Verify the Quality/origins of your Lossless II

ROBSCIX · *Last edited by ROBSCIX; 06-26-2012 at 18:12.*

Answering other emails sent after the first thread on this subject, I decided to write a follow up. In the original thread I suggested a program called Audiochecker, it is an older app, Beta...and slow for larger collection although you can tweak it somewhat.

So I spoke with some freinds who are also fans of lossless and they recommended a much better application that is faster allowing you to verify multiple audio tracks at once and is compatible with a whole list of lossless formats. The app also has some very cool features in comparison to audio checker.

For you guys just jumping in this topic, I received emails from members asking of a sure fire method to verify if their lossless audio collection was made up of TRUE lossless files extracted from a CD source or transcoded. Some people actually take low quality lossy MP3 and convert it to lossless for whatever reason. Anyway, this program, examines your audio files and verifies if they started as:
CDDA (CD Source) Which is good or from Mpeg(transcode) Which is badd.

This application is called: auCDtect Task Manager

The app comes in a few flavors, in whcih the enduser can load specific decoders but the app also comes with all required decoders which is the version here: Link
To note, go through your settings before running test as there is options to save test logs for each file or for each album. You can set it to save the logs in the actual album folder which is a cool touch.
You can also have a look at the spectral display of the decoder to see what Lossy can do to a track.

For those that have tested it out, let me know what you think as IMO it is a few steap beyond Audio checker.

Comments?

phill1978 · 06-26-2012, 19:53 | posts: 708 | Location: uk

before i even download this im already contemplating checking my payed for FLAC files from certain websites to verify if they started out lossless! one website i use charges £17 for an album on FLAC/WAV vs £7 on 320kbps mp3 more than a CD ablum! its made me choose mp3 in most cases but for individual tracks i use FLAC.

how acurate is this? if i find that the track started as an mp3 i must be entitled to get my money back?

ROBSCIX · 06-26-2012, 21:26 | posts: 16,085 | Location: Guru3D Audio Lab

Quote:

Originally Posted by phill1978

before i even download this im already contemplating checking my payed for FLAC files from certain websites to verify if they started out lossless! one website i use charges £17 for an album on FLAC/WAV vs £7 on 320kbps mp3 more than a CD ablum! its made me choose mp3 in most cases but for individual tracks i use FLAC.

how acurate is this? if i find that the track started as an mp3 i must be entitled to get my money back?

It should be perfectly accurate or there would be no point.

Anarion · *Last edited by Anarion; 06-26-2012 at 22:53.*

It failed on three lossless tracks that I have. Though, it wasn't 100% certain (all three are somewhat similar songs).

EDIT:
Though... Looking at spectrogram it seems that there's been lowpass filter typical to MP3. Hmm.

I will make a reclamation to Juno tomorrow.

Here's one that failed:

Looks like a typical MP3 spectrogram with low pass filter. It was supposed to be lossless. Sometimes this kind of things happen.

I'm not that surprised to be honest. There was always a thing that bothered me about those three tracks.

ROBSCIX · 06-26-2012, 23:20 | posts: 16,085 | Location: Guru3D Audio Lab

It failed, are you sure the track is real?
May be some bad filtering as you said or perhaps the track is in question?
Did you have it on precision setting. I have run basic test with it after a buddy said to check it out.

killer_939 · 06-27-2012, 02:49 | posts: 2,564 | Location: Australia

Out of a few disks worth i quickly tried 3 tracks came up with "???" in the conclusion. What does that mean?

ROBSCIX · 06-27-2012, 03:12 | posts: 16,085 | Location: Guru3D Audio Lab

Quote:

Originally Posted by killer_939

Out of a few disks worth i quickly tried 3 tracks came up with "???" in the conclusion. What does that mean?

Well what are the tracks?
The app scans lossless files, flac, ape..etc and tells the end user if they originated from CDDA files or from Mpeg.

So, what files are you trying to scan?

killer_939 · 06-27-2012, 06:22 | posts: 2,564 | Location: Australia

Quote:

Originally Posted by ROBSCIX

Well what are the tracks?
The app scans lossless files, flac, ape..etc and tells the end user if they originated from CDDA files or from Mpeg.

So, what files are you trying to scan?

http://img26.imageshack.us/img26/8568/80949993.jpg

Flac. They work and sound perfect.

Anarion · *Last edited by Anarion; 06-27-2012 at 10:45.*

Quote:

Originally Posted by ROBSCIX

It failed, are you sure the track is real?
May be some bad filtering as you said or perhaps the track is in question?
Did you have it on precision setting. I have run basic test with it after a buddy said to check it out.

I used precision. I can not be 100% sure, I did buy it lossless but labels screw up from time to time. But looking at that spectrogram image, I would say that it is 320kbps MP3 with low pass filter. You can clearly see it cut out above 20 khz.

ROBSCIX · 06-27-2012, 14:20 | posts: 16,085 | Location: Guru3D Audio Lab

Quote:

Originally Posted by killer_939

http://img26.imageshack.us/img26/8568/80949993.jpg

Flac. They work and sound perfect.

I understand they are FLAC.....do you know what they were made from?
The app will tell you if they originated from CDDA or Mpeg only.

Unfortunatley you can make flac's from other sources or they may be something other then 16/44.1. Unless it is something else...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anarion

I used precision. I can not be 100% sure, I did buy it lossless but labels screw up from time to time. But looking at that spectrogram image, I would say that it is 320kbps MP3 with low pass filter. You can clearly see it cut out above 20 khz.

Either that or the file was damaged so bad during manufacture that is registers as lossy?

Anarion · 06-27-2012, 14:54 | posts: 9,179 | Location: Finland

I guess that it does not hurt to ask them to check it out since I can not compare it to anything.

ROBSCIX · 06-27-2012, 14:57 | posts: 16,085 | Location: Guru3D Audio Lab

Sure. Drop them an email and ask.
Let me know what you find.

Anarion · 06-27-2012, 18:55 | posts: 9,179 | Location: Finland

Done, asking doesn't hurt. Let's wait and see.

ROBSCIX · 07-10-2012, 17:04 | posts: 16,085 | Location: Guru3D Audio Lab

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anarion

Done, asking doesn't hurt. Let's wait and see.

Any updates?
I sent them an email on another subject but have yet to get a response.
Perhaps they no longer offer info on this app. It would only be a very specific set of people that would find it useful.

Nato.dbnz · 07-10-2012, 22:26 | posts: 3,255 | Location: Auckland NZ

Does this work with 24/96 FLAC? I have tried on some and each time it fails. I haven't had issues with any of my 16/44 material though.

ROBSCIX · 07-11-2012, 03:57 | posts: 16,085 | Location: Guru3D Audio Lab

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nato.dbnz

Does this work with 24/96 FLAC? I have tried on some and each time it fails. I haven't had issues with any of my 16/44 material though.

I don't think so. AKAIK, this app is just to test your files to make sure they were not some transcoded junk. Very useful if you have a bunch of tracks and no time to listen to them all.

I have been testing this other app that takes your flacs and re-encodes them to the highest compression rates (among other things). This way you still have your lossless files but it give you the best overall compression rates.
If other people made the FLAC or even if you did them, people tend to use varying compression rates. You can save a great deal of space by re-encoding all your Flac using compression level 8. However, it is a ton of work if you have large collection and no app that can do it with automation.
If you guys are interested, I will post my results after I do some testing.