Loseless audio formats at home

First, lets clarify the basics: Lossless data compression is a class of data compression algorithms that allows the exact original data to be reconstructed from the compressed data. The term lossless is in contrast to lossy data compression, which only allows an approximation of the original data to be reconstructed, in exchange for better compression rates.

Lossless compression is used in cases where it is important that the original and the decompressed data be identical, or where deviations from the original data could be deleterious.

• MP3 and AAC (=the fruit company) are lossy compression. 
• FLAC and APE are generally used loseless formats.

Be aware, that some cheapest media players and also mobile phones cant play these formats. APE is supported by only few media players, so be aware!

Usually FLAC-s are ripped from CD-s at 12bit/44kHz resolution. Some FLAC-s are HD audio capable 24bit 48 kHz, 96 kHz or even higher definition. This is also too much for some players.

AIFF is widely used uncompressed high-quality sound format widely used in Apple world, but is not supported in any media player I know and had.

Last, but not least - good (= high bit rate) MP3 is generally more than enough for enthusiastic listening. High bitrate means generally 160, 192 or 320 kbps.

My recommendation: If You are leaning towards to audiophile listening and are enthusiastic to play studio master quality stuff, choose Your media player (or transport / DAC) wisely. It should support APE, FLAC and at least 24/96 D/A conversion.

Xbox 360 connected!

Today I connected new Xbox 360 to my Media Server via wireless adapter. I was absolutely positively surprised. Setup was quick and easy. Just enter WAP key, select server connected and bingo! I also tester wired setup, what was even easier. Just plug and play!

I have 42" Hitatchi 1080i HD plasma and my Xbox is connected to that via HD Component cable. It allows to exploit full 1080i capability of my plasma. A tad confusing is digital audio connection. You have to buy separate optical cable and it connect to the Xbox-end of the cable!

Xbox 360 functionality as media player:

- Plays music: Yes, MP3 and WMA

- Shows digital photos: Yes, at 1080i HD resolution!

- Streams video's from UPnP media server (TwonkyMedia): NO (plays only from Xbox Hard Disk)

Pro's:

- Very good graphical interface

- Super visualization during music playback

- Very good quality in photo slideshow, shows also large 10 Mpix JPG photos >3 MB size

- Very quick srolling in the lists (artists, folders, albums, etc..)

Con's

- Doesn't stream videos from 3.-rd party media server (TwonkyMedia)

- Doesn't support all sorting/grouping features of TwonkyMedia UPnP server. You have to scroll through all 300 artists + 400 composers, to find one. No useful index feature, TwonkyMedia provides.

- Messes up all artists and compusers. Xbox combines artists with composers, producing 800-artist long list, instead of true 300 artists. Not standard UPnP behaviour

Conclusion: Very powerful and aesthetical graphics and fast CPU raises Xbox to very high level among other media playesr, pitty not streaming videos.

Best players, on the paper

Information about media players is so scattered. You have to work all day long in very specific forums and make elaborate web searches to get some overview about new UPnP media players.
If I had to buy few media players, then here are my choices:

TOP 5 Living-room / home cinema

For use with HD LCD or plasma. They all comply my minimum requirements:

• High Definition (HD 1080)
• Play's music, photos and videos
• Component output for HD
• HDMI output
• UPnP compliant

D-link DSM-520 http://www.dlink.com/products/?pid=438
Pixel Magic HD MediaBox http://www.pixelmagicsystems.com/products/media_players/hd_mediabox.htm
NeoDigits Helios X5000 or X3000 http://www.neodigits.com/
NetGear EVA8000 http://www.netgear.com/Products/Entertainment/DigitalMediaPlayers.aspx
Kiss DP-600 http://www.kiss-technology.com/?p=600en

Bedroom
Requirements for bedroom are:

• WiFi built in
• 1 box design, speakers included
• Easy, to use
• Built-in LCD screen
• UPnP compliant

Philips Streamium WAK3300; WAS7000; WAS700
Pinnacle SoundBridge Radio
Acoustic Energy WiFi Internet Radio

Ripping in My Mind

Today I did some more ripping.

Ripping (also referred to as digital audio extraction) is the process of copying the audio or video data from one media form, such as Digital Versatile Disc (DVD) or Compact Disc (CD), to a hard disk (definition from Wikipedia).

My objective was to understand difference between WMA Variable and MP3 320 Kbit/s encodings. They both are my vavourite because they meet hi quality listening needs and still they both are compatible with most of equipment available.

MY test album was Denon's high fidelity demo CD, containing 11 tracks from Beethoven to Bruckner. Demanding stuff! Symphony finales and Piano contserts.

My surprise was quite big, then MP3 320 gave 23% bigger file than WMA Variable. I assumed, that encoder should choose very high bitrates because of nature of music.

• MP3 320 Kbp/s: 162 MBytes album size;
• WMA Variable: 132 MBytes album size.

Ichecked real compression levels of WMA Variable:

• Track 2 Ludwig van Beethoven, Egmont overture
  341 Kbit/s
  
• Track 4 Ludwig van Beethoven, Symphonie nr 7, Presto
  325 Kbit/s
  
• Track 10 Anton Bruckner, Symphonie Nr 6, Finale
  317 Kbit/s

So, no real differene in compression, WMA variabl is just more effective than MP3. I didn't hear any difference in sound, listening tracks after each other. I know, that A-B-X blind test is more objective, but I dont have equipment at my home for that.

I didn't make any fundamental conclusion. I keep ripping using WMA Variable, as I used to do earlier.

My 0,03 cents

What is the best and most rational compression method, ripping Your CD-s? To understand it better, I ripped one jazz album, containing 9 tracks of hi quality jazz tunes. I ripped it in 5 diccerent modes, using only good quality setting and skipping crappy ones. My Windows Media Player 11 compressions were:

WMA Loseless (about 250 MB) Not supported by most DMR's!

WMA Variable (about 90 MB) Ennuste recommends!

MP3 320 (about 90 MB) Ennuste recommends!

WMA Pro (about 55 MB) Not supported by most DMR's!

WMA 192 (about 55 MB)

MP3 192 (about 55 MB)

Loseless WMA produces about 5 times bigger file than 192 kbit/s compression. Widespread media receivers don't play Loseless. Usually they are limited to MP3 320 kbit per second rate.

My 0.02 cents

Use WMA Variable or MP3 320 kbit/s compression. You may not forgive yourself in the future, that compressed the music too economically. Lets bare in mind that original CD has 1411 mbit/s bitrate. You lose 66% disk space, using higher bitrate, but result transparent.

There is big quality difference between encoders, not all are created equal in this world. Crappy encoders show high bitrates, but result is not transparent. Use only well-known quality tools!

Economics

One CD album occupies about 90 MByte of hard disk, using hi quality 320 kbit/s encoding. What is the cost of this space?

WD Caviar SE16 250GB Hard Drive (Serial ATA II, 7,200RPM, 16MB - MPN: WD2500KS)
Price Range: $71.99 - $131.00, typically around $80.00. One HD can hold 2500 CD albums, so:

Cost of ONE CD on the hard disk = 0,03 cents