Finally someone agrees with me on computer sound

[ajay556]

So i have been saying that PC as a source is poor option in the path of pure audio nirvana. The DAC is not the deciding factor for quality digital sound but its the digital source. The source  is the weakest link in the  audio playback ( besides the speaker). A good CD transport with always out perform a PC with high res by a large margin. A great CD transport compares to analog sound like Reel and  high end turntable. 

 

Finally innuos seems to be promising in delivering smooth sweet analog sound. Check out the reviews. Anyone compared innuos zenith SE to other rigs?

 

 

[ShawnC]

6 hours ago, ajay556 said:

 A good CD transport with always out perform a PC with high res by a large margin. A great CD transport compares to analog sound like Reel and  high end turntable. 

I think many here will completely disagree with this statement, thus the creation of this website.  

[marce]

6 hours ago, ajay556 said:

So i have been saying that PC as a source is poor option in the path of pure audio nirvana. The DAC is not the deciding factor for quality digital sound but its the digital source. The source  is the weakest link in the  audio playback ( besides the speaker). A good CD transport with always out perform a PC with high res by a large margin. A great CD transport compares to analog sound like Reel and  high end turntable. 

 

Finally innuos seems to be promising in delivering smooth sweet analog sound. Check out the reviews. Anyone compared innuos zenith SE to other rigs?

 

 

In your opinion.

[new_media]

Who agrees with you, exactly?

[Panelhead]

  I found that playback from RAM delivered higher quality sound than any disc spinner. 

  Did listen to an early Playback Design player that sounded better than any other disc player I have heard. It also loaded tracks into RAM.

[Nordkapp]

1 hour ago, new_media said:

Who agrees with you, exactly?

I do.

[adamdea]

14 hours ago, ajay556 said:

Finally innuos seems to be promising in delivering smooth sweet analog sound. Check out the reviews. Anyone compared innuos zenith SE to other rigs?

 

 

I can’t follow this. What are innuos doing? Or are they just promising? Either way they have been doing it or promising it for years. 

[badboygolf16v]

All sound is analog regardless of it's transport format. That's why it's called a DIGITAL TO ANALOG CONVERTER.

 

For the love of God, help me.

[ajay556]

see  link below from hifi plus...source to retrieve the data is what all computer audiophiles have been focusing less on

[ajay556]

http://innuos.com/uploads/cms/Reviews/HiFi+/HIFI+156_Innuos_LR.pdf

[NOMBEDES]

No, no, no.

 

I believe that - given a good recording - Computer Audio, sounds wonderful.

The problem comes from the extreme difficulty of keeping a computer audio system up and running at optimum performance.

 

I have a very simple system:  iMac > iFI DAC > AMP > Speakers.  This system only works without “resetting” 60% of the time.    My CDs and my vinyl work 100% of the time.

 

Computer Audio is for people who enjoy troubleshooting or are computer hobbyists.

Digital music systems (Innous et al) with all the benefits of data management and convenience are far superior to the common computer.

 

 

[coot]

1 hour ago, NOMBEDES said:

The problem comes from the extreme difficulty of keeping a computer audio system up and running at optimum performance.

 

Precisely why I moved from Mac Mini to Aurender. Very happy move I might add.

[rodrigaj]

Which is why I moved to PS Audio DSDAC: Octave is coming.

 

I believe that the future is a totally self contained systems: Software, control, renderer, DAC (and possibly server), all made and supported by the same company / manufacturer.

[Kal Rubinson]

2 hours ago, NOMBEDES said:

I have a very simple system:  iMac > iFI DAC > AMP > Speakers.  This system only works without “resetting” 60% of the time.

Unfortunate.  OTOH, my MacMini > U-DAC8 (USB) > amp > speakers or MacMini > Marantz AV8802a (HDMI) > amp > speakers is on 24/7 and does not need to be reset ever.  (Of course, it is reset randomly for other reasons but never because it crashes or hangs.)

 

Same for my PC-based system.

[NOMBEDES]

4 minutes ago, Kal Rubinson said:

Unfortunate.  OTOH, my MacMini > U-DAC8 (USB) > amp > speakers or MacMini > Marantz AV8802a (HDMI) > amp > speakers is on 24/7 and does not need to be reset ever.  (Of course, it is reset randomly for other reasons but never because it crashes or hangs.)

 

Same for my PC-based system.

 

Kal, let me expand, my system does not crash per se.  It just appears that, for whatever random reason, the computer will not recognize the DAC or the DAC disappears from the Audio MIDI Setup listing.  So not a crash, just reestablishing the setting and/or a reboot does the trick.  SONOS?  forget about it,  i gave up on streaming my iTunes on SONOS: every time I get a link established, the next time I try to use it, SONOS cannot find the server.  I can get it to play again, but why should I wander around the house going through all this emotional pain to reset the damn thing?   My point being, tech should make life easy - not a pain in the ass.  If Computer Audio is your hobby good on you, some of the guys in my audio club build their own computers and servers, they have exceptional talent and enjoy themselves  -  Computer Audio is for them.  Not for me.

 

And don't get me started on OS upgrades and the code monkeys in Cupertino, one upgrade cost me $500. when I had to dump a W4Sound DAC1at a loss, because W4S could not get a working driver for MONTHS.  

 

With Respect.  NW

[Kal Rubinson]

1 minute ago, NOMBEDES said:

Kal, let me expand, my system does not crash per se.  It just appears that, for whatever random reason, the computer will not recognize the DAC or the DAC disappears from the Audio MIDI Setup listing.  So not a crash, just reestablishing the setting and/or a reboot does the trick.  

I understand this and that is why I run my MacMini bootcamped with Win.  I no longer have those issues.

Sonos?  I tried it once but it is not for me.

[Ralf11]

I have zero difficulty in keeping my computer audio system up and running at optimum performance.

 

Was mac mini - iTunes Airplay - Apple TV3 - Dacmagic - Sonic Frontiers pre - Sunfire amp - Maggie 1.5QR

 

Now iMac - iTunes Airplay - Apple TV3 - Oppo 205 or Dacmagic - ARC LS25 II pre - Sunfire amp - Maggie 3.7

 

I can control it from the computer or from the Apple TV3 - no problems; no resets

 

have used Sierra and Hi Sahara (which has lots of bugs in other ways)

 

I suspect there is something going on in the interface you are using from mac to Dac

[NOMBEDES]

5 minutes ago, Ralf11 said:

I have zero difficulty in keeping my computer audio system up and running at optimum performance.

 

Was mac mini - iTunes Airplay - Apple TV3 - Dacmagic - Sonic Frontiers pre - Sunfire amp - Maggie 1.5QR

 

Now iMac - iTunes Airplay - Apple TV3 - Oppo 205 or Dacmagic - ARC LS25 II pre - Sunfire amp - Maggie 3.7

 

I can control it from the computer or from the Apple TV3 - no problems; no resets

 

have used Sierra and Hi Sahara (which has lots of bugs in other ways)

 

I suspect there is something going on in the interface you are using from mac to Dac

 

@Ralf11  you are 100% correct, and since I am not a computer guy I have no way of correcting my system.  Hey it works mostly, sounds good and when it is acting up, I can fix it.

 

I could buy a new iMac $3000.

I could buy a new DAC $3000.

I could buy an Innous SE when they reappear $6000.  (and a new DAC)

I could muddle through with what I got  $0000.

[Nordkapp]

7 minutes ago, NOMBEDES said:

 

@Ralf11  you are 100% correct, and since I am not a computer guy I have no way of correcting my system.  Hey it works mostly, sounds good and when it is acting up, I can fix it.

 

I could buy a new iMac $3000.

I could buy a new DAC $3000.

I could buy an Innous SE when they reappear $6000.  (and a new DAC)

I could muddle through with what I got  $0000.

I'd backup your files and programs, then completely uninstall the OS and then reinstall the latest version. I put in an 1TB SSD. Then JRiver stopped working after a week or so. Uninstalling and reinstalling Windows 10 fixed everything. No longer any dropouts, buffering, lost connections. May be worth a try. Also going from WiFi connection to hardwired Ethernet cat6 made a big difference too. 

[beancounter]

I set up my Windoze 7 PC to open JRiver on startup.  I got an app for my iPad/iPhone to re-boot the computer remotely over WiFi, and an IR blaster controlled via iPad/iPhone for the DAC. 

 

When my DAC driver decides to puke, I simply shut down the DAC and re-boot my PC - remotely.  I don't even have get up, and it only takes a couple of minutes until I'm listening again.

 

Doesn't happen much now, I pretty much determined the driver puke is caused by initiating DSD playback while playing a PCM file, or vice-versa.  Stop play, then switch.

[Norton]

The Innuos looks a lot like a PC to me - albeit a highly  optimised one, just as a high-end transport may be optimised - not sure how this example supports your contention.

[Ralf11]

Try calling the DAC manf. - you might check the info under System Report in "About this Muck" on the top bar (Snapple Symbol on the extreme left)

[One and a half]

On 25/04/2018 at 1:34 AM, new_media said:

Who agrees with you, exactly?

I do. A caveat. A CD player that can be picked up in one hand, well no. But the same player may benefit from an external DAC.

[adamdea]

5 hours ago, rodrigaj said:

Which is why I moved to PS Audio DSDAC: Octave is coming.

 

I believe that the future is a totally self contained systems: Software, control, renderer, DAC (and possibly server), all made and supported by the same company / manufacturer.

You mean like slimdevices (squeezeboxserver aka lms) cracked around 2004?

Wait,  don’t tell me- one day you will be able to control it from your telephone too. 

[NOMBEDES]

3 hours ago, Norton said:

The Innuos looks a lot like a PC to me - albeit a highly  optimised one, just as a high-end transport may be optimised - not sure how this example supports your contention.

 

Well,  all streamers and such like are computers at a certain level.  When you get down to it, your car is a computer and your new internet connected dishwasher.

But it has to work without tweaking......right?