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Topic: Quick question about Lossless/Studio Monitors (Read 22333 times) previous topic - next topic
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Quick question about Lossless/Studio Monitors

I was wondering if there is any kind of difference between using Lossless or lossy files with studio monitors?

Is there directional / spacial information that is used in lossless files that may be masked in a lossy file?

I generally don't believe that there is much of a difference between lossless and lossy, but was thinking if anything were to show that difference, it would be professional grade gear.

Thanks in advance.

Re: Quick question about Lossless/Studio Monitors

Reply #1
I was wondering if there is any kind of difference between using Lossless or lossy files with studio monitors?

Probably not.

I generally don't believe that there is much of a difference between lossless and lossy, but was thinking if anything were to show that difference, it would be professional grade gear.

I don't think you're going to notice these kinds of things with studio monitors.  Get headphones if you want to listen for spatial effects.

Re: Quick question about Lossless/Studio Monitors

Reply #2
I was wondering if there is any kind of difference between using Lossless or lossy files with studio monitors?

Probably not.

I generally don't believe that there is much of a difference between lossless and lossy, but was thinking if anything were to show that difference, it would be professional grade gear.

I don't think you're going to notice these kinds of things with studio monitors.  Get headphones if you want to listen for spatial effects.
Thanks for your response. I have V Moda XS and Audioquest Nighthawk (with amp) so I have both to draw a reference from.

Re: Quick question about Lossless/Studio Monitors

Reply #3
The "rumor" is, sometimes it's easier to hear compression artifacts on cheaper speakers.

...Some audiophiles will say if you can't the difference you need a better system.  

I wouldn't expect any spatial differences.     The "stereo image" depends a lot on speaker placement, listener position, and room acoustics, as well as whatever is going-on inside the listener's brain...   The stereo image isn't vary reliable except for hard-left, hard-right and somewhere around the center.*       Dolby Digital 5.1 is lossy and it's very spatial.  ;)



* I found this very interesting:
Quote
I recorded a batch of clicks with very carefully documented changes in level between the stereo channels. This was one of those cases where I figured I knew what was going to happen before I started. Given my golden ears, there just wasn’t much doubt that I could hear the image move as soon as I tweaked the pan-pot even a little, so I decided to calibrate the changes to 1/10th of a decibel, so that I’d be able to really pick out the subtle differences in localization that were going to happen when the levels between channels changed. However, I was very startled to discover that the phantom image didn’t seem to move at all even when the levels between channels changed a whole decibel! I was so startled that I became positive I had made a mistake when preparing the tape! A little investigation (well, about three hours, including chasing down all the wiring in the monitoring system!) showed me that I hadn’t made a mistake, and when the dust finally settled I had found out something quite interesting: that as long as the difference between channels is less than 3 decibels, the phantom image hovers pretty much in the middle point between the two speakers...

... I often see our beginning mixing students at Berklee ever so carefully setting their pan pots, making sure that all the performers in the mix are ever so carefully placed on the imaginary soundstage. Of course, then they move their heads a little and it all changes...

...So, don’t take the pan-pot settings too seriously.

Re: Quick question about Lossless/Studio Monitors

Reply #4
People should stay aware that there is no "stereo image" with headphones, don't blow your mind with things that don't exist.

 

Re: Quick question about Lossless/Studio Monitors

Reply #5
At higher bitrates, lossy artifacts from a well tuned codec are almost never identified as spatial/directional, regardless of the grade of gear let alone headphones vs. speakers, etc.  Even at lower bitrates, non-spatial artifacts are still going to be more noticeable than spatial artifacts.