dalaut wrote: 
We're working on a new version of our web player that will include FLAC streaming. However, a URL for hardware players, etc. isn't an option at this point.

 dalaut wrote: 
My Mac version has lossless! Didn't realize. 
It would be nice if it had Airplay functionality too. I'm having to use Airfoil to broadcast. 

Today I was at red light and just happened to tap the settings in the RP IOS app. Surprise! - I noticed the new (to me) FLAC settings. I relished the rest of the trip home in FLAC audio nirvana.
So, I came home and fired up the PC. I noticed in the RP streaming section the usual 320K etc setting/choices. I was hoping for a PC/Mac URL link for the new FLAC stream. Can anyone supply this URL?  Home equipment is superior to car stereo and I'd love to audition the upgrade. BTW: Just checked my Samsung Android S8. FLAC settings option there as well.

Thank you RP (B&R) for the upgrade. My ears appreciate it.

Hi again everybody,

Just circling back on the requested higher bit-rate issue. My Schiit /Genelec/VLC system are waiting.
I have tried the JRiver app (30 days free). Very nice, overwhelming choices and expensive.
On a high resolution (and not so high) system the difference in audio quality between RP-320K & Tidal-1.4Mb is dramatic.

I can only hope (and will pay) for the promise of super quality sound joined with the RP playlist.

Thanks,

dave lautner
West Chester, OH

 rtrt wrote: 
Yeah.  These days you're better off leaving all your EQ's set at flat and take what you get when playing random files from different sources. Or give it a tiny bump at a particular frequency to make up for what your speakers don't give you naturally.

On a full tilt audio receiver, its a different ballgame.  Ideally if you have a set up for a self room tuning receiver, let it do it and keep what you get and don't mess with it afterwards.

Life since digital has made so many different versions of the same song available with so many different mastering and remastering possibilities, the differences are the rule not the exception when everything was sourced from analogue LP's.   

One thing to remember about rock music audio overall is that there is virtually no meaningful bass under 60hz.  In most cases, there is little above 10khz.  Rush hour is between 200 and 1000 hz.  For vocals poke around between 400 and 700 hz.  You can sometimes hit the high end of some vocals around 2200 hz for a little bump there to see if that helps.  Sibilance happens around 7500 hz so you could actually make a drop there if you like.

hth ... 

Had a look at the table - properly this time thanks.

I see that the male vocals overlaps with some of the frequencies I was playing with - hence the feeling that it was sounding muddy.

I understand your point about eq'ing for each song, now that I see the table and put it into context. Not going to happen of course and if a set it and leave it approach to eq results in worse sound as often as not, then I'll leave well alone!

 kurtster wrote: 
Thanks for the table and response - will take a proper look at the table tonight when I have some time.

VLC has a 10 band graphic EQ, but tbh i had low expectations - that were probably met!

Thats why I tried the parametric EQ  as well - my understanding is that the parametric EQ is supposed to address some of the shortcomings of the graphic EQ and so should be 'better'.

I think it might have been an improvement, but i was getting fatigued from listening to the same music over and over. In any case I don't think ever got close to the 'BillG sound'

Re enjoy RP - sure no matter what I'll enjoy the playlists - great sequences and just as much - the surprises every so often. Plus the comments too of course.

But I still like to step away and listen to the the rest of the songs on the album sometimes - thats when the bass difference is really obvious & if could get close to that sound say with the parametric EQ or even with the Audio Units that are built into older versions MacOS.

I think there might be a compressor there - hmm need to check. I have an old iMac that has a couple of audio players that give me access to the AUs. But as you say its easy to get caught up in all of that and forget that you just want to listen to the music...

 

 rtrt wrote: 
I'll take a stab at this and BG or anyone else can correct me if I got it wrong.

You might be mistaking tone for playback accuracy.  If all you have is an EQ to work with, when you boost a frequency, you also affect everything else that is around the frequency you are trying to affect and more so higher than lower.  The EQ washes up more than down.  If you only have a 5 band EQ you're affecting too broad of a frequency range.  A 20 band, per channel gives you a better chance, but it still isn't going to give you what you are looking for in the long run.  Compression is more the answer to your question than EQ.

Compression is a beautiful thing when used sparingly and correctly.  It will bring up things like bass in comparison to the rest of the music without affecting the rest.  But it also needs to have bands or separators to work well, too.  IIRC, BG uses a 5 band compressor that affects the stream playback, but it also needs volume leveling to work from song to song, something you can't do at home. 

So unless you want to take up sound engineering as a hobby and do one song at a time and build your own library of remastered music, enjoy RP and be glad we have it. 

Here's a handy little chart that might help you understand the sounds and at what frequencies they live in trying to adjust an EQ if you want to try some more.  HTH.

Note the frequency ranges of vocals and mud mentioned at the bottom ...

 

When I listen to RP and hear a song i know well, I often think that the bass sounds better on RP. Thats whether its 128k or the higher bandwidths.

I've tried to recreate it with my own files, by using a graphic eq / parametric eq on VLC. But unlike BillGs output I always seem to manage to muddy the sound as well as boosting the bass, so that I have to end up putting everything back as it was.

Any hints on how to tweak the bass to get a 'RP sound' with my own albums?

 

 dalaut wrote: 
Hi Dave, have you tried JRiver media center? I find this to be the best sounding player out there by far.
The detail it gets from the ACC320 stream is pretty amazing.
Its not too expensive (around 50 dollars). 

 dalaut wrote: 
We're considering that. It would be pretty easy to add to our beta web player or perhaps iOS/Android apps. The infrastructure that supports those is designed with this possibility in mind.

Streaming music quality has terrific potential. Tidal.com's 1.4MB streams demonstrate this. RP's 320K stream running through VLC is indeed very good. I am curious (and would like to advocate)  a way RP can stream their terrific playlists using a higher quality stream?
note: This site appears to be on the cutting edge of so much positive,useful technology that a state of the art quality stream would not be out of line.
Just asking: Would/could something like this premium stream be a "listeners supported" only option?

Thanks,

dave lautner
West Chester, Ohio