Track preload affects sonics- HELP!!!

Jim Smith

Jim Smith

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I wrote about this phenomenon in Get Better Sound, referring to how so many CD players & transports sounded better if you let them play a bit and then restarted them at the beginning. :badnews:

I haven't mentioned the effect with some computer sources, but it definitely exists - at least with my MBPs.

Letting a track play for 10 seconds or so - then restarting it - is not subtle. :what:

This is irregardless of what track preload settings I can make with Audirvana.

Also, restarting the computer (which clears the used ram), and clearing all caches still makes no difference with this effect.

In other words, ALL tracks sound better if played briefly and then restarted.

Thought I would come out of the frustration closet and see if anyone can suggest a fix, while staying with the MBPs, which I need when traveling... :blush: :Bow:
 
Does that still happen after the unit has been on for a while like after warm up?
 
I always thought it was crazy, but I have noticed that the first play on a CD or even a digital download does not seem to play as well as subsequent plays; I used to notice this back in my vinyl days and just believed the first play or two would "break-in" the grooves., etc. I have no rhyme or reason for why I do hear this affect with CDs and digital files. Almost like the first play "breaks-in" the file. I don't think I have noticed it so much as restarting a track as you state Jim, but maybe so. Maybe I just never noticed this.

I just think maybe the first play somehow lines all the bits up? I always thought I was just imagining it, and honestly I probably still believe I imagine it :)... however I am not shocked by your post.
 
So I understand, it happens on each track, not just the first one played on a CD? If playing a CD with 12 tracks, I'd have to restart each one?

I don't know if I want to test your issue, sometimes ignorance is bliss, LOL

Jim Smith said:
I wrote about this phenomenon in Get Better Sound, referring to how so many CD players & transports sounded better if you let them play a bit and then restarted them at the beginning. :badnews:

I haven't mentioned the effect with some computer sources, but it definitely exists - at least with my MBPs.

Letting a track play for 10 seconds or so - then restarting it - is not subtle. :what:

This is irregardless of what track preload settings I can make with Audirvana.

Also, restarting the computer (which clears the used ram), and clearing all caches still makes no difference with this effect.

In other words, ALL tracks sound better if played briefly and then restarted.

Thought I would come out of the frustration closet and see if anyone can suggest a fix, while staying with the MBPs, which I need when traveling... :blush: :Bow:
Click to expand...
 
I´m a proud member of audio fools group. :singing:
I use to say that audio is a maze where everything makes difference, and takes us in different directions.


But i don´t notice anything about restarting a track.
If it is not a carnival joke, i think you must have a problem in your CD player! :skeptical:


Cheers!
 
Mr Peabody said:
So I understand, it happens on each track, not just the first one played on a CD? If playing a CD with 12 tracks, I'd have to restart each one?

I don't know if I want to test your issue, sometimes ignorance is bliss, LOL
Click to expand...

IIRC, when it happens with CD players or transports, it's only the first track, then all is well for the remainder.

Since I use different tracks on my RoomPlay or RoomPlay Reference playlist computer playlist, it happens with each track.
 
Spock said:
I´m a proud member of audio fools group. :singing:
I use to say that audio is a maze where everything makes difference, and takes us in different directions.


But i don´t notice anything about restarting a track.
If it is not a carnival joke, i think you must have a problem in your CD player! :skeptical:


Cheers!
Click to expand...

With my computers, it's not subtle - in fact, it even sounds louder on the second play - in fact, I wonder if it's measurable - will need to check that out.

Re defective CD players & transports, over the years, I have noticed it on a variety of units, some really high-end, and some not-so-much.

But it definitely does not happen with all units. In fact, I have thought that the issue is much less prevalent these days than it was ten+ years ago when I wrote Get Better Sound.

Even at its worst from a player or transport, I personally think it's significantly worse from a computer, but I've not made an actual comparison.
 
I played with this last night. I used my Steely Dan Aja MCA JPN 37214 CD as a ref. Used 3 different CD players. Bryston BCD-1, Marantz SA 11S2, OPPO105 and listened via headphones Woo Audio WA6SE, Mr Speaker Ether C Flow, LCD-3. I let all the players and equip warm up for 1hr. 1st track no difference on Bryston or the Marantz but on the OPPO I heard a overall louder presentation on the 2nd run of the 1st track but after that it sounded the same. Bryson uses a well regarded Philips L1210 transport and Marantz built their own. OPPO uses their own. So I switched to a digital download I ripped to FLAC using dBpoweramp using my Lumin and a Exasound e32mkII dac feed USB from my NAS. Heard no difference at all. I even tried the Lumin using its app, no difference.

So maybe its something to do with CD transport and or its AGE. The motor that spins up the disc is different per transport. I found this simple explanation: "The motor slows the disc down gradually as the laser/photocell scans from the center to the outside of the disc (as the track number increases, in other words). Otherwise, as the distance from the center increased, the actual surface of the disk would be moving faster and faster past the laser and photocell, so there would be more and more information to be read in the same amount of time. " Anyway, odd but fun.
 
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