Possible to playback 24bit FLAC files on n900?
 

Just received Peter Gabriel's "Scratch My Back" 2CD edition. While I certainly can rip the music myself, from March 2 on, there will be a 24bit/48KHz download version that was included in the price. Can I play these high-res files back on the n900 without limitation, or will they be down-converted to 16bit anyway on playback? Using my Sennheiser HD600, I found FLAC files more "airy" than lossy-compressed files, and I'd like to explore the upper limit of what is possible on the n900.

Re: Possible to playback 24bit FLAC files on n900?
 

Just downloaded the files and put them on the n900 - the quality is fantastic. Not sure about the downsampling to 16bit, but the n900 copes well with the material. Looking forward to better integration with the media player though.

Re: Possible to playback 24bit FLAC files on n900?
 

I really doubt they put 24bit/48khz dac inside the N900...

Btw, do you plug your HD600 directly to the N900 and gets enough power? I haven't tried it with my HD650...

Re: Possible to playback 24bit FLAC files on n900?
 

Yeah, plugged it in directly. Volume is not earth shattering, but sufficient. Not very heavy on the bass, but nice soundstage and transparency.

Re: Possible to playback 24bit FLAC files on n900?
 

That's definitely underpowered then..

The 'biggest' cans I have that I'd plug into the N900 for tunes would be the ATH-ESW9.. anything larger would be pointless..

Re: Possible to playback 24bit FLAC files on n900?
 

maybe, but theres no way in hell the n900's analog output circuitry has enough resolution for you to hear a difference with 24-bit.

stand alone dac, sure
phone 3.5 minijack, not worth your time

Re: Possible to playback 24bit FLAC files on n900?
 

OK, I get it - this ain't no machine for audiophile ambitions.

I *did*, however, listen really carefully to the entire PG album in FLAC 24bit, and there was a noticeable difference to the version I made from the CD using the iTunes plus profile (AAC 256bit VBR). The FLAC 24bit version sounded more open to my ears, the highs were a little more defined (sharp attacks & the rasping layered over PG's voice), and I also felt that the positioning of the instruments and the impression of a room were more immediate.

I might compare it with the 16bit FLAC version tomorrow - perhaps 24bit is indeed overkill, but lossless could be a worthwhile step for some material.

Re: Possible to playback 24bit FLAC files on n900?
 

Well, I enjoy the sound of the HD600 with the n900, but maybe I currently just don't have a decent benchmark. Perhaps I should pull my Rega Ear headphone amp from the shelf, connect the NAD 521 BEE CD player again and get a better reference point!

Re: Possible to playback 24bit FLAC files on n900?
 

well now youre comparing 24?-bit audio to itunes 256kb mp3 (not even a top-shelf encoder)

24bit flac vs 16 bit flac
or
16-bit flac vs mp3

would yield more useful results

Re: Possible to playback 24bit FLAC files on n900?
 

I've got a collection of cd's encoded to flac 24 bit, but i get unable to play message when i try to play them in media player.

16 bit flac files work fine.

Does anyone know what I may be doing wrong ? or perhaps the codec limits for flac decode?

ps re audiophile headphones and the n900, I'm currently testing an external battery powered headphone amp that is proving to be truly stunning so far. its an ebay dual amp, made by a guy called neco. So far, if you're seriousely into headphone quality listening I'd recommend one.

Re: Possible to playback 24bit FLAC files on n900?
 

in case someone else gets 24 bit flac files that won't play in media player, I've just found out that mplayer, via kmplayer gui appears to play them fantastically.

Now all I've got to do is assess if they sound better than 16 bit ones......unlikely I know, but with computers I often find 'try it' works best.

Re: Possible to playback 24bit FLAC files on n900?
 

I am not certain, but I would be very surprised if the DAC in the n900 can handle anything more than 16 bit 44.1 kHz. So that is what you will hear if you manage to play these files.Please note that CDs are encoded at 16 bit 44.1kHz, so re-encoding them at 24bit when you rip them will in fact reduce quality. That is like taking an mp3 and re-encoding it as flac and expecting it to sound better. You cannot increase resolution and sample rate.

Re: Possible to playback 24bit FLAC files on n900?
 

While I expect that the n900 only has a 16 bit DAC, I've been quite pleased with the sound quality it gives with my Sennheiser HD515s. Based on my lossless (compared to the source) CD rips and listening to my symphony on the device, I'm happy to say that I don't notice any of the notes getting lost or muddied, and I actually have to turn the volume down for comfortable listening. That hasn't been my experience with some other mp3 players, though I'm sure there are dedicated portable audio players that can match/best the n900.

Re: Possible to playback 24bit FLAC files on n900?
 

yes, you are misunderstanding a fundamental point of 24-bit audio. your CDs are 16bit sources so at best when you put them into a 24 bit file you are filling up the bottom empty bits with zeros. More likely you are doing some sort of resampling of the data to create a 24 bit file that is inherently of less resolution than the 16-bit source.

Do yourself a favor and learn how to rip cds to FLAC using Exact Audio Copy (EAC) in 'secure' mode only. there are lots of tutorials online

Re: Possible to playback 24bit FLAC files on n900?
 

I record a lot of vinyl onto my computer using high quality equipment - the recordings end up on dvd-a s for ues in my stereo. Just for a laugh i copied a 24 bit 88.2 khz recording to my n900

It plays back perfectly - anyone know if it can handle 96khz properly. A lot of cheap chips can although it may well be downsampling the signal.