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iMac with iWow plug-in


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Hello,

I'm new to the site (although I've been lurking for some time) and have garnered some great tips and opinions about computer audio. I've been wrestling with obtaining the best audio from iTunes. In the beginning I just ran a 1/8" cord from the headphone jack on my iMac and adapted it to RCA into my Arcam A/V receiver (I know an A/V receiver, ewww,... dedicated 2 channel coming soon), sound was just OK, barely. I've since purchased a Bel Canto Dac 3/Pre and am amazed at the results. I also run a line from the DAC to a Headroom desktop headphone amp.

I know that I'm supposed to turn off the iTunes eq and sound enhancer and I've done so, but I completely forgot that I have the SRS iWow plug-in still operating,...whoops!. Do I also need to uninstall the iWow as well?, because it actually sounds better through the cans with it engaged, or do they purposely make your audio stream sound bad when you switch it off,...hmmm.

Anyway, nice to be aboard finally!

 

Cheers

 

Jeff

 

 

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Jeff, any plugin will reduce the 'bit-perfectness' of the source, so if you are concerned about that then it is best to disable the plugin, you should not need to uninstall it, although I am not familiar with that specific plugin.

 

As far as deliberately making the sound bad when the plugin is off, well I find that hard to believe, more likely the plugin makes such a considerable alteration to the sound that it will take a reasonable length of time listening to the unaltered sound to return to a valid baseline reference.

 

However, if you prefer the sound with the plugin activated, then by all means listen this way, as we say here, 'if it sounds good, it is good'!

 

Peter

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I would do as mentioned and disable/uninstall, and compare with how it sounds while enabled. If you can't hear any difference, then no love lost.

 

ps - nothing wrong with an a/v receiver. The thing I like best about this forum is how "alternative" components aren't looked down upon. Use what sounds good to you, and more importantly, what you have on hand!

 

itunes alac > mac mini > pro-ject usb box > pro-ject pre box > pro-ject amp box > totem rainmaker

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Hey greatdane - A couple things.

 

First, people like you are exactly what this forum is all about. "If you can't hear any difference, then no love lost." My feelings exactly. This is a laid back site where people have systems from $100 to well over $100,000. I think systems at both ends of the spectrum could be considered "alternative" if one really thinks about it! If someone has an A/V receiver on hand and that gets them started, or finished, in the music server game then we all benefit because another audiophile is moving our wonderful hobby forward. At the same time if someone isn't satisfied with the sound until they spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on a system, I'm cool with that as well. Fortunately everyone around here is pretty cool with either approach and all the approaches in between. Once in a while people should be reminded about the definition of the word "Good." At Computer Audiophile if it sounds good to you then it's good.

 

Second, the Great Dane photo. I love it! I'm a big animal person and I'm in to everything from tiny Chihuahuas to huge Great Danes.

 

Anyway, if you didn't notice, I don't make a big deal out of off-topic posts or post in a totally unrelated area of the forum. I probably contribute to this more than anyone :-)

 

Founder of Audiophile Style | My Audio Systems AudiophileStyleStickerWhite2.0.png AudiophileStyleStickerWhite7.1.4.png

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Thanx Guys,...

 

I guess it's simply a matter of having so much better sound with the addition of the DAC to the sound chain. I find myself questioning anything that affects or processes the bitstream/signal, then again it could be that I'm obsessing just a tad.

 

By the by, cool Great dane!.

 

Cheers

 

Jeff

 

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