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Output sound quality

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Output sound quality

Sound Quality

When a digital device (PC, portable media player, etc.) plays a digital audio file (ogg, mp3, flac, etc.), the audio output is always the same regardless of the type / brand of the device, right? In this case, the sound quality should not differ. For example, I have an iPod that plays an mp3 file. If I play the same file on a different brand of media player, the audio quality should be the same as the same signal (no equalizer or audio changes).

Sound Quality

Unfortunately, the real world gets in the way – there are a number of things between you and the “perfect” signal coming from the MP3 decoder:

As you can see, user-controlled filtering (eg graphic equalizer) can be disabled.
Sound “enhancements” made in the digital domain (eg compression to make it “louder” and bass boost); this can also be disabled
Internal processing is often done at a bit depth greater than the output DAC capacity, for example 32-bit processing, but only a 16-bit DAC. So there must be a process to reduce the bit depth. This may or may not include blurriness. The results of this will sound different depending on the implementation.
D / A converters can be of different qualities, which will affect (among other things) the linearity and noise floor of the analog output.
Synchronizing the DAC’s power will also affect performance – higher fluctuation will be louder.
The headphone controller will also have different analog characteristics, for example. minimum noise level, tinting frequency, etc.

For the quality of the output signal to be the same, not only must the final digital signal be the same, but the path from the digital data to your ear must also be the same (D / A converter including any digital pre-processing , amplification, induced noise in analog wiring). transducers / speakers, spatial paths to the ear, etc.) should not add any audible difference. This may or may not be true. Not all DACs are equally linear. Not all amplifier power supplies have the same shielding (especially the really cheap ones). Etc.

WAV or FLAC are lossless, so digital data must be identical when sent to a DAC. However, lossy formats like MP3 and OGG do not store the signal. It must be reconstructed from rarer data and the decoder may interpret the data differently. However, for MP3:

Decoding, on the other hand, is carefully defined in the standard. Most decoders are “bitstream compliant”, which means that the uncompressed output, which they produce from a given MP3 file, will be the same, within a certain degree of rounding tolerance, as the mathematically specified output in the ISO / IEC high standard document (ISO / IEC 11172-3). Therefore, the decoder comparison is generally based on their computational efficiency (that is, how much memory or CPU time they use in the decoding process).

So assuming the EQ and other enhancements are off, as you said, there shouldn’t be any difference between the file and the DAC. The only differences will be after the DAC in the quality of the analog circuits, amplifiers, and speakers (which are usually the main reason for the differences anyway).

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Sound quality

Sound quality

Sound Quality

When it comes to sound quality, not only do opinions differ, they often lead the discussion to a dead end.

Sound Quality

As a general rule, the reason for this is a different understanding of the concept of quality. In this article, we will try to answer the fundamental questions and give clear definitions, which can undoubtedly help to bring these discussions to a common denominator.

But first, you need to give a clear definition of the concept of quality. The simplest way to do this is to establish a series of requirements for certain characteristics and processes, and subsequently identify the degree of compliance with them in relation to the characteristics of the result obtained. This definition originates from a slightly different area, but all of the above is also true in relation to sound. For example, even in the development phase, set the maximum allowable amount of harmonic distortions introduced into the audio signal as a result of either manipulation. Based on this, we can say that the closer the characteristics of the result are to the predetermined requirements, the higher the quality. However, some manufacturers may misuse this definition to make their products better than they really are. So purely hypothetical, by setting a low bar in principle you can theoretically improve the quality, at least on paper. This trick is often used by manufacturers of hi-fi equipment in the lower price segment, stating:

First of all, before starting a conversation about sound quality, this concept should be divided into two separate categories, which, on the one hand, are closely interconnected, and on the other hand, describe various aspects, both technical and aesthetic, and by therefore, they are often confused.

Audio quality

The concept of audio refers to all objects connected in one way or another and participating in the process of transmitting, processing and storing signals, whether in analog or digital form, that represent the original acoustic signal. An example of this can be both the sound source and the connection cables, mixers, equalizers, amplifiers, processors and speaker systems. Audio quality is determined by the degree of fidelity in the representation of the original audio signal, regardless of the deliberate nature of the manipulation (see below). Used in this case, the terms can be, for example, impedance, dynamic range, level, frequency range, volatility, signal-to-noise ratio and the like.

Sound quality

It describes the subjective judgment of what an individual listener heard, and is therefore often based on individual preferences, biases, and even biases. Furthermore, even visual aspects can influence subjective perception and judgment about sound quality. Looser terms are used when talking about sound quality, such as warmth, transparency, detail, density, brightness, or opacity.

To determine the sound quality of an audio system, you must first consider the sound quality of the source, as if there is no audio system between the listener and the sound source. Thus, for example, the sound quality of an instrument is made up of a combination of factors such as the melody of the composition, the virtuosity of the musician and, of course, the characteristic features of the instrument itself.

What is needed to improve the quality of the digital sound we hear?

What is needed to improve the quality of the digital sound we hear?

Sound Quality

Best Headphones

Sound Quality

The simplest way is not digital. The biggest improvement in sound quality for the money is a good pair of headphones. In-ear headphones, open or closed headphones – For the most part, it doesn’t matter. They don’t even have to be expensive, although expensive headphones can be worth it.

Remember that some headphones are expensive because they are well made, they are durable and they sound great. Others are expensive because they are $ 20 headphones that are styled for a few hundred dollars, are advertised, and carry a brand name. I won’t give any specific recommendations, but I will say that you most likely won’t find good headphones in big hardware stores, even if they specialize in stereos.

Lossless compression format

It can be considered true that a properly encoded OGG (or MP3 or AAC) file will be indistinguishable from the original at a moderate level of quantization.

But what about badly encoded files?

Twenty years ago, all MP3 encoders were very poor by modern standards. Many of these faulty encoders are still in use, presumably because their licenses are cheap and most people don’t know or care about the difference in sound. Why would companies spend money and fix something when people don’t even know it’s not working well enough?

Moving to newer formats, like Vorbis or AAC, will fundamentally change nothing. For example, many companies and individuals have used (and continue to use) FFmpeg’s low-quality standard Vorbis encoder because it comes with FFmpeg by default and they don’t care how bad it is. AAC has an even longer history of widespread low-quality encoders used for lossy compression of all major formats.

Lossless compressed formats, such as FLAC, eliminate any possibility of damage to sound quality [23] from a faulty encoder, or even a good one that has been used incorrectly.

The second reason for the proliferation of lossless formats is to avoid future losses. Each encoding and recoding loses more and more information, even if the first encoding was perfect, it is very likely that audio artifacts will appear after the second encoding. This is important for anyone looking to remix or try out music. This is especially important to us codec researchers, we need clear sound to work.

Best Master Records

In the BAS test I mentioned earlier, it was mentioned in passing that the SACD version of the recording can sound significantly better than the CD. This is not due to the increased sample rate or quantization level, but rather the fact that a higher quality master disc is used to create the SACD. When recording to CD-R, SACD still sounds as good as the original SACD and better than CD, because the original sound used to record the SACD was better. Good mastering and production techniques obviously contribute to the quality of the music [24].

Recently covered in the press “Mastering for iTunes” and other similar initiatives by other labels are somewhat encouraging. What remains to be seen is whether Apple and others will actually “tackle the problem” or if it is just bait to sell music to consumers they already have, but at a higher price.

Environment

Another “sales trick” that I would fall in love with is the “great” recordings. Unfortunately, there are some technical dangers here.

Discreet, old-fashioned “surround” sound with multiple channels (5.1, 7.1, etc.) is a technical relic, used as early as the 1960s in movie theaters. However, the surround picture is limited and the sound from nearby speakers is distorted when the listener moves out of position or sits in the wrong position initially.

We can repair and build excellent and reliable positioning systems using tools like Ambisonics. The cost of surround sound equipment and the fact that a recording encoded for a natural sound field sounds bad when played in stereo and cannot be artificially recreated correctly is a problem. It is very difficult to fake ambiphonic sound or holographic audio, the effect will be like 3D – it becomes a tasteless trick and shakes 5% of the population.

Binaural audio is also very complex. You can’t copy it because it sounds different to different people. People unconsciously move their heads to better track the source of the sound, without which they cannot determine its location. This cannot be accounted for in a binaural recording, although it can still be achieved in a fixed setting.