Albrecht

Hi, Just to be clear, - I am not talking about File Servers that host something like but file players that will sit on the audio rack. Even a $125 razberri Pi will outperform the most optimized MACMini or junky Dell desktop as either a combo-server-player or as an (exclusively) digital file player. With all the network optimizations that we've all learned about here, - there's never a benefit to having a "server" polluting an audio system with noise. Lastly, - as I stated, - the "analog" portion of the system is just as critical as it ever was. No optimized digital file playback component(s) is going to "improve" any NAD/NHT based system.....

IMO, FWIW. This is a great, and helpful, (and one rarely mentioned), post. However, - I feel like a gotta ask, -- why spend all the money and labour trying to turn a multi-function computer into something that it is not.... and wasn't designed to be? We have better, cheaper, things for that...

IME, - playing music back on a multifunction computer is ALWAYS worse given the same performance level of gear. Hardware is still in or close to, - 90%. There's no free ride. Until really good (separate) digital file players, ( that dramatically improved), the big 3 elements of what made multi-function computers "not as good" as CDs, - we were stuck with something that wasn't designed and could not perform to a commensurate level. Multi-functional computers are simply designed for many things OTHER than audio. Indeed, computer designers actually eschew (in their blind worship of MFCs) high performance audio. There are people out there who have been, and are, demonstrating this. They have really high performance transports, high performance DACs, and the ability to flip between CDs and digital file players. They have tried (and spent a lot of money) trying to make a multifunction computer, NOT a multifunction computer, and all the computers are either out of the music room and act as file servers, - or are on the junk pile. One of the best ways to get a handle on the process, - is to get/use a really great Universal Disc player with a digital input. You can easily and constantly conduct tests to clearly demonstrate how your digital file playback is performing.

Hi, I have been very impressed with Theta DACs that I've heard, - FWIW. I have a QNAP NAS that runs either LMS or MiniMServer depending on my mood. I like running LMS for convenience and in our building we have 8 different LMS endpoints/or Squeezebox/squeezebox emulators running: so it's mostly just laziness that I don't flip the ultraRendu to MPD/DLNA. But I've found that running MiniMServer via Fiber, to my ultraRendu is a just a little better sound quality. I just have a 24/192 RCA SPDIF input on my APL Universal player. WHen I want to run-DSD, - I just play SACDs. But the quality of the ultraRendu/Gustard/QNAP is almost as good as playing SACDs on my system. I am thinking of moving to the Audio-GD because everyone is reporting that the Audio-GD blows away the Gustard. But i do not know exactly how they are applying it. Plus, - would the Audio-GD or upgrading to the opticalRendu be the better call? IMO the Gustard is a step up from the Singxer, Audiophelio, Berkeley, etc. Cheers,

I have a dream.... ...... I wish... and given what I know of APL (reflected in the review) it is a great DAC and likely a very big step up from mine: true SOTA. Cheers,

GAAAH... I meant SQ: Of course I didn't actually write that...... i should've specified because I also wrote "in any way," bad on my part. But I also wrote that I respect others who use HQPlayer and I respect Miska for making good arguments......

Hi, I see your point. But one definitely needs a DAC that will accept DSD signal as an input. I guess where I was confused was the difference between DSP and Digital Signal Conversion....??? I would love to hear a demonstration of what you're doing vs what is going on in a well implemented DAC that does the conversion there.... (every appropriate DAC is well north of $12K). Too bad that that is so difficult in these times. And for me to actually buy a new DAC, another PC or MAC server, - (if HQPlayer doesn't run on a NAS), - would be beyond whack right now....

Yes....

APL and PSAudio DACs.

Sorry it took me so long to see this good point. And to that. I think that it's even more critical to have this occur in the DAC, - such as APL, PS Audio, and (somewhat Chord), are doing..... Instead of relying on external devices, (computer software outside the DAC), - Some of folks use a NAS computer and an endpoint. (I do understand that NAS's are computers, - but is HQPlayer available for a NAS? And, ---- what about those people who have SPDIF 24/192 max receivers/inputs on their (older) DACs. For those that are utilizing PSAudio DirectStream products, - the DAC takes any signal and converts it to DSD on the fly, - so you might as well use SPDIF 24/192 as that takes care of everything... or so their owners believe.

Correct, - the job of the DAC....

"Do you actually know what a Singxer SU-1 is ?" I've had one in my system for more than 3 years. Currently I use the Gustard U-16 with a Cardas USB cable from my ultra-Rendu... (Debating going to an Audio-GD i20 at 5 times the price, - but not sure). Sounds GRREAAAAT....

ICron USB to TCP/IP converters. Micro/ultra/optical Rendu SotM SMS 200 series... Rednet Ravenna Lumin... NAS to Rendu or SoTM series. Gustard, Audiophelio, Berkeley, SingXer, Denafrips, etc USB to i2s converters....

FWIW, - I think that you make a valid point that is well worth considering. I do have to say that a DAC is not only digital to analog conversion, - or digital FPGA processing that is so close to analog that it "works" without a traditional analog output stage. Most DACs that do not have "convert everything imputed to DSD have much more going on than digital conversion..... It is an analog stage and pre-amp/volume control, it is the power supply(s) it is the design, - case, - vibration control etc. On this earth, - there's no way to make a Schiit sound like a Meitner, - (even 25 year old Meitners), - unless you go waaaaaaay down into BoomBox-style associated equipment. Because of the above, IME, - this does go down to DAC processing too, - (i guess in a little contradiction to what I said above). In that, - I've never heard any Sabre DAC implementation sound "right." And, - I do believe that it is possible to make a Sabre chip(s) sound right with processing and really good output stages, and power supplies, - all things being equal, - DACs with Sabre chips don't sound right compared to AKM and other implementations. A Mac Mini was designed for purposes other than high performance audio. One can't say that a MacMini sucks. That would be unfair. But what you can say that a MacMini sucks for high-performance audio. The shitty (for HP audio) USB bus is just one factor. The hard drive motors, the CD Rom drive, (if there is one), the hard drive bus, the video stage, all contribute to making the noise ridiculous. THat's why everyone is putting Sonore/SoTM/Aurilic, etc. (quieter mini-Linux-music-processing-computers) on their audio rack and moving their computers to Cleveland. All the above being said, - I have a certain amount of experience with certain aspects of all the stuff that I hear, and endeavor to keep an open mind. I wish that I could try stuff like i used to be able to do in the mid 2000s when there were things like a CES. So many people that i respect on here, respect you and use your products. So, - if my Universal player/DAC ever dies, - I am hoping that I may get a chance to try HQPlayer: especially if it works outside of Roon.

As i wrote....