RE: Do Hard Disk Drives (HDDs) add timing distortions to music?

Computer Audio Asylum

Music servers and other computer based digital audio technologies.

Posted by Roseval (A) on September 8, 2014 at 10:16:30

In Reply to: Do Hard Disk Drives (HDDs) add timing distortions to music? posted by Jaundiced Ear on September 7, 2014 at 22:32:09:

As HDs are analog devices they will have wow, flutter, vibrations (read a CD at speed 40 and you know what I mean).
But does it matter?
I don’t think so.
As much as a HD delivers the data faithfully e.g. a word document to a program, as much it will do with any file including the audio files.
Inside the digital domain jitter is simply not an issue, we are transferring data and this is all ways buffered hence not real time stream.

The most likely explanation is that all electronic components generated some dirt.
Be it EMI, RFI or a ripple on the ground plane.
If this creeps into the DAC e.g. the ground plane is modulated hence the reference of the analog out, it will affect sound quality.

Basically it is about:
silencing the source
isolating the DAC ( async protocol, galvanic isolation)
both

Sometimes the impact could be demonstrated by measurements
An examples can be found here: http://thewelltemperedcomputer.com/Intro/SQ/SoftwareInducedJitter.htm
I do think this is typical for a badly designed on board audio.
Archimago couldn’t measure diffrences.

Jitter level of a Oppo when playing and stopped
http://thewelltemperedcomputer.com/Intro/SQ/Toslink_Coax.htm

I know swapping a HD for a SSD has been reported as an improvement in SQ.
But before you spend your money on it I can’t resist to cite some very wise words with sums up my feeling about all these tweaks nicely.

I used to try out all sorts of tweaks and other nonsense such as making my own cables. I was always thrilled when I first plugged in the new goody (it almost always "improved" the sound), but I always noticed that "new sound" effect didn't last more than a few days. Indeed, often after a few days I was glad to pull the tweak out of the system and go back to the way it was. Which ironically also "improved" the sound.

Best

Vincent

The Well Tempered Computer

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Follow Ups Full Thread

Topic - Do Hard Disk Drives (HDDs) add timing distortions to music? - Jaundiced Ear 22:32:09 09/7/14 (17)

Thanks for the replies, all! - Jaundiced Ear 17:37:44 09/8/14 (9)

RE: Thanks for the replies, all! - AbeCollins 12:07:43 09/10/14 (4)

So jittery bits... - Jaundiced Ear 18:00:19 09/10/14 (3)

RE: So jittery bits... - AbeCollins 18:34:12 09/10/14 (2)

RE: So jittery bits... - Jaundiced Ear 18:56:55 09/10/14 (1)

RE: So jittery bits... - b.l.zeebub 06:36:31 09/11/14 (0)

RE: Thanks for the replies, all! - Roseval 00:34:24 09/9/14 (1)

RE: Thanks for the replies, all! - Jaundiced Ear 19:06:16 09/9/14 (0)

RE: Thanks for the replies, all!-HDD PS - fmak 23:58:45 09/8/14 (1)

Thanks for the link! nt - Jaundiced Ear 18:58:08 09/9/14 (0)

So - fmak 15:02:02 09/8/14 (2)

Ir sounds reasonable to those who understand how computers work. - Tony Lauck 07:31:08 09/9/14 (1)

RE: Ir sounds reasonable to those who understand how computers work. - fmak 08:47:10 09/9/14 (0)

No - AbeCollins 14:34:01 09/8/14 (0)

RE: Do Hard Disk Drives (HDDs) add timing distortions to music? - Roseval 09/8/1410:16:30 09/8/14 (0)

RE: Do Hard Disk Drives (HDDs) add timing distortions to music? - Presto 09:21:06 09/8/14 (0)

RE: Do Hard Disk Drives (HDDs) add timing distortions to music? - fmak 00:10:51 09/8/14 (0)

Follow Ups

RE: Do Hard Disk Drives (HDDs) add timing distortions to music? - Roseval 09/8/1410:16:30 09/8/14 (0)

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