Best computer-based audio solution???

[The Computer Audiophile]

Now that I have tested everything and the sound is as expected, I just have to write the article!

 

[audioAl]

Interesting I'll investigate,Cheers!

 

[BEEMB]

Come on Chris ... your last post was on Friday. We are ALL waiting . ;-)

 

Matt.

 

[Steelman]

Time's up Chris!

 

: )

Thx,

 

S

 

[The Computer Audiophile]

I love the persistence guys!

 

Here's where I'm at. For the next three days I have the Sonic Studio Amarra / Model 304 solution. I have to send it back Wednesday. So, I need to spend a all the time I can with it before it goes back. Something came up and this system is needed back in California much sooner than I would have liked. This kind of has my article about the other system on the back burner. Trust me though it isn't out of my mind. I am chomping at the bit to get it written and published.

 

[shenzi]

With all the web research power on hand from forum readers, we should be able to come up with our own solution and beat Chris to it. Anyone up to the challenge?

 

[The Computer Audiophile]

I love it Shenzi!

 

[StephanLJ]

Shenzi, sorry but Chris has way better connections than we do. But please let us know if you find something out.

 

Greetings Stephan

 

[shenzi]

But are they USB, optical, firewire?

 

Okay, I'll start. I assume the system includes speakers, amplifier, etc? Let's start with the DAC - who can source lower than the Devilsound DAC at $250?

 

[IamKirk]

Super Pro USB 707 Dac. I love it.

 

[The Computer Audiophile]

You guys are to good!

 

 

I'm actually leaving the DAC up to the listener and not including the other stereo components. Since people seem to have a good grip on most of them already (speakers, amps etc...), I'm concentrating on the music server.

 

[BobH]

Asus EeePC with the audio on SD Cards? £250 for the baby Laptop + £25 for each 16gb SDHC card. No NAS, no wireless, no hard drives, no noise. Well, it's simple!

 

[Mr.C]

Well, if it's just the server, then that means that the main link is the interface. And if its a server, that means a built-in interface as opposed to m-audio etc. Which means either a less expensive pci card that performs like the lynx and that can be added to a system, or a server that comes with a good audio interface. And, to make it super cool, it might have to have a touchscreen.

 

My vote is for the HP touchsmart which has digital out built in. But maybe that's just because I think touchscreens are cool.

 

[audiozorro]

If high resolution is the only sonic goal to be attained then I believe a direct connection is always better. This is not my discovery but that of the audiophile fanatic (or crackpot) Arthur Salvatore, who states:

 

“This technique will always be the most optimum and least compromised method of transmitting the signal, both in theory and in practice, BUT it is very difficult to achieve.

 

For a phono system, this means that the phono stage must be directly connected to the amplifier(s). Eliminating the line stage in a system with a turntable/phono signal source is more difficult and also more musically rewarding than with a non-phono system. I know this from more than 15 years of first-hand experience with my own system.

The main problem to overcome is that many phono stages, especially those with tube amplification, have both a relatively low-level signal and a high output impedance. This is an awful combination which makes it very difficult for them to directly drive the power amplifier(s).

 

In a CD system (or tape, tuner etc.), the analog* outputs must be directly connected to the amplifier(s). There is a much greater chance for this scenario to succeed compared to a phono system. The fact that it still fails, in many (if not most) cases, is because the analog stage of the CD player (or DAC) is not properly designed.

In many instances, this "failure of design" is done on purpose. The reason is to force the owner to purchase a separate linestage, hopefully from the exact same manufacturer of the ill-designed CD player or DAC. ("Sir, don't overlook brand name compatibility!")

* Digital volume control can not be used in this test. They adversely effect the amount of musical information leaving the source.”

 

I previously wrote that the audio out from the MacBook Pro is excellent with clarity and detail beyond belief. Ditch the line amp, volume control attenuators, and source selection switch, along with any associated power cords or interconnects.

 

I have used the Monster mini-to-RCA left/right audio cable (from the AirPort Express Stereo Connection Kit) to connect my MacBook Pro directly to my amplifier. I recently purchased the Cardas iLink cables to see if they better the Monster.

 

Please don’t get me wrong. I often use external DACs, active preamps, or passive volume attenuators, since high resolution is but one of my sonic pursuits. And although I use a MacBook Pro, I assume excellent results could be achieve with excellent audio cards in either a quiet and fast Windows XP computer or a quiet Mac Pro computer.

 

 

 

 

[Steelman]

Get set ...

 

[catastrofe]

Go!!!

 

[tfarney]

Can I beat a $175 DAC? Sure. No DAC at all. Toslink straight into a Panasonic digital receiver. All zeros and ones, all the way through switching, signal processing, preamplification and amplification, converted to voltage just before it is put on the speaker terminals.

 

Tim

 

[chilly]

My take may not be the best for Macs but cheapest, is to use a airport express connected from computer with ethernet cable then to whatever DAC you choose, Chris could you try this i believe this may bypass the Audi Midi in macs so one less procces. Note you can turn of the wi-fi in the airport express sounds much better than using digital output from computer. My system consist of Krell pre--amp,Tri-Vista dac, and Wilson Sophia,and using a Mac Book pro notebook.