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Re: 4 Pi Home Theater Build [message #70234 is a reply to message #70224] Mon, 21 November 2011 06:56 Go to previous messageGo to next message
petew is currently offline  petew
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Registered: June 2011
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You might be able to transcode your .wav files to another lossless format. Save the hassle of re-ripping everything.
Re: 4 Pi Home Theater Build [message #70252 is a reply to message #70234] Tue, 22 November 2011 18:09 Go to previous messageGo to next message
NWCgrad is currently offline  NWCgrad
Messages: 143
Registered: March 2010
Location: Frederick, United States ...
Master
petew wrote on Mon, 21 November 2011 06:56
You might be able to transcode your .wav files to another lossless format. Save the hassle of re-ripping everything.


I was able to transcode all the .wav files to AIFF. Now I must re-import them into iTunes. I also have backup copies of all the songs in both formats (I only have about 6,000 songs and a lot of harddrive space).

Looks like my next audio adventure will be trying to replicate the Bryston BDP-1's (digital player that plays files from an attached harddrive) sound quality for far less cash. The Auraliti PK100 provides automatic bit perfect playback of music from 16/44.1 kHz through 24/192 kHz and costs less than $800. My brother is a computer wonk, so hopefully he can build me one for less that uses the same or better components.

Aside, listened to some old Audioquest CD's last night and they sounded excellent. To bad all CD's don't sound that good.


VIRIBUS MARI VICTORIA
Re: 4 Pi Home Theater Build [message #70276 is a reply to message #67585] Thu, 24 November 2011 22:06 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Psychoacoustic is currently offline  Psychoacoustic
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Wonder how long it will be until you get the itch to try the 7Pi? Only two drivers and a mid-horn flat pack away...
Re: 4 Pi Home Theater Build [message #70277 is a reply to message #70276] Thu, 24 November 2011 23:44 Go to previous messageGo to next message
NWCgrad is currently offline  NWCgrad
Messages: 143
Registered: March 2010
Location: Frederick, United States ...
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Psychoacoustic wrote on Thu, 24 November 2011 22:06
Wonder how long it will be until you get the itch to try the 7Pi? Only two drivers and a mid-horn flat pack away...


I guess about as long as it takes to get an appropriate room. As soon as I get the proper layout, the 4 Pi boxes will be firewood and I will build 7 Pi's. That's the problem with DIY, it never ends....... Laughing

Yesterday I hooked up a Win7-based laptop to my onkyo 805 receiver (which has BurrBrown 24bit/192kHz DACs per channel) via a Behringer U-control UCA202 USB/Audio Interface (converts digital from the USB to toslink to run into the receivers DACs). Playing AIFF via iTunes sounds as good or better than the CDs they were ripped from, I think this digital player thing may catch on! If only I had the cash for the Bryston.

Since the internet is so hinky in Cambodia I do not have the laptop running iTunes connected to the internet, makes it a pain to add music as I have to move the HDD to my networked computer. My next quest is maximizing my computer setup, without spending much $$$.


VIRIBUS MARI VICTORIA
Re: 4 Pi Home Theater Build [message #70292 is a reply to message #70277] Fri, 25 November 2011 13:13 Go to previous messageGo to next message
skywave-rider is currently offline  skywave-rider
Messages: 104
Registered: May 2009
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At home I haven't played a CD for quite a while. Using iTunes and ripped all my CDs to either AIFF or Apple Lossless. Itunes is very good for this, and it's free. : )

I use another drive for backup of my library via Carbon Copy Cloner, which does it automatically whenever I power up my b-u drive.

I found out, as you did, that Wave files don't hold metadata like artwork, so it's either AIFF or Apple Lossless for me. I go AIFF for material I might want to edit (I work in the sound field) and Lossless for music I will only want to listen to. I do that because I can directly edit AIFF files in other programs. The lossless stuff would have to be converted. However, Apple lossless saves a little bit of HD space.

I only use my iPod when traveling. So the option to convert to 128kbit AAC for the iPod only is fine for me. I can then leave my library uncompressed.

I do download some music online from iTunes or Amazon when I can't wait for a CD to be delivered. Sometimes there is no CD option. : )

I also listen to some internet radio stations via iTunes.

Re: 4 Pi Home Theater Build [message #73137 is a reply to message #67585] Tue, 26 June 2012 09:25 Go to previous messageGo to next message
NWCgrad is currently offline  NWCgrad
Messages: 143
Registered: March 2010
Location: Frederick, United States ...
Master
Finally got around to measuring my 4 Pi speakers and two modified 3 Pi flanking subs (using REW and Dayton EMM-6 electret condenser microphone). Speakers were measured at my listening position, average of 8 measurements. Room is nearly perfect cube which isn't optimal.

Not an expert, but the response looks okay...index.php?t=getfile&id=802&private=0
  • Attachment: Capture.JPG
    (Size: 37.51KB, Downloaded 8323 times)


VIRIBUS MARI VICTORIA
Re: 4 Pi Home Theater Build [message #73138 is a reply to message #73137] Tue, 26 June 2012 10:32 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Wayne Parham is currently offline  Wayne Parham
Messages: 18670
Registered: January 2001
Illuminati (33rd Degree)

That looks good from 100Hz up, which tells me the flanking subs are setup correctly. I do think you might benefit from adding one or two more distant subs to smooth the lowest modes. You could fill in that 60Hz notch, for example. That would make the 40-50Hz region sound less pronounced, because the bass would be more uniform, overall.

You'll notice the difference between the peaks and valleys below 100Hz is around 15dB. This is typical of room modes that aren't well damped. The peaks and dips above 100Hz would also be this large without your flanking subs filling them in. The flanking subs reduce the ripple by about half. Add another sub or two placed further away and you can expect the same sort of smoothing below 100Hz as the flanking subs provide above 100Hz.

Re: 4 Pi Home Theater Build [message #73140 is a reply to message #70252] Tue, 26 June 2012 14:52 Go to previous messageGo to next message
blacklabel0730 is currently offline  blacklabel0730
Messages: 27
Registered: May 2012
Location: United States
Chancellor
Check out http://www.foobar2000.org/ It will play any format. It is free, and uses very little memory to run. I switch between that and windows media player. The updated version really does a good job.

I am running http://www.asus.com/Multimedia/Audio_Cards/Xonar_Essence_STX/
for my sound card with RCA cables straight from my PC to my pre-amp and play mostly .flac files. It is slightly compressed but the sound quality is very impressive.

Not sure if that helps you at all, but good luck.

Re: 4 Pi Home Theater Build [message #73216 is a reply to message #73138] Fri, 06 July 2012 12:32 Go to previous messageGo to next message
NWCgrad is currently offline  NWCgrad
Messages: 143
Registered: March 2010
Location: Frederick, United States ...
Master
Wayne Parham wrote on Tue, 26 June 2012 10:32

That looks good from 100Hz up, which tells me the flanking subs are setup correctly. I do think you might benefit from adding one or two more distant subs to smooth the lowest modes. You could fill in that 60Hz notch, for example. That would make the 40-50Hz region sound less pronounced, because the bass would be more uniform, overall.

You'll notice the difference between the peaks and valleys below 100Hz is around 15dB. This is typical of room modes that aren't well damped. The peaks and dips above 100Hz would also be this large without your flanking subs filling them in. The flanking subs reduce the ripple by about half. Add another sub or two placed further away and you can expect the same sort of smoothing below 100Hz as the flanking subs provide above 100Hz.




One or two more subs, do I look like a sub junkie to you!

Okay, maybe I could become one. When I return to the US (nearly 1 year complete, 1 more to go) I am thinking about building true 3 Pi sub enclosures (vice 16" sealed cubes) for my flanking subs (set to the outside of the 4 Pi's), a JBL STX828S sub (dual 18" 2242 H drivers, 37 Hz 120 Hz +/- 3 dB), and a DIY 18" LLT (large, low tune) sub tuned to 11 Hz for the bottom (models at >110 dB at 10 Hz, 1200 W input, slightly under Xmax).

index.php?t=getfile&id=809&private=0

With proper distribution this combination should address the room modes and be flat from below 20 Hz to LPF.

If not, I could always add more


VIRIBUS MARI VICTORIA
Re: 4 Pi Home Theater Build [message #73217 is a reply to message #73140] Fri, 06 July 2012 12:36 Go to previous messageGo to previous message
NWCgrad is currently offline  NWCgrad
Messages: 143
Registered: March 2010
Location: Frederick, United States ...
Master
blacklabel0730 wrote on Tue, 26 June 2012 14:52
Check out http://www.foobar2000.org/ It will play any format. It is free, and uses very little memory to run. I switch between that and windows media player. The updated version really does a good job.

I am running http://www.asus.com/Multimedia/Audio_Cards/Xonar_Essence_STX/
for my sound card with RCA cables straight from my PC to my pre-amp and play mostly .flac files. It is slightly compressed but the sound quality is very impressive.

Not sure if that helps you at all, but good luck.




Thanks I will give it a shot. I ordered the Audioengine W-3 wireless transmitter (cd quality DAC, not high res) to send from my computer to the stereo without using the internet (which is not so good here in Cambodia) or wires (which are fine here, but I don't want them running across the room).


VIRIBUS MARI VICTORIA
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