20 minutes to Audio Nirvana

[The Computer Audiophile]

Thanks for the link Gonzo. This is a pretty cool service, but I wish I knew more about the solid state drive they are offering. There is a huge disparity between the good ones and the bad ones right now.

 

[Wavelength]

Gonzo,

 

Better than I paid for the Samung alone. Prices will really fall on these soon. That's actually a great deal for MacBook Pro user's as taking these apart are a royal pain the ^@^%$%#,

 

Thanks

Gordon

 

[Macka]

I am new here so dont flame me too much.

 

Lynx 2B or Lynx L 22

 

I appreciate the idea of assembling a musc server from several bits of hardware and software but why complicate the issue when you can get a Pro hi end card like the 2B to run wth very low latency and very low jitter in a PC.

 

I have heard reports these card outperform the top Acram Cd and DVd players and the Krell AV processors when they are set up correctly.

 

Both these cards are very well regarded and the 2B can do multichannel formats with the right software. They cost more than the semi pro and consumer cards but I think you make up ground by spending the money where it matters.

 

I plan to look more closely at the 2B and install it into a space pc soon so I will give you a report.

 

Ian

 

Ian

 

[The Computer Audiophile]

Hi Ian - Welcome to Computer Audiophile. If you're expecting flames around here you'll be waiting for a real long time. This is a really laid back site full of people who enjoy this hobby and people who want to spend some of their free time having fun with and learning from other audiophiles.

 

So, the Lynx cards have peaked my interest a number of time, but not the specific cards you mentioned above. I am looking into the Lynx AES16e card. You certainly have very good points about simplification of the system, but I am not a fan of an internal PC D to A conversion. I just want to get the digital stream out of my computer as fast as possible and into an audio friendly device bit perfect with minimal jitter. I don't think a computer is anything but a transport because there is so much going on inside them compared to an audiophile quality DAC. While I am sure the Lynx 2b will do a great job, I would rather go with the Lynx AES16e to output a AES/EBU stream. The new Reference Recordings HRx material which is 24/176.4 was played back through an AES16 Lynx card at CES and it sounded fabulous. The D to A conversion was done by the Berkeley Audio Design Alpha DAC.

 

Anyway, your idea here is a good one that I'm sure will produce great sound, but it is not a route I will take.

 

Thanks again for posting. I hope we see you around here frequently.

 

[Wavelength]

Ian,

 

I have the L22 and it's a nice card.

 

I have also designed allot of PC's including mother boards, PCI, PCI Express and believe me my share of ISA boards. The problem with any card inside that enviroment is the noise. The power supply noise on the ground alone is enough to make any engineer thow up. Then add the power supply noise for multiple number of supplies (i.e. 3.3v, 5v, +/-12v) and the EMI, RFI and other radiation and it becomes apparent why I want my dacs outside the computer.

 

Needless to say... when I designed my last motherboard I had two cost accountants in black suites looking over my shoulder the entire time. These PC's are pretty cheaply made as cheap as they can be.

 

Anyways something to think about.

 

Thanks

Gordon

 

[markr]

I really have to chime in here: The amount of noise inside a PC boggles - or should, anyway - the mind of anyone concerned with getting clean signal of any kind out of that box. Lynx has a great reputation and Ian, you are right on as well when you add "when they are set up correctly."

 

Gordon is correct in saying that "These PC's are pretty cheaply made, as cheap as they can be". - A bigger portion of money is spent on designing the means of stopping EMI from escaping the box and interfering with your home electronics than the devices soldered to the motherboards or the design of the things themselves. It is virtually impossible to fully shield anything inside the box from the noise. At least that is so from a cost-effectiveness standpoint, and that is all PC manufacturers and their designers seem concerned with nowadays. At least that is all that comes out of the end of the pipeline, with very few exceptions. The 'bean counters' with their black suits rule in PC manufacturing land......

 

I've never had great luck with PC sound cards when the ADC/DAC chip was actually inside the box, from a noise-floor standpoint. PCI/PCIe cards that 'break-out' to external DAC units are much better from a low-noise standpoint (never used an ISA sound card Gordon, I was using Ataris and Amigas back then - did they HAVE audio on PC's at that point? 8^) --) and USB/Firewire external units are a step up from there for the most part.

 

markr

Sorry if I offended any accountant-type folks here.....