MP3 shootout results - UKHA2003

["mark_harrison_uk2" <mph@xxxxxxx>]

Thanks to all who filled in assesment forms for the MP3 shootout.
Your feedback is most welcomed, and forms the basis of the analysis
below.

For those who weren't at UKHA2003, we had 4 MP3 players, in
alphabetical order:

- Rio Receiver
- SliMP3
- XBox, using the analogue outputs
- XBox, using the optical outputs

The tests were fully blind, and which player was which was not
revealed until AFTER the players had been scored. Until that point,
they were simply called players 1, 2, 3 and 4.

We listened to about 45 seconds from each of the following tracks,
rating each player from 0 to 10 for each track:

- I can't live without you, Queen
- Os Justi (Bruckner), Corydon singers on Hyperion
- The Flat Earth, Thomas Dolby

The equipment was:

- Meridian 562V input switch (analogue inputs only)
- Meridian 518 mastering processor (analogue inputs only)
- Meridian 565 7.1 surround processor (all inputs)
- Chord power amp (front)
- Meridian power amp (rear)
- B&W CDM7 speakers (front)
- B&W 603 speakers (rear)

The XBox optical output suffered a small disadvantage in the tests,
since the other outputs were run through a Meridian 562V and 518
processor which dejittered the ADCd streams before passing to the
common 565 processor at 24 bit level. This was, in the main, due to
the time constraints of setting everything up, since trying to set up
an appropriate dejitter filter for the optical input would have taken
too long. As such, I'd expect the XBox optical output to do
comparatively BETTER in a well set-up system.

Rather than just reading the individual scores, I would encourage you
to read through to the end of this message, since there were some
significant factors to take into account.

Based on a total of 33 survey responses, the overall scores were:

4th place - XBox analogue output, scoring an average of 5.29
3rd place - SliMP3, scoring an average of 5.37
2nd place - XBox optical output, scoring an average of 5.95
1st place - Rio Receiver, scoring an average of 6.13

Judged on the Queen track alone:
4th place - SliMP3, scoring an average of 4.73
3rd place - XBox analogue output, scoring an average of 4.86
2nd place - Rio Receiver, scoring an average of 5.42
1st place - XBox optical output, scoring an average of 5.67

Judged on the Bruckner alone:
4th place - XBox analogue output, scoring an average of 5.45
3rd place - SliMP3, scoring an average of 5.61
2nd place - Rio Receiver, scoring an average of 6.24
1st place - XBox optical output, scoring an average of 6.27

Judged on the Thomas Dolby alone:
4th place - XBox analogue output, scoring an average of 5.55
3rd place - SliMP3, scoring an average of 5.79
2nd place - XBox optical output, scoring an average of 5.91
1st place - Rio Receiver, scoring an average of 6.73

As you can see, despite the handicap, the XBox optical output always
scored higher than the Analogue output - something well worth bearing
in mind when setting up your XBox.

However, where people were sitting in the audience also had an impact:

For people sitting at the level or, or behind the rear speakers the
scores were as follows. It should be noted that MOST people fell into
this category, which therefore gives this group a heavy weighting in
the overall scores.

4th place - SliMP3, scoring an average of 5.4
3rd place - XBox analogue, scoring an average of 5.57
2nd place - XBox optical, scoring an average of 5.95
1st place - Rio Receiver, scoring an average of 6.14

For people sitting forward of the rear speakers, but at the side of
the room, the scores were as follows:

4th place - SliMP3, scoring an average of 4.75
3rd place - XBox analogue, scoring an average of 4.9
2nd place - Rio Receiver, scoring an average of 5.88
1st place - XBox optical, scoring an average of 6.25

For people sitting in "pole position" - in the centre at the
front,
the scores were:

4th place - XBox analogue, scoring an average of 4.79
3rd place - XBox optical, scoring an average of 5.67
2nd place - SliMP3, scoring an average of 6
1st place - Rio Receiver, scoring an average of 6.13

Again, for all locations, the XBox optical input was preferred to the
analogue ones. However, those sitting in the best listening positions
rated the SliMP3 in second place, wheras those with poorer seats
placed it 4th.

Nonetheless, the sound quality crown does seem to go to the original
Rio Receiver...

But my most important point remains, when buying hi-fi, try to listen
in a situation that approximates to your listening environment. I
realise that, today, this is hard to do with MP3 players, but the
market is moving forward.

Regards,

Mark Harrison