JRiver Media Centre 19 - Discuss

[MCRU]

I just installed this after using version 18 for what seems like years but is more likely 8-10 months, version 19 looks the same but has some what I think are rather ingenious features, one being the ability to rip a cd into a dsd file. Not sure the exact terminology as I don't have time to read up on it all but inserting a cd into my server to rip to the ssd and changing the encoding to dsd instead of flac results in the files now being 256 bit instead of 44 bit. It does sound better too don't know why, perhaps a bod will explain? Please excuse me if I did not get it exactly right.

[AlfaGTV]

I havent bought JRiver 19 yet, but have ben using 18 for some time. I like the layout and flexibility at the same time as i hate it! ;)
Thats why i like iTunes better, it just helps me maintain a music library that is easy to manage! I know, i know, this is not everyones cuppa...

Anyways, first of all, the music on a CD is stored in a PCM bitstream format consisting of 16 bits resolution per sample and 44.1K samples per second. Im sure you all know this, but storing it as anything else is a conversion. In my experience this is never beneficial for sound quality, but im sure that other systems and digital to analog converters can be percieved as better sounding with converted and upsampled material! (Yes, i do upsample sometimes with my digital front end, depending on material)

However, a DSD stream cannot be compared like you are saying, it's not "256bit" as compared to a PCM encoded audio stream, like CD...
You may attribute it as a different samplerate though, some Mhz actually :) The comparison is not correct though!

So, in the end, do you like the audio as DSD better through your system?

Best regards Mike
Edit Typed Ghz, but was referring to Mhz

[Spectral Morn]

I tried 18 and felt that 17 sounded better - go figure - so when the full version of 19 is available to trial I will, but I am pretty happy with 17 so may just stick with it for awhile longer.


Regards Neil

[Gazjam]

Good paper from the Audio Engineering Society here.

http://old.hfm-detmold.de/eti/projekte/diplomarbeiten/dsdvspcm/aes_paper_6086.pdf
Not exactly bang up to date (2004), but a good comparison between DSD and high resolution PCM formats, in this case SACD.

From my own listening experience with a DSD compatible Dac, I preferred DSD over PCM.

[Ali Tait]

You using 19 Gaz?

[Gazjam]

I tried 18 and felt that 17 sounded better - go figure - so when the full version of 19 is available to trial I will, but I am pretty happy with 17 so may just stick with it for awhile longer.


Regards Neil

Still using 18 here Ali. Bought 19 but holding off on installing it until its officially released.

I'd hold off on uninstalling 17/18 just yet as JR19 isn't ready for primetime just yet.
the good thing is that you can install the trial alongside your current version.

The problem is that you cant really make a true comparison just yet as 19 isn't finished.
Its worth trying though if you have a DSD compatible dac, as Dave says you can rip CDs to DSD format AND...
JR19 can encode Redbook to DSD on the fly - to me its killer feature.

Not for me though, dont have a DSD dac myself and I'm more than happy with my Young. :)

[Ali Tait]

Aye, downloaded the trial version, just to have a look. As you say, the DSD bit is cool, but my dac doesn't do it either. Bought 19 a while ago, like you I'll wait for the official release.

[MCRU]

6 mytek dac's being delivered tomorrow, you and ali could could club together for one and share it, a few weeks each back and forth :) i do 6 years 0% finance for scotsmen...:lol:

[Rothchild]

The AES paper is interesting, by my reading it seems to say that 97.24% of people can't tell the difference and the 2.76% who did hear a difference with any credibility could only do it on headphones. Those 4 people who heard a difference were all under 30 and all students on a 'Tonmeister' course. Seems one has to be pretty well 'bat eared' to really get any value out of this?

[Gazjam]

JR19 is now official.
Feels a bit snappier than 18, especially in Theatre View which I use most of the time.

Soundwise no worse than 18, though keep catching myself thinking its slightly better actually.
Theres new options in the audio subsystem so I wonder if theres some under the bonnet stuff going on with WASAPI output.

For me, still the best (by far) Windoze music player :)
Only discovered I can store YouTube clips (with the audio played via Jriver Engine) as playlists.
Some great quality stuff out there, good sound quality too with Jriver.

[Clive]

Gary, you should try the developing MQn found on computeraudiophile. Stripped down for performance to be sure....

[Gazjam]

Gary, you should try the developing MQn found on computeraudiophile. Stripped down for performance to be sure....

Cheers Clive, didn;t know about that one.
I'll have a play with that this evening.

Used to follow the Squeezebox mods the guy who created it (Sbgk) did, did some interesting stuff in the Linux kernel.
Will be interesting to see what he's been up to in WIndows.

Got used to playing Jplay mini (no interface but worth it for playing uninterupted music) so hopefully not too much of a leap.

[Clive]

Hi Gary, I only had time to verify it works on my laptop, the sound thru my main system was very promising but I didn't have time for a proper listem before I left for a business trip. It only plays wavs at 44.1, hi res in 32 bit containers. It seems possible to integrate with foobar. Mainly it seems like a very interesting hairshirt player, potentially withones of thes best sounds out there on W8 or 7. It'll be fun to run with it for a while, it's free too!