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[kmmcd]

I am evaluating MC, and I noticed that ripped files played via MC to my amplifier via USB sounded inferior to the original CD played via optical cable through the same amplifier/DAC (Yamaha A-S801). The original rip was created in the misty past using WMP, ripped directly to .wav and has not been modified since.

The paths that I tested are:

1) NAS > router > wifi > PC/MC > USB > Yahama A-S801/DAC (sounds inferior)
2) PC local storage > MC > USB > Yahama A-S801/DAC (sounds inferior)
3) cheap bluray player > optical cable > Yahama A-S801/DAC (sounds superior)

I suspect that I have an inferior rip, or a poor USB connection. (I have read that the audio over USB specification does not implement error checking.) Has anyone else had this issue? Is a dedicated ripping application the possible solution? How good is MC's ripping?

In any case, I doubt that the difference in fidelity is due to network errors. If a packet is damaged enroute, an ethernet receiver will detect a bad packet CRC and drop the packet and possibly request re-transmission. In the case of real time audio, I am sure that this would result in an audible click or interruption, not mere degradation of fidelity.

any insightful experiences are helpful.

[PAR57]

r)

I suspect that I have an inferior rip, or a poor USB connection. (I have read that the audio over USB specification does not implement error checking.) Has anyone else had this issue? Is a dedicated ripping application the possible solution? How good is MC's ripping?

In any case, I doubt that the difference in fidelity is due to network errors. If a packet is damaged enroute, an ethernet receiver will detect a bad packet CRC and drop the packet and possibly request re-transmission. In the case of real time audio, I am sure that this would result in an audible click or interruption, not mere degradation of fidelity.

any insightful experiences are helpful.

Problems with the USB interface are due to its behaviour ( or potential behaviour )in the real world of electrical transmission. Unfortunately as USB cables are effectively unshielded and as they carry not only data but also power, the analogue signal which represents the data can be polluted by EMI and RFI. This does not affect the data transmission per se as the system is (or should be) robust, but it can result in  lots of rubbish that is fed into your DAC and which can affect the analogue output side of things.

These problems are well known to the extent that a number of commercially available remedies exist including properly shielded cables,  ways of blocking the 5V power line ( only practical if the DAC is not itself powered from the USB bus), noise filters and so on.

As DBPower amp is available as a free trial it should be straightforward for you to rip the same track using JR MC and DBPoweramp and to compare the result thus settling your question. You can also assess the metadata ( tagging) side of things too.  Also try a comparison using compressed and uncompressed FLAC. Hey, you could even use a different track to the Respighi 

[JimH]

Please read my last post in the locked thread.

A WAV file that has been ripped from a CD and played to the same device with the same settings will have the same sound as a CD.  If there is a real difference, then your setup is wrong or the WAV file isn't the same as the CD.

Ripping in different applications is not the problem.  Bad rips are extremely rare.

There is a lot of nonsense floating around the Internet that would contradict that, but we don't allow it here.  You're repeating some of it in your posts.

Copy the WAV file to your local drive and try playing it from there.  Check your audio settings.

This topic is not a JRiver specific one.  Try a more general purpose audio forum if you need to.  Hydrogenaud.io would be a good one.

Locking this now.  Please don't start another similar thread.