Pretty much all the tracks I used come from modern albums that likely don't have many different masters. There was a track from Depeche Mode's Black Celebration in my playlist that had a different intro and was louder on one of the services, so I didn't use it. The usage of different masters cannot be accounted for, so it the tracks don't obviously sound different, I would assume same masters and just roll with it

And I also didn't want to try Tidal because of its crazy pricing and the MQA controversy

After trying Tidal and seeing there are sometimes multiple copies of the same album (apparently, different masters, according to internet strangers), I no longer know if it's something with the service or if some of them are simply using different masters. Sometimes the different versions on Tidal sound different, sometimes they don't (at least, nothing that I could discern).

FWIW, I think Qobuz generally tended to sound better than Amazon or Tidal (though that album version thing throws a wrench into the whole thing).

Recently I became concerned with bit-perfect playback: does it make an audible difference?

TL;DR: it does, seems like, but difference is not huge and depends on the genre. Also, statistics are not very reliable and require further tests

For those not in the know: bit perfect playback bypasses OS's system mixer and delivers music to the DAC "as is", without resampling it to a system wide bit depth and sample rate. This should, in theory, sound better(?). Dedicated digital players (DAPs) usually have their system mixers disabled, but on computers and phones this presents a problem, even when using an external DAC: bit perfect playback requires the player software to connect to DAC directly, and not all players can do that. I was very skeptical that upgrading from lossless CD quality playback, albeit not bit perfect, would make a difference.

So, i conducted a blind test. I was comparing a Hi-Res bit perfect streaming service Qobuz and a CD quality non bit perfect service Deezer. Both services were running using their apps on a Xiaomi laptop (RedMi book pro 15 2022), which runs Windows 11. I used dongle iBasso DC05 DAC and Moondrop S8 IEMs. Qobuz was connected to the DAC using WasApi Exclusive mode, which should provide bit perfect playback. Deezer doesn't have that feature and was using system mixer. Windows was using iBasso in default mode, 32bit 48kHz. I matched volumes by ear. I hear frequncies up to 16.5kHz and have mild tinnitus when in a quiet room. I'm 26.

I created two similar playlists of 14 tracks and my GF played me each track on both services. Random number generator was used to determine which service is used to play the track first and which second. My goal was to guess, which service was used for each playback. I could ask to go back and forth between the services and to go to the next track. Most of the tracks on Qobuz were marked Hi-Res (24bit, from 44.1kHz to 196kHz), CD quality on the others (16bit 44.1kHz); and Deezer offers them all in CD quality. I mostly used tracks from my library, as well as some test signals and some jazz I haven't heard (cuz audiophiles love jazz for some reason?).

On busy math rock stuff (Delta Sleep, The Yacht Club) I couldn't grasp the difference and was frantically going back and forth, just to make a guess in the dark. On modern electronic tracks (i.e. Chivalry Is Not Dead by Hiatus Kayote) one playback sounded a bit sharper then the other, sometimes it had more bass. Every time I liked a playback a little more, I attributed that playback to Qobuz (well, it should sound better, right?). The difference was never obvious. Radiohead tracks sounded virtually the same. The American Beauty soundtrack, Arose, has these heavenly little bell plucks, which sounded more clouded during one of the playbacks. The test sounds seemed to be more revealing, as it seemed to me that one playback had somewhat more aliasing, especially on 14kHz tone. The test lasted about 40 minutes.

So, the results? I guessed the service correctly 10 times out of 14. I missed on both of my favorite math rock bands, but was correct on all the others, except for two jazz tracks that I haven't heard before. I guessed both test tones correcly. I think, I proved to myself that it is worth it to pursue bit perfect playback and maximum file resolution, although not for all genres. It seems like rock music doesn't benefit from it as much as, say, acoustic or electronic music.

I will conduct further blind tests to investigate more granular use cases (i.e. test tones only, and different tests for different genres) and to make the results more reliable.

Yup, I used the word "albeit" haha

UPD: Also, next time I will use an EV meter to set the volumes instead of by ear and make more test cases to rule out the probability of a random guess (as proposed by u/ultra_prescriptivist)

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How bout a PEZ headphone?

Too high for this. See you later Reddit

For those of you bothered by me sharing the songs I was listening to while asking for actual opinion here's the boring question

I'm currently listening to my music and I'm on my way to the train station in Milan. I wonder how are you dealing with your own footsteps booming in your over-ear headphones. I'm wearing Bang&Olufsen H9 3rd Gen and I wanted to ask this community if this is everyone nightmare and the only solution is switching to IEMs.

I bet those have plasticy sound.

Semi-automatic probably means "money add then multiply"

Why is this post punctuated with songs in brackets?

Since, you know, last headphones they made used an OEM version of the monoprice headphones headband...

Focal new headband

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I would buy lol

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It reminds me of when Alexa tells my girlfriend what's on sale, which tends to go something like: "I found a deal for 'woman's jumper top sexy comfortable halter top tube top spaghetti strap bellbottom pants buffalo soldiers mesh sexy bed time outdoor PPE sparkling lounge wear ravioli' for FIVE DOLLARS and ZERO cents*, would you like to buy?"

Those military grade assault PET plastic containers and bottles in all shapes are dangerous

Yes, yes. This would be a noice product name.

Ok, meeting done!

Catchy ain't it?

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Haven't had this problem but reading this post felt like I was having a stroke.

Lots of IEM boom too. Especially if the plugs or cable are heavy.

For example the Aria boom much more than the Hola, even though the design is almost identical.

If you go in with a empty wallet, im sure it won't be dangerous

​

edit: or go without your wallet

I thought i had a stroke

If you’re interested to check it out outside of Canjam time, go to AV One at The Adelphi.

Very tempted to go but feel very "dangerous" 🤣🤣🤣.