was another factor. I guess a screen this big would be the way to test it.

I really do want to get the Lunas for surround, but I've spent so much this year I'll probably have to hold off =( =( =(

[dtsequoia]

I have a pair of CBM-170's for my LR, Athena AS-C1 center and Athena Micra surrounds with a Rhythmik F12 doing the low end work. They are powered by a Pioneer Elite SC-65. For devices, I have:
- My iMac going into one of the optical ports for my iTunes library and TIDAL streaming.
- 4th gen Apple TV.
- Oppo BDP 93 for Blu ray and CDs
- U-turn Audio TT with both the Schiit Mani and U-turns Pluto Preamps (I switch between the two depending on
how I feel)
- TV is a Vizio 47" 1080P TV from 5 years ago
- All cables are from Blue Jeans Cables

Future upgrades in the next year or so, are in the air. Trying to figure out if I want to go with the "standard" towers or the Sierra 2s for my mains since my wife and I listen to music 85% of the time on the stereo. Center will be dependent upon the Sierra Luna Center design and specs and all that. The CBMs would then move to surround duty.

Who knows, I may go Sierra Luna Center (if in MTM configuration) for LCR!

Lastly, I will add another F12...

[Mose Harper]

Towers and Horizon with RAAL across the front, HTM-200-SE's for surrounds,

I have the same minus the subs.

They're driven by a NAD T-752 circa 2001/2 so of course it's missing all the latest room correction bells and whistles. It doesn't even have HDMI inputs- tho that doesn't matter as I'm only connected via the analog channels to my region modded Oppo 103. The video just goes direct to the PJ.

So far I'm happy/satisfied with everything. I find the HTM 200s to work extraordinarily well as surrounds so I'm not in a big hurry to try the Lunas just yet. Maybe several years from now.

I don't know how much life is left in the AVR so that'll probably be the next upgrade at some point.

[sludgeogre]

I have the same minus the subs.

They're driven by a NAD T-752 circa 2001/2 so of course it's missing all the latest room correction bells and whistles. It doesn't even have HDMI inputs- tho that doesn't matter as I'm only connected via the analog channels to my region modded Oppo 103. The video just goes direct to the PJ.

So far I'm happy/satisfied with everything. I find the HTM 200s to work extraordinarily well as surrounds so I'm not in a big hurry to try the Lunas just yet. Maybe several years from now.

I don't know how much life is left in the AVR so that'll probably be the next upgrade at some point.

Nice system. It's good to avoid all of the new bells and whistles in AVR's until you actually need them. Using the Oppo that way is a great idea, you get the most bang for your buck that way.

I'm also really happy with the HTM's in surround. They match really well and they put up a massive soundstage for such a tiny speaker. They don't call too much attention to themselves, either, but they are still very clear. I decided to upgrade my preamp before the surrounds because of the issues I was having and I think it's the best decision for my HT for now.

[kingcrowing]

I think I'm pretty much set on upgrading to Sierra 2 LCR or Sierra Towers with a Sierra 1 NrT Center, to pair with my Pioneer Elite VSX-30 AVR which has been a solid performer for me. I've got a Pioneer PLX-1000 turntable for music and a 55" LG LED 1080p TV that I'm pretty happy with.

I think after the Sierras I'll look into replacing my 10" BIC America sub with an F12 or possibly one of the new Oppo Blu Ray players so I can also venture into SACDs and DVD-Audio discs!

[curtis]

I think after the Sierras I'll look into replacing my 10" BIC America sub with an F12 or possibly one of the new Oppo Blu Ray players so I can also venture into SACDs and DVD-Audio discs!I would replace the sub first. Its sound quality will not match the Sierra-2's...or any Ascend speaker IMO.

[kingcrowing]

Yeah it's definitely the weak point but I currently have no way to play DVDs, Blu Rays, SACDs, etc... but I can play records and laserdiscs! Ha!

[mikesiskav]

LG 55EG9100 55" OLED TV
5 x Sierra-2 piano black
2 x JL Audio F112 subwoofers
Emotiva XMC-1 pre/pro
Emotiva XPA-5 amp
Custom built PC for all media playback

I really love my setup. Next upgrade will be a 65" OLED, but not for a while.

[MusicHead]

I have the same minus the subs.

They're driven by a NAD T-752 circa 2001/2 so of course it's missing all the latest room correction bells and whistles. It doesn't even have HDMI inputs- tho that doesn't matter as I'm only connected via the analog channels to my region modded Oppo 103. The video just goes direct to the PJ.

So far I'm happy/satisfied with everything. I find the HTM 200s to work extraordinarily well as surrounds so I'm not in a big hurry to try the Lunas just yet. Maybe several years from now.

I don't know how much life is left in the AVR so that'll probably be the next upgrade at some point.

Had a T-752 before I got my current Emotiva Fusion 8100. Loved that NAD, I used it with no sub and drove my 6 Ohm front LR full range speakers without missing a beat.

I actually still have it, broken on my workbench in the basement. Several caps leaked, some day I may repair it and use it for a 2-ch system.

[curtis]

Yeah it's definitely the weak point but I currently have no way to play DVDs, Blu Rays, SACDs, etc... but I can play records and laserdiscs! Ha!
Buy a cheap Blu-ray player to hold you over.

[curtis]

Vizio E600i-B3 60" LED TV
3 x Sierra-2 natural US cabinets
2 x HTM-200SE surrounds
Rythmik F15HP
Sherwood/Newcastle R972 w/Trinnov (this will be my next upgrade..probably to an XMC-1...hard to justify now and lose Trinnov, but I need to prepare for 4K)
ATI 1505 amp...this thing is a tank and sounds great
Oppo BDP-83 universal disc player
TiVo Bolt
JRiver iD
Apple TV 4th gen
Sonos (not in use)

[Jaybeez]

I ordered a pair of CMT-340 last week as my new LR speakers, do I qualify for this thread? :) They will be happily driven by an Emotiva Fusion 8100. It is a mixed music/HT system, 5.1 with a Rythmik L12 taking care of the low end.

I am not as finicky with HT as I am with 2-ch music, so the rest of the speakers are an odd collection of an Audiosource MTM as Central speaker and a couple of 3-way Altec Lansing as Surrounds.

I am still holding onto an old Vizio 42" LCD, I want to jump straight to a 4k OLED in the 50" range once prices gets little lower. I also have a Seiki BD player (wanted a region free one), Nintendo Wii and a Roku HD.

Upgrade path besides the new TV:

- Get a HTM-200 as Center (need a slim one)
- Go separate with more power, for example Basx or Emersa pre/pro + amp from Emotiva.
- Once I have more power at hand, buy a pair of Sierra Luna as my mains and move the 340s to Surround duty
- New 4k Roku
- Oppo 4k player
- New gaming console

With two kids in college and two cars needing replacement it will probably take me 5 to 10 years to do all of the above, but hey, you gotta plan to make it happen, right? ;)

I feel your pain. Fortunately, my 3 college kids all graduate this year. So many upgrades I want to do I'm not sure where to start!

[Mag_Neato]

2 x Sierra-2 in natural finish
Rythmik 12" Direct Servo sub kit in custom built cabinet
Marantz SR6003 AV Receiver for Preamp
Adcom GFA-5500 2 channel amp (200 watts @8 Ohms/350 watts @4 Ohms)
Cambridge Audio ID100 Digital dock for Apple devices
Yamaha CDC-715 5-disc CD changer

Was thinking of adding a DAC or replacing the Marantz with a true 2 channel preamp, but a new hobby is eating up much of my budget.

[goldark]

Vizio E600i-B3 60" LED TV
3 x Sierra-2 natural US cabinets
2 x HTM-200SE surrounds
Rythmik F15HP
Sherwood/Newcastle R972 w/Trinnov (this will be my next upgrade..probably to an XMC-1...hard to justify now and lose Trinnov, but I need to prepare for 4K)
ATI 1505 amp...this thing is a tank and sounds great
Oppo BDP-83 universal disc player
TiVo Bolt
JRiver iD
Apple TV 4th gen
Sonos (not in use)

How does Trinnov perform compared to something like Audyssey XT32?

[curtis]

How does Trinnov perform compared to something like Audyssey XT32?
Well, it isn't really an apples to apples comparison as Trinnov has some capabilities that Audessey doesn't. I also don't have direct comparison experience in my room...but everything that I have read points to Trinnov being better.

That said, you can't get Trinnov now without spending over $10K...so I am looking at Dirac.

[mattyhoops]

Sierra 1 with satin cherry finish as LCR
Boston Acoustics CR 7 bookshelf as surrounds (will likely replace with HTM200's eventually)
SVS NSD SB12 sub
Onkyo TX-NR717 AV Receiver
LG 55" LED LH90 (I believe that's the model #)
Sony blu-ray (don't remember model #, paid $70 for it a year ago. plays blu-rays fine for me)
DISH for TV viewing

I'm new to Ascend as of July 2016. Will likely upgrade my receiver or sub next. The receiver only has Audyssey 2EQ, which sucks. Other than that the receiver is adequate. The sub is decent, but I'm in a room open to the kitchen and foyer. I need something with more output. Would like to upgrade TV after that. Picture is still really good for 1080P or less content, but want a bigger display. Sit about 9 feet away. After that, the surrounds. At some point I may upgrade my 1's to 2's. :)

[davidwb]

Stereo only:
Sierra Towers w/ RAAL tweeter (satin dark cherry)
Emotiva A-300 power amplifier
Apt-Holman pre-amplifier
Technics SL1200 turntable (w/ Audio-Technica AT120eb cartridge)
Pioneer Elite DV-47Ai DVD player (for DVD-As, SACDs, and CDs)
Definitive Technology W Adapt (for audio streaming)
Velodyne Servo F1200 subwoofer (probably soon to be replaced)
Denon TU-850 tuner (still better than the digital tuners of today!)
Cambridge Audio DacMagic 100


An interesting mix of today and yesterday!

[theophile]

See my Signature.

Next upgrade...not sure. This 2.1 music room is very accurate and well, Musical! ;)

Tried and returned the S2's (:confused:) after comparing them to My S1 Nrt's in My listening room. Maybe I may spring for the Luna's with their RAAL and smaller, less reflective cabinet format (yielding wider vertical dispersion and more open midrange?)!

Dave, do you believe this might work well for me?

Ted

[amnesia0287]

I'm running:

- 2x RAAL Tower for Mains
- 2x Sierra-2s in old Gloss Expresso cabinets for surrounds (soon to be swapped into custom white cabinets)
- 4x Pioneer Atmos modules (these need to be upgraded)
- 2x Funk Audio 18.0c subwoofers
- Denon x6300h
- LG 65C6
- OPPO 203
- Xbox One S

I was thinking of adding a custom slim horizon next, but once I got the subs I've started thinking I may want to replace the towers with some sort of bookshelves just for the sake of space and aesthetics. I'm very currious to see what comes of that diamond tweeter Dave is playing with. What I'd really love is a speaker as capable in the upper registers without all the extra size and cabinet volume needed to handle the lower ones as the Funks can handle all of that with ease.

Also considering adding a JL CR-1 just to see how much better integrated they could be.

[crazycuz2k]

I have 2 Ascend Systems:

HT:
Sierra-1 NrT's in Satin Expresso
Paradigm CC-370v3 Center
Paradigm CC-390v2 Dippole Surrounds
Paradigm PS-1000v3 Subwoofer
Marantz SR6004 Receiver (soon to be replaced by Emotiva MC-700)
Emotiva UPA-5
Vizio P65-C1
Oppo 203 4K Universal Player
Apple TV gen4/FireTV 4k

Wish List: Upgrade center to Sierra Horizon RAAL/sub to dual Rythmik FV15HP

Bedroom:
Sierra-2 Satin Cherry
Marantz TT-151S Turntable
Logitech Squeezebox Touch
PS Audio Trio C-100 Integrated Amplifier
PS Audio GCPH Phono Preamplifier
PS Audio Digital Link III DAC
PS Audio GCHA Headphone Amplifier
PS Audio UPC 200 Power Center
Oppo 103D Universal Player
Headphones: Denon AH-D5000, HiFiMAN HE400S
Rythmik F12 Sub

Wish List: Room Treatments

[goldark]

Nice systems! Any reason why you went with the Paradigm center instead of a matching Sierra center? How do they mesh with each other?

[crazycuz2k]

Nice systems! Any reason why you went with the Paradigm center instead of a matching Sierra center? How do they mesh with each other?

I replaced my tower speakers (Paradigm Monitor 9's) with the Sierra'1 because they were taking up too much space and I finally blew the midwoofer. The Paradigm's are 10+ years old. They actually blend pretty well but that's why I want to the upgrade the center to a Horizon RAAL, I love the clarity and precision of the RAAL and that's what's needed in dialog in movies.

[bkdc]

All audio files are digitized. I don't believe in the snake-oil belief that FLAC sounds better than high quality MP3 even on the most expensive equipment or that high res 24-bit/192kHz files sound better than redbook CD. The most important factor in high quality audio is the original mastering. You cannot revive a 1980 recording with 24/192 treatment and expect it to sound better. Crap in, crap out. I use LAME encoder at V2 (APS) setting for transparent quality MP3 audio played on either Foobar or JRiver

Oppo UDP-203 plays any CD, SACD, or Blu-Ray audio, output via HDMI
Marantz AV8802a is my Digital Audio Convertor
Home made monoblock amplifiers with Anaview AMS1000 modules (600W RMS at 8ohms each channel)
Close attention to acoustic treatments of the room (rug/carpet) and wall treatments.

I have absolutely no plans to upgrade. If I move into a larger space, I would be tempted to install high quality satellites at the ceiling for DTS:X or Dolby Atmos.

[goldark]

All audio files are digitized. I don't believe in the snake-oil belief that FLAC sounds better than high quality MP3 even on the most expensive equipment or that high res 24-bit/192kHz files sound better than redbook CD. The most important factor in high quality audio is the original mastering. You cannot revive a 1980 recording with 24/192 treatment and expect it to sound better. Crap in, crap out. I use LAME encoder at V2 (APS) setting for transparent quality MP3 audio played on either Foobar or JRiver

Oppo UDP-203 plays any CD, SACD, or Blu-Ray audio, output via HDMI
Marantz AV8802a is my Digital Audio Convertor
Home made monoblock amplifiers with Anaview AMS1000 modules (600W RMS at 8ohms each channel)
Close attention to acoustic treatments of the room (rug/carpet) and wall treatments.

I have absolutely no plans to upgrade. If I move into a larger space, I would be tempted to install high quality satellites at the ceiling for DTS:X or Dolby Atmos.

Nice equipment! What do you use as your display? Do you have a projector?

[eyecatcher]

Ascend Sierra Towers RAAL | Ascend Sierra Horizon RAAL | Ascend HTM-200SE | Rythmik F15HP | Anthem MRX-520 | Schiit Modi Multibit | Meridian Explorer DAC | NEC PX-50XR5A |Sony PS3 | LibreELEC Chromebox | Roku 3 | Pioneer DV-588 SACD | MacbookPro 15" | Tidal | Spotify | Pandora | Decibel | Foobar | CalMAN HomeTheater | CalMAN C3 | HCFR | i1Display2 | MobileForge | REW | Cross Spectrum calibrated UMIK-1 microphone | Audio Quest, Monoprice and Blue Jeans Cables | Herbie's Audio, SVS Sound Path and Auralex Isolation | Logitech Harmony Remote | recently retired: MRX310, Sherwood Newcastle R972, Onkyo 3008, Yamaha 667, Outlaw 7125, B&K AV6000, Oppo 981HD SVS PB13Ultra & SCS/SBS

I just added the Schiit Multibit about two weeks ago and I'm very pleased with their sound. I use it via spdif coax&toslink with cd's via the Pioneer and my Macbook stream. The result is much more musical and organic sounding imho. It actually peaked my interest in the new Schiit Freya pre and Vidar amp so possibly a dedicated 2 channel setup may be in order. And I really did enjoy the Sierra 2's I evaluated. However, my next few purchases would be a X-Rite i1Display Pro because I love audio and video calibration, potentially a larger home with dedicated room, a second Rythmik F15HP or F18HP, a 4K TV to replace my Plasma.

[Wadia171i]

Nice equipment! What do you use as your display? Do you have a projector?

Really I have never heard MP3 sound as good as cd which is what you are saying. On my system MP3 is compressed and dry sounding. No top end it is totally aweful I mean I can hear the difference night and day. Wish it did sound better I would just pay for Spotify and be done with it. I can hear the difference on my Riva Turbo X Bluetooth speaker MP3 is aweful for critical listening IMHO

[mikesiskav]

It probably depends on the bit-rate. 128 sounds pretty bad. At 320, it would be more difficult to distinguish from CD or FLAC.

[Wadia171i]

It probably depends on the bit-rate. 128 sounds pretty bad. At 320, it would be more difficult to distinguish from CD or FLAC.
Never had a problem distinguishing from the two. Ever

[mikesiskav]

Never had a problem distinguishing from the two. Ever

Well I guess my hearing isn't as good as yours. That being said, I store all my music as FLAC just to be on the safe side.

[Wadia171i]

Well I guess my hearing isn't as good as yours. That being said, I store all my music as FLAC just to be on the safe side.
I use Tidal Hifi and Audirvana and play records. Shop half price books and used record stores some of my best records cost 99 cents. Just the other day found and original pressing On prestige label Coltrane Bajia sound fabulous 10 bucks they had no idea what it was worth. . Tired of using stored music only have about10 thousand songs getting old listening to the same old thing.

[sludgeogre]

All audio files are digitized. I don't believe in the snake-oil belief that FLAC sounds better than high quality MP3 even on the most expensive equipment or that high res 24-bit/192kHz files sound better than redbook CD. The most important factor in high quality audio is the original mastering. You cannot revive a 1980 recording with 24/192 treatment and expect it to sound better. Crap in, crap out. I use LAME encoder at V2 (APS) setting for transparent quality MP3 audio played on either Foobar or JRiver.

This is an oversimplification. FLAC is just file compression, whereas MP3 is hacking out actual sound. The brickwall filtering and other things it does will degrade dynamic range and frequency response. At 320 kbps, though, it's not very noticeable, except on extremely high quality recordings with high dynamic range you can lose some usable information, so it is true that mixing and mastering is the ultimate important factor. If that's not right it doesn't matter how you compress it, it'll still suck. I have really high quality versions from Steven Wilson, though, where he is giving you the 24/96 file that came right out of his mixing console. He does flat mastering, so everything just gets done right in recording and mixing. I swear there is a difference in the clarity. I bought KISS and a few other things in high res that were absolutely terrible, zero difference, and many labels are actually just up-resing their 16/44.1 to 24/96, which is again completely and utterly pointless. Quite a mixed bag.

[davef]

This is an oversimplification. FLAC is just file compression, whereas MP3 is hacking out actual sound. The brickwall filtering and other things it does will degrade dynamic range and frequency response. At 320 kbps, though, it's not very noticeable, except on extremely high quality recordings with high dynamic range you can lose some usable information, so it is true that mixing and mastering is the ultimate important factor. If that's not right it doesn't matter how you compress it, it'll still suck. I have really high quality versions from Steven Wilson, though, where he is giving you the 24/96 file that came right out of his mixing console. He does flat mastering, so everything just gets done right in recording and mixing. I swear there is a difference in the clarity. I bought KISS and a few other things in high res that were absolutely terrible, zero difference, and many labels are actually just up-resing their 16/44.1 to 24/96, which is again completely and utterly pointless. Quite a mixed bag.

Not only am I huge fan of Steven Wilson's work - I absolutely love the fact that he includes the high res studio versions with his CD's. I hope more musicians follow his lead....

[sludgeogre]

Not only am I huge fan of Steven Wilson's work - I absolutely love the fact that he includes the high res studio versions with his CD's. I hope more musicians follow his lead....

I hope so as well. A couple of the best concerts I went to were Porcupine Tree shows. What an incredible performer, as well as his drummer, that guy was nuts.

You should check out his remix of Tears for Fears that is on HD Tracks. He really opens up the detail and dynamics in that old album. Really enjoyed it. It also comes with the original mix so you can hear the differences. I ended up just deleting the original album and keeping his versions. I hope that he gets to do some more remixing/mastering soon. He's probably the most brilliant mind in music. No one else can write, perform, and record like he can.

[mikesiskav]

I use Tidal Hifi and Audirvana and play records. Shop half price books and used record stores some of my best records cost 99 cents. Just the other day found and original pressing On prestige label Coltrane Bajia sound fabulous 10 bucks they had no idea what it was worth. . Tired of using stored music only have about10 thousand songs getting old listening to the same old thing.

There's plenty of new and old music available to download in FLAC. No need to be stuck listening to the same stuff over and over again.

[Jhnsmj]

You should check out his remix of Tears for Fears that is on HD Tracks. He really opens up the detail and dynamics in that old album. Really enjoyed it. It also comes with the original mix so you can hear the differences. I ended up just deleting the original album and keeping his versions. I hope that he gets to do some more remixing/mastering soon. ....

He's done quite a few remix/master projects. I've really been enjoying some of his King Crimson, Yes, and Gentle Giant surround mixes.

[sludgeogre]

He's done quite a few remix/master projects. I've really been enjoying some of his King Crimson, Yes, and Gentle Giant surround mixes.

Where can you get those King Crimson remixes? He did those years ago for a CD release, but I can't find a digital release anywhere!

[Jhnsmj]

Sorry, I only know of the discs. Surround mixes are on dvd and blu-ray.

[enricoclaudio]

Where can you get those King Crimson remixes? He did those years ago for a CD release, but I can't find a digital release anywhere!

https://www.dgmlive.com (FLAC)

[Wadia171i]

I hope so as well. A couple of the best concerts I went to were Porcupine Tree shows. What an incredible performer, as well as his drummer, that guy was nuts.

You should check out his remix of Tears for Fears that is on HD Tracks. He really opens up the detail and dynamics in that old album. Really enjoyed it. It also comes with the original mix so you can hear the differences. I ended up just deleting the original album and keeping his versions. I hope that he gets to do some more remixing/mastering soon. He's probably the most brilliant mind in music. No one else can write, perform, and record like he can.
Wow a Porcupine Tree fan! I can't believe how many people I've turned on to tree. One of the best rock bands period. Great songs well recorded. Have you seen the video on YouTube of the Hatesong incredible drumming. Damn what a great band.

[justthinking]

Music Only Setup

Sierra Tower w/ RAAL in Satin Espresso
SVS SB13 Ultra Subwoofer
Marantz SA-KI-PEARL SACD Player
Sony HAP-Z1ES Network Audio Player/Music Server
Mapletree Line 2C RM Tube Preamp
Parasound Halo A21 Power Amp
ATS Bass Traps and Acoustic Panels

[bkdc]

Really I have never heard MP3 sound as good as cd which is what you are saying. On my system MP3 is compressed and dry sounding. No top end it is totally aweful I mean I can hear the difference night and day. Wish it did sound better I would just pay for Spotify and be done with it. I can hear the difference on my Riva Turbo X Bluetooth speaker MP3 is aweful for critical listening IMHO

The human memory and ears are so fallible. The only way to be sure is to do an ABX test. Use a high quality playback program like foobar2000 to do a blinded ABX comparator test and prove to yourself that you can hear the difference. Unless you've done so, you cannot claim to hear the difference as the human auditory memory is fallible. The normal human ear cannot tell the differences in the high quality sound compression. Yes, I am insisting that an MP3 encoded in a high quality way (using LAME encoder at V0, V1, or V2 variable bit setting) is indistinguishable from the CD to almost anyone on a reference system. The only way to prove it to yourself is to perform an ABX comparator test between the FLAC file and the MP3. Crappy MP3s don't count. You need to encode it yourself with an error-free rip from a CD (using Exact Audio Copy) and LAME encoder... not relying on automated encoders from some other third party program.

If you have excellent or "golden ears", you won't be listening to the music per se, but various subtle distortions in parts of the track that might sound different. Most files will are indistinguishable, but there is a rare bird once in a while that is easy to ABX because some portion of the track cause an obvious echo or distortion under compression. To my ears, LAME V2 setting is transparent on probably 99% of audio tracks (not distinguishable from FLAC) on reference headphones. I may have average ears. And by the time we're 40 years old, almost all of us have lost some amount of hearing. And 50? Hmmm..... even an experienced sound engineer who can claim that he can hear differences because he will have hearing loss on audiometric testing. There are many "golden ears" out there with an uncanny ability to discriminate subtle sound details. But in general, audiophiles consistently overestimate their own ability. I remember one especially picky audiophile in my office who had mild sloping to profound sensorineural hearing loss but still insisted on paying tens of thousands of dollars for speakers. Maybe his marked hearing loss allowed him to focus on low frequency distortions that might otherwise not have been audible to normal ears.

https://hydrogenaud.io/index.php/topic,16295.0.html

http://www.chrismyden.com/bestmp3guide.php

[Wadia171i]

The human memory and ears are so fallible. The only way to be sure is to do an ABX test. Use a high quality playback program like foobar2000 to do a blinded ABX comparator test and prove to yourself that you can hear the difference. Unless you've done so, you cannot claim to hear the difference as the human auditory memory is fallible. The normal human ear cannot tell the differences in the high quality sound compression. Yes, I am insisting that an MP3 encoded in a high quality way (using LAME encoder at V0, V1, or V2 variable bit setting) is indistinguishable from the CD to almost anyone on a reference system. The only way to prove it to yourself is to perform an ABX comparator test between the FLAC file and the MP3. Crappy MP3s don't count. You need to encode it yourself with an error-free rip from a CD (using Exact Audio Copy) and LAME encoder... not relying on automated encoders from some other third party program.

If you have excellent or "golden ears", you won't be listening to the music per se, but various subtle distortions in parts of the track that might sound different. Most files will are indistinguishable, but there is a rare bird once in a while that is easy to ABX because some portion of the track cause an obvious echo or distortion under compression. To my ears, LAME V2 setting is transparent on probably 99% of audio tracks (not distinguishable from FLAC) on reference headphones. I may have average ears. And by the time we're 40 years old, almost all of us have lost some amount of hearing. And 50? Hmmm..... even an experienced sound engineer who can claim that he can hear differences because he will have hearing loss on audiometric testing. There are many "golden ears" out there with an uncanny ability to discriminate subtle sound details. But in general, audiophiles consistently overestimate their own ability. I remember one especially picky audiophile in my office who had mild sloping to profound sensorineural hearing loss but still insisted on paying tens of thousands of dollars for speakers. Maybe his marked hearing loss allowed him to focus on low frequency distortions that might otherwise not have been audible to normal ears.

https://hydrogenaud.io/index.php/topic,16295.0.html

http://www.chrismyden.com/bestmp3guide.php
Interesting I'm not saying I have ge I will do the test sounds like fun. I guess most of the MP3 I've heard is third party rubbish. I'll give it a shot. I've always said I don't care how it was done just want it to be involving and sound good. I have some Orleans that actually sounds good on MP3

[racrawford65]

Mixed Music / 5.1 Home Theater system
Sierra 2's LCR
Rythmik E15HP
Def Tech bipolar surrounds
Anthem MRX510
Emotiva UPA7
Amazon FireTV
Oppo 103D
VPI Classic 1 with Soundsmith Carmen
Manley Chinook phono pre-pro
XBOX 360
LG OLED 65E6P

Slowly upgrading to 4K / Atmos.. next step is probably the Oppo 203,