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Post by MikeMusic on Jan 1, 2020 21:32:54 GMT
Pretty sure I can hear the difference on the Pioneer PD-S703, SMSL Q5 and TDL speakers - a pretty low end system Will test the duplicates I have and report back
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Thomas
Rank: Soloist
Posts: 19
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Post by Thomas on Jan 2, 2020 17:35:04 GMT
I just had a chance to speak with my brother regarding this (he is a professional audio engineer), and he had a suggestion I hadn't thought of to test the digital files for changes be they audible or not.
I imported both the treated and untreated copies of a track (using the previously imported Pink Floyd album) into Audacity to compare the waveforms, then inverted one of them so that and difference would be immediately noticeable on playback. The result? Upon inverting one track they canceled each other out perfectly resulting in silence on playback.
Now, all this means is that the files on my PC are 100% identical. These were imported from the disc as .wav with EAC then, also with EAC, exported as .flac for playback. This means that either that particular CD was not affected at all by the Nespa treatment (unlikely) or any improvement made was lost at some point in the conversion from disc to .flac. I'm going to play with my EAC settings to see if something there is at fault, and will also try comparing the raw .wav files on the next CD I test.
I'll continue looking into alternatives to converting to digital as well, since my end goal is to have my CD collection available for streaming. Hopefully I can come up with a solution, as if the improvements are only on CD playback that would throw a wrench in my plans.
Any suggestions on other things to try are appreciated.
Thanks.
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Post by MartinT on Jan 2, 2020 17:47:29 GMT
The Nespa processes the CD so any benefits (amounting to a better 'read' and less jitter) will likely only be audible on CD playback.
Extracting with EAC will retry until perfect and the outcome is likely a bit-perfect copy, with any jitter in the original read eliminated (and new jitter in the writing process introduced).
I just don't think the Nespa was designed with making digital copies in mind. Nevertheless, it could still help. Possibly.
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Post by John on Jan 2, 2020 18:27:25 GMT
Perhaps speak to Flux In Time Tony as I think he might of used this method burn files My own thoughts is the way you playing back files has jitter that is getting in the way of hearing any gains.
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Thomas
Rank: Soloist
Posts: 19
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Post by Thomas on Jan 2, 2020 19:04:18 GMT
I just tried again with another CD ( Depeche Mode - Violator, 1990, first US pressing) after adjusting a couple EAC settings. I loaded the .wav files into Audacity without doing any compression or conversion and they still came back with 100% identical waveforms. It seems that, at least with my current optical drive and EAC, no change is appearing when converting to digital. I don't know if this just means that I am already getting the maximum quality I can get from digital (bit-perfect import) or if there is some alternative method I could use to get better. I think the bottom line may just be that, as MartinT said, the Nespa is meant for proper CD playback and does not have any observable affect on importing to PC. Once I receive the Tascam and/or NEC CD player(s) I ordered I try out some non-PC listening and try to compare the CD playback to the digital file, just to see which sounds better. I may give real-time capture from the CD player (as opposed to EAC ripping) a go just to satisfy my curiosity and do some other tests as well. I'll report back if/when I find new results.
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Post by MikeMusic on Oct 12, 2020 18:03:34 GMT
I became blase about the Nespa and the other 3 CD improvers I have Bit of a chore to treat CDs with all 4 so I batch them when I have more permanent residents in the album playlist that I want revealed UNKLE - Never, Never, Land is an excellent album Nespa does the business and it is reveled as even better Great bit of kit I learned today that this is "trip hop" Does that make me fashionable ? Reign is a wonderful track
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Post by MartinT on Oct 13, 2020 6:42:25 GMT
I learned today that this is "trip hop" Does that make me fashionable ? Only once you've declared your love for Portishead
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Post by MikeMusic on Oct 13, 2020 9:10:04 GMT
I learned today that this is "trip hop" Does that make me fashionable ? Only once you've declared your love for Portishead Probably not My notes on aforesaid earnest, horrid female vocal, dubby
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Post by MartinT on Oct 13, 2020 12:18:35 GMT
Hah - that's like summarising the Earth as 'mostly harmless'!
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Post by MikeMusic on Oct 13, 2020 12:27:46 GMT
Mostly annoying ?
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Post by MikeMusic on Feb 17, 2021 12:21:33 GMT
Saving up CDs that came into the album playlist for treatment. Bad move. Batching is faster than doing the odd one, or is it.. ?
Using the Nespa for the first time in a long time Wonderful improvement in CDs I know well
- and I have 3 other improvements to apply
More music to be delivered
CDs to be treated more often, and my ears
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Post by MikeMusic on Feb 15, 2023 10:10:08 GMT
Another batch of the latest arrivals in the playlist run through the Nespa
Noticeable improvements just from the Nespa. Well worth the time Detail, width, separation improved nicely
Three more treatments to go and more improvements to come
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Post by MikeMusic on Feb 20, 2023 10:34:29 GMT
Next up the kit I hesitated and thought about long and hard as it literally scrapes the edge of CDs Back end of my playlist has just been processed Two albums in Touch more detail, width, instrument separation Well worth doing Review with lots of words
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Post by MartinT on Feb 20, 2023 12:49:04 GMT
Are you absolutely certain it doesn't expose the aluminium reflective layer to the atmosphere? This is what caused the notorious 'laser rot' of CDs manufactured primarily by PDO Blackburn. I had half a dozen discs all but one of which were replaced by them. One that they couldn't, which is now bronze in colour and totally unplayable. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compact_disc_bronzing
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Post by MikeMusic on Feb 20, 2023 13:20:44 GMT
Not 100% sure Hopefully not.
The process takes the edge from flat to around 45% without cutting further I've been using it since October 2019
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Post by stellabagpuss on Feb 20, 2023 15:40:32 GMT
l had one for five years, to be honest l never had one issue with exposing the aluminium in a CD, you simply take a small amount off. Out of all the CD upgrades this sometimes made a massive difference, ln reality, it depends on how well your CD was manufactured,So they could would wobble like a warpped record,so no wonder they sound rough, the error correction working overtime. The difference on CD once Lathed would be big, and that's the thing, most CDP have hidden draws.
Things not to do, do not Lathe a SHM CD, as l discovered, it's made of difference plastic, and split the Disc. Things to try, burn a Black coloured CD-R on something like x 4, Lathe the CD-R prior to burning,and it can better the sound of any original....crazy l personally think it's down to laser light scatter and error correction and on the fly reading from most CDP.
Sadly,it doesn't make much of a difference if your ripping to a Hard Drive, as it's data extraction, and not on the fly.
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Post by MikeMusic on Feb 20, 2023 17:20:38 GMT
Thanks I think I have one black CD Never seen a black CDR. Will have a look around
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Post by stellabagpuss on Feb 20, 2023 18:04:55 GMT
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Post by MikeMusic on Feb 20, 2023 19:08:59 GMT
Thanks
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Post by MikeMusic on Feb 21, 2023 11:29:42 GMT
Working through the newly chamfered CDs on the album playlist
More music, more musical
Great stuff
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