Player an Audio Quality

[Angelos58]

I used to think that audio quality was influenced by the source and then by the entire chain of conversion and playback. Instead, I am realizing that the same track with the same audio chain sounds different, sometimes very different, depending on the player. Whether it's WiiM Home, the proprietary Qobuz app, LMS, Audirvana, or others. How can this be explained?

 

[d6jg]

I used to think that audio quality was influenced by the source and then by the entire chain of conversion and playback. Instead, I am realizing that the same track with the same audio chain sounds different, sometimes very different, depending on the player. Whether it's WiiM Home, the proprietary Qobuz app, LMS, Audirvana, or others. How can this be explained?

None of those items are players - instead they are pieces of software that interact with the hardware of your choice (WiiM) to produce audio. They are all coded slightly differently in terms of the gain etc that they instruct the hardware to use but fundamentally they all do the same job and should be sending the same 1s and 0s to the DAC.

 

[Angelos58]

None of those items are players - instead they are pieces of software that interact with the hardware of your choice (WiiM) to produce audio. They are all coded slightly differently in terms of the gain etc that they instruct the hardware to use but fundamentally they all do the same job and should be sending the same 1s and 0s to the DAC.

Thank you, then?

 

[d6jg]

They probably sound different because you have adjusted volume levels and applied EQ settings in different ways. These adjustments are in the software but are instructions to the digital part of the WiiM prior to passing the 1s and 0s through the DAC. There will likely also be an element of perception bias at play.

 

[Angelos58]

They probably sound different because you have adjusted volume levels and applied EQ settings in different ways. These adjustments are in the software but are instructions to the digital part of the WiiM prior to passing the 1s and 0s through the DAC. There will likely also be an element of perception bias at play.

No EQ and no adjustement.

 

[Brantome]

They probably sound different because you have adjusted volume levels and applied EQ settings in different ways. These adjustments are in the software but are instructions to the digital part of the WiiM prior to passing the 1s and 0s through the DAC. There will likely also be an element of perception bias at play.

Yeah, and there might be transcoding or different resolution settings etc along the way. My perception bias would probably work the other way - I wouldn’t expect them to be different and I’d investigate if I felt they were

 

[steadyshot]

I believe it has to do also with how each program utilises the cpu of the streamer and that could affect the noise and distortion “footprint”

 

[harkpabst]

As long as it isn't proven wrong it isn't impossible. Just unlikely.

 

[alpha_zulu]

In my opinion, it should always sound the same as long as the streamer is actually streaming (in the true sense of the word). Meaning it receives the data directly from the Qobuz server, not via airplay or bluetooth from a (mobile) device.

 

[d6jg]

In my opinion, it should always sound the same as long as the streamer is actually streaming (in the true sense of the word). Meaning it receives the data directly from the Qobuz server, not via airplay or bluetooth from a (mobile) device.

I agree, with the caveat that no DSP or EQ has been applied in the digital domain and that volume has been fixed at 100%.

 

[alpha_zulu]

Of course.