Audio DiffMaker - Tool for comparing (not only) KPA Firmware sound changes

  • Many of us experienced kind of "changed sound after fw upgrade" phenomena.
    Mostly we can read subjective complaints about changed sound of profile. More bass- less bass, more treble-less treble, missing mids, etc.
    We are comparing sounds by our ears and this is OK, because human ear is very good spectral analyzer, but it's still subjective.
    Many factors can influence the result of comparison by human ear: ear fatigue, room acoustics, speaker quality...


    So I searched for some tool to compare sounds not only by our ears, but also DSP routines.
    And I found tool called Audio DiffMaker - signal difference extraction software, which can help us with this task.


    From Audio DiffMaker page:
    Audio DiffMaker is a freeware tool set intended to help determine the absolute difference between two audio recordings, while neglecting differences due to level difference, time synchronization, or simple linear frequency responses.
    The difference recording that results is only what has changed between the two recordings. If anything - a change of component, a treatment, mechanical damping, etc. - is having any audible effect on the audio signal in a system, the difference recording will have audible content. The end result is primarily intended to be evaluated by ear.

    Audio DiffMaker tool webpage


    I used this tool to compare two .wav files published by MacOSatch in this thread: Difference in sound between 2.3.3 and 2.4.2 ?


    I did not make any other comparisons, as I don't have much spare time for that :( ,
    but maybe someone with more free time will use this tool to make more testing and we will finally know if "FW Sound change" issue is real or myth.


    I am wondering, (and I was asking this some time ago but didn't get answer), if Kemper performs any kind of automated sound change comparison & analysis on new fw releases.
    I think this tool would be great for this.


    Anyone willing to become "KPA sound change" Mythbuster? :D


    Here you can find some prepared tests and you can try it for yourself: http://www.libinst.com/diffmaker_example_files.htm

    Edited once, last by Peto ().

  • That's fascinating, actually.
    Their sample tests are really interesting too - the "audiophile" class D amp that was so inferior to a mediocre home theatre system? Or the disturbing difference between a .wav and MP3?


    I want to compare the profiler with a real amp. Might be interesting. 8)

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