Ripping/Quality of music HEEEELP

[Oggy]

Re: Ripping/Quality of music HEEEELP

Jriver is/was the only source I was using when the speakers blew. I have hooked up my record player two weeks ago. It is hooked directly to the Rotel pre-amp. I really notice a cleaner sound. Currently I am at 75 hours towards 100 hours of break-in per Bowers and Wilkens tech support recommendation. Jriver has total control of the soundcard. Jriver audio device options: 1.Default audio device (direct sound) 2. Asio4all (Asio) 3. Creative SBZ Series (Asio) 4. Rotel audio Asio driver (Asio) 5. Sound Blaster ZxR (WASAP), Number 5 is selected. Other options Kernel streaming, sound blaster ZxR (direct sound), and Null output. Jriver Audio-selected:open divice for exclusive access and maximize divice volume during playback. Seriously considering the Rotel or price equivalent DAC.

Hi MadFish,

I am a big vinyl fan, but to "really notice a cleaner sound", over a lossless CD rip, something is substandard, somewhere in the digital playback chain, and it's not the AIFF rips.

Your Rotel preamp, has a good quality AKM DAC, built in, so you could connect your Soundblaster card via the Toslink, optical output. You may well already have a Toslink, optical cable, but they are not expensive.

[mville]

Re: Ripping/Quality of music HEEEELP

Jriver is/was the only source I was using when the speakers blew. I have hooked up my record player two weeks ago. It is hooked directly to the Rotel pre-amp. I really notice a cleaner sound.

You may well hear better sound if you have a very high-end turntable, but I still suspect an issue with the JRiver and soundcard setup.

I am not a JRiver user, so right now, I think you would be wise to post on the JRiver forums and get some feedback on the optimum setup for your soundcard and JRiver.

Seriously considering the Rotel or price equivalent DAC.

Before you spend any cash, I would try connecting the soundcard optical digital outputs to the Rotel RC-1590 optical digital inputs.

[MadFish]

Re: Ripping/Quality of music HEEEELP

Jriver is/was the only source I was using when the speakers blew. I have hooked up my record player two weeks ago. It is hooked directly to the Rotel pre-amp. I really notice a cleaner sound. Currently I am at 75 hours towards 100 hours of break-in per Bowers and Wilkens tech support recommendation. Jriver has total control of the soundcard. Jriver audio device options: 1.Default audio device (direct sound) 2. Asio4all (Asio) 3. Creative SBZ Series (Asio) 4. Rotel audio Asio driver (Asio) 5. Sound Blaster ZxR (WASAP), Number 5 is selected. Other options Kernel streaming, sound blaster ZxR (direct sound), and Null output. Jriver Audio-selected:open divice for exclusive access and maximize divice volume during playback. Seriously considering the Rotel or price equivalent DAC.

[Oggy]

Re: Ripping/Quality of music HEEEELP

If you had a CD player connected and you were to play CDs and not the JRiver at you preferred (loud) listening level and you still blow the speakers, then it is likely that the level is way too loud.

If you are able to play CDs and you don't blow the speakers, then it is likely you have a problem with the JRiver/Soundcard setup...

Agree on this, even borrowing a budget CD player, either straight into an analogue input, or digital out, into the Rotel, DAC, you are bypassing a potential degradation in sound.

Certainly have no issue, playing AIFF files, in preference to CD, but, you do really need to improve the signal, into the pre-amp.

mville's suggestion, will cost under a fiver to try, you will get a sonic improvement, and may reduce the tendancy, to blow, drive units.

[ForSerious]

Re: Ripping/Quality of music HEEEELP

Is stereotool used as a realtime audio dsp plugin to your player software?

It has the option to filter all audio output from your PC in real-time or there is a command line program that will create a processed wav file.
It took me about 3 months of off-and-on fiddling with the settings to get what I think sounds best. The beauty of it is, if there is not clipping in the song, it changes nothing.

I'm not suggesting this as a great option, more just to bring up the fact that most modern music is clipped.

[mville]

Re: Ripping/Quality of music HEEEELP

I currently don't own a cd player. Your thoughts there?

First of all, I'm not sure why you are reluctant to answer Q3, whether it is only the JRiver, playing your audio library, that blows your speakers?

I am going with the idea that the Rotel RC-1590, Rotel RB-1590 and B&W CM10's are all ok.

If you had a CD player connected and you were to play CDs and not the JRiver at you preferred (loud) listening level and you still blow the speakers, then it is likely that the level is way too loud.

If you are able to play CDs and you don't blow the speakers, then it is likely you have a problem with the JRiver/Soundcard setup, something Oggy has alluded to also.

Very interesting comment that I never considered that the soundcard could be distorting. I believe that the Rotel RC1590 has a digital to antilog converter or purchase a DAC

It concerns me slightly that you are not sure about windows audio exclusive mode. I suggest you google this and set the properties accordingly in the Sound Control Panel so that JRiver can take exclusive control of the soundcard.

Oggy also makes a good point regarding the Rotel DACs. You are currently using the soundcard analog outputs. I believe, the soundcard also has optical digital outputs, which you may want consider using.

[Oggy]

Re: Ripping/Quality of music HEEEELP

I currently don't own a cd player. Your thoughts there?
Very interesting comment that I never considered that the soundcard could be distorting. I believe that the Rotel RC1590 has a digital to antilog converter or purchase a DAC
When I listen to music I use my table to access Jriver. A copy of the library is stored in Jriver. Each time I purchase a new cd I rip it in dbpoweramp then import it into Jriver.
I put in another four hours towards my speaks last night. Tonight is LP, record night.
Bowers and Wilkens CM10's-brand new replacements as of early June.

Hi MadFish,

I've been watching this thread, and hope you can find a resolution for your blown drive units.

I was in Hi-Fi retail, for nearly 15 years, half of which I sold Rotel and B&W. Rotel equipment was always reliable, and if I replaced a dozen B&W drive units, in total, I'd be surprised. This isn't to say a manufacturer cannot have a bad batch, and multiple drive unit failures, but it tends to be mid / bass units rather than across the board.

I spoke to a dealer friend, and they said that they have had no problems with the Rotel, and minimal drive unit failure with B&W. "Enthusiastic" use at parties, being the normal cause of failure, usually after the tone controls have been adjusted fully clockwise!

The Rotel preamp, appears to be a very purist design, basically an analogue preamp, with digital inputs, but without sound processing. Nothing that is likely to cause issues, and the power amp has a reputation for being, bullet proof.

CDs ripped to AIFF, by dBpoweramp, would cause no problems, so as others have surmised, the most likely cause of the problems, is going to be the sound card, or pumping up certain frequencies, with the graphic equaliser, in JRiver Media Center.

A PC is an incredibly noisy environment for an analogue signal, especially with the very revealing amp and speakers. I believe you will get a better sound, if you use the DAC in the Rotel, using digital out, from the PC.

Please bear in mind, that I'm out of touch with recent Hi-Fi, and don't know your set up, but using an analogue output from a PC, is not supplying the signal your amps and speakers deserve - if I've understood your set up, correctly.

Good luck,

Oggy

[MadFish]

Re: Ripping/Quality of music HEEEELP

I currently don't own a cd player. Your thoughts there?
Very interesting comment that I never considered that the soundcard could be distorting. I believe that the Rotel RC1590 has a digital to antilog converter or purchase a DAC
When I listen to music I use my table to access Jriver. A copy of the library is stored in Jriver. Each time I purchase a new cd I rip it in dbpoweramp then import it into Jriver.
I put in another four hours towards my speaks last night. Tonight is LP, record night.
Bowers and Wilkens CM10's-brand new replacements as of early June.

[mville]

Re: Ripping/Quality of music HEEEELP

1-turn table

Do you have a CD player you could connect?

2-I believe that Jriver has control but not for sure. Not sure how to tell

This is fairly crucial. JRiver is playing your music (as you have stated, very loud). Any other audio may distort/clip/overload the soundcard and blow your speakers.

3-I use Jriver to control my library.

This answer makes no sense to the question I asked. Please can you answer appropriately?

4-Eight times over the last two years. One pair of CM9's six times for the CM10's
I talked to Bower and Wilkens tech service and they said that the speakers needed a minimum of 100 hours of break in. I currently have 70 hours over the last month in a half.

Yes, breaking in your speakers was something I had considered. What speakers are you currently using?

[MadFish]

Re: Ripping/Quality of music HEEEELP

1-turn table
2-I believe that Jriver has control but not for sure. Not sure how to tell
3-I use Jriver to control my library.
4-Eight times over the last two years. One pair of CM9's six times for the CM10's
I talked to Bower and Wilkens tech service and they said that the speakers needed a minimum of 100 hours of break in. I currently have 70 hours over the last month in a half.

[mville]

Re: Ripping/Quality of music HEEEELP

My solution for such recordings is a super expensive program called stereotool. It's really hard to figure out how to configure, but has the best declipper I've ever seen.

Is stereotool used as a realtime audio dsp plugin to your player software?

[mville]

Re: Ripping/Quality of music HEEEELP

To clarify, this is your setup?

Windows 8.1 PC with:
Sound Blaster ZxR soundcard
JRiver Media Center software
dBpoweramp Music Converter software
AIFF (CDRipper accuraterip) audio library

ZxR soundcard L+R RCA outputs >> Rotel RC-1590 stereo preamplifier RCA inputs

Rotel RC-1590 XLR outputs >> Rotel RB-1590 stereo amplifier XLR inputs

Q1. Do you have any other devices connected to the Rotel RC-1590?

Q2. Does the JRiver have exclusive control over the Sound Blaster ZxR soundcard (i.e. when playing AIFF audio library is the soundcard shared with system sounds and any other applications)?

Q3. Is it just using JRiver/audio library that blows your speakers?

Q4. How often are you blowing speakers?

[MadFish]

Re: Ripping/Quality of music HEEEELP

Correct, the preamp is the processor.

[ForSerious]

Re: Ripping/Quality of music HEEEELP

For reference, here's a shot of the same song in the same spot at the same scale, after it's been processed.

[mville]

Re: Ripping/Quality of music HEEEELP

Library resides in an dedicated PC, windows 8.1
The sound card is setup-WASAPI
Processor to sound card, RCA cables.
when I reconfigured the ripping process DSP to "regainplay"
Processor is connected to amp via XlR cables
Last night I setup my dbpoweramp to these instructions-https://dbpoweramp.com/cd-ripper-setup-guide.htm
Audioquest is the brand of cable/wire, "water" in one of the four different lines of quality, XLR cables are used to connect the preamp to amp.
I also ran perfectTunes and it found 630 corrupt files (MP3's) not sure how

Is the preamp the same device as the processor?