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ABX audio testing app for Mac (X-post from /r/audiophile)

LaurenDean

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Feb 2, 2021
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Hey everyone! Audio enthusiast / computer science undergrad student here.
Just wanted to get some gather some thoughts from Mac users out there. Currently, (as far as I can tell) there is surprisingly only one ABX audio test app in the App Store, called ABXTester. It is a good a usps tracking pp, and works exactly as it should, but a little bit limited in its functionality.
Those that have used ABXTester, what features / customizability would you like to see added?
The reason I ask is that I am considering creating a new ABX test app for a senior seminar project. This app would...
  • let you compare lossless to lossy OR lossy to lossy (and pick the form showbox at and bitrates for each)
  • do the encodings within the application
  • display / record / store statistics afterward
  • do statistical analysis - determine probability of guessing
Would there be any interest in such an app? Are there any other features that you would like to see in an app like this? Thanks.
 
Last edited:

amirm

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The most critical thing is easy ability to mark and repeat short segments. Non-linear distortion is content specific and a distortion may only be audible during a single note or two. It is critical that one can easily choose and repeat such segments to take most advantage of short-term memory.

On statistics, they should be show in each trial, not just at the end. Without it, trying to find the segment that is causing distortion becomes very hard.

The app needs to be able to bypass the audio stack in the OS for "bit exact" playback. Otherwise the sample rate/format conversion there can mask low level noise/distortion difference between samples.

Format support should include .flac and .wav.

Files should be read into memory so switching is extremely fast.
 
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