Does anyone know where I can find and download (fully legal and free) music/songs to really be able to test (hear) the full potential of my SB X-Fi and Sennheiser HD595 combo?
CD:s and MP3:s won't quite cut it, music in 24-bit/96 kHz is more like it.

You can try here: http://asia.cnet.com/music/0,39058993,39263510p,00.htm

I've tried those songs and others on the site, but unfortunately they seem to be just ordinary MP3:s (but thanks for those, they may be useful too).

The problem is finding HQ songs/samples, I've tried searching quite a bit but haven't found anything long enough (more than a few secs) to be useful.

tough eh? i'm pretty much in a similar situation, only i'm pushing more quality. i can't find a single 32bit/96khz sample ANYWHERE. nothing i've ever ripped even at the highest audio settings can even come close.

soundcard: M-Audio Audiophile 24/96. it records fully at 32bit as i've tested, but i can't notice a slight difference during playback.

worth every penny i didn't pay for it.

Isn't those numbers absolute limits, i.e. 32-bit just won't work on a 24-bit (kind of like an x64 OS that won't work on an x86-only CPU).
Also, are you really supposed to be able to hear any difference between 24-bit and 32-bit?

Perhaps the card manufacturer provides sample tracks to demonstrate the hardware capabilities?

I couldn't find any, the only one I know of is the DVD-Audio sampler they sent with the Audigy2 cards (which would probably do just fine). I've got one of those somewhere but I'm not really sure where (might be at another location far away, hence why I haven't found it).

well, using my headphones are the closest i get to hearing the max. fidelity. i'm [now that i've had the chance to use a pair] looking for a set of Edirol [or similar] monitors for this computer. the quality is just sick. plus i'm sure i lose a bit of fidelity going through and RCA to 1/8" adapter from a gamecube.

well, i'm assuming that the 32bit is the absolute limits, but i save things as mp3PRO in Adobe Audition, i have the mp3PRO decoder in winamp, and i'm hoping that once i get the right studio monitors, i hear what i'm missing.

i tend to rip music in iTunes and WMP at 320kbps @ 48,000Hz to squeeze what quality i can out of the card too.

i guess if you wanted you could try some .flac and see if thats any better...it sure is a good way to kill space on your drive.

A standard CD is 16-bit 44.1 kHz so you probably won't hear any difference if you rip it at a higher sample rate or bit depth.

With headphones you usually get much better audio fidelity at a lower price compared to speakers. If you mostly listen to music at your computer anyway, headphones are a great choice.

You can notice quite a difference in the way the music sound when using different media players (with the default settings for the EQ), depending on the soundcard and the speakers/headphones the difference may vary.

I found the Creative DVD-Audio sample disc, will try it when I get back to my own place after the holidays (the old SB Live and home stereo we have at my parents place isn't quite in the same league).

Here's an article on the topic of sound and sound quality.

Nine Inch Nails - The Slip - Free/Legal

"As a thank you to our fans for your continued support, we are giving away the new nine inch nails album one hundred percent free, exclusively via nin.com.

the music is available in a variety of formats including high-quality MP3, FLAC or M4A lossless at CD quality and even higher-than-CD quality 24/96 WAVE. your link will include all options - all free. all downloads include a PDF with artwork and credits."

LINK:

http://dl.nin.com/theslip/signup

Sorry, old thread (reanimated by half a spam ?)
http://www.johnstyle.fr/2007/12/22/musique...son-incroyable/
Gives a 3D feeling even with basic headphones (so I suppose it won't help thethreadstarter but still impressive, even freaky for some).

@tactzer0: I've downloaded and listened to it, but that kind of music doesn't quite need all that good quality. You can hear the music is somewhat "deeper" with higher quality.

@Ponch: Even though it's not exactly about audio quality, but It's still quite cool. The effect is probably even better with good headphones.


One thing I've noticed while using my Sennheiser HD595 is that sometimes you can hear details that you couldn't hear when using speakers or cheaper headphones. For example in some songs you can hear the individual band members singing (not just the lead singer/singers) or you can hear small details in the music.

get the 4GB version of Dark Side Of The Moon