What music formats do you listen to via your A/V receiver?

[Roen]

There really isn't a definitive One True Format, or One Format To Rule Them All. Even the sample rate/bit depth isn't much of a factor. Mastering differences account for the vast majority of any audible differences between lossless digital formats. Anything CD quality or better will convey the artist's intent more or less flawlessly within the limits of human detection. The delivery method or container type just doesn't matter much, or at all really. A WAV file, a CD, a lossless hi-res file, or a FLAC of the same material from the same master will sound the same to you if played over competently designed equipment. Your room and especially your speakers will affect your music far more than any trivial differences in format, or even product differences in your receiver, prepro, or transport. The signal chain from source to just before the amp is, for practical purposes, flawless, even for budget equipment. You pay for better speakers, better amps, the number of amps, room correction, network features, etc., but the basic signal chain is just about as good as it's going to get, regardless of price. So don't worry about it, and enjoy!

Don't get the DSD vs. PCM debate started with general statements like "The delivery method or container type just doesn't matter much, or at all really."

I learned that the hard way even when I didn't even want to have that debate!

 

[panteragstk]

I appreciate your response. Unless there is something fundamentally I misunderstand about music, I presumed that the quality of the mixing and engineering of music isn't something that a consumer can shop based on - if there is a way for consumers to know, I for sure don't I know how to acquire that information and use it to improve my purchasing habits.

The conclusion I drew (which I admit may be flawed) was that the mixing and engineering is what it is. But the quality in which we experience their work will vary...and that this is squarely tied to the format in which we choose to consume the music...which has its inherent benefits and flaws over other formats. Am I off base here?

Sent from my ONEPLUS A3000 using Tapatalk

You can and can't shop based on mix. Back before the internet you just had to purchase an album and hope for the best. Now you can read reviews. If the album was "remastered" there's a chance it could be better. Or worse. You never know.

I do know that the Beatles mono release sounds better than any release of their music. No random hard panning of vocals to L or R. It actually happens a lot with old recordings being remastered to CD. The Doors and Led Zeppelin have albums like that on CD that weren't like that on older formats.

It's annoying.

 

[Blue Dude]

Don't get the DSD vs. PCM debate started with general statements like "The delivery method or container type just doesn't matter much, or at all really."

I learned that the hard way even when I didn't even want to have that debate!

Yeah, I'll duck past that particular trap and pretend it doesn't exist. Not going there; it's a religious argument. Still, everything from the source to the stage just past the D/A conversion doesn't have night/day differences between equipment or delivery format. Arguably subtle and subjective differences maybe but no more than that. Everything afterward has much more variation and can be often be improved (or at least sweetened to taste) with attention to detail and $$$. Amp --> speaker --> room --> ears. Of those, only the amp is sufficiently commoditized to just plug and play without regard to personal preference. The amps built into receivers are sufficient for most applications. I include amps as "variable" only because you might need more channels, and sometimes particularly thirsty speakers and/or big rooms require more or better amps than are included in many receivers. Speakers are almost always a matter of personal taste, and every room needs aftermarket help, no exceptions. Have to live with your ears though.