Any audiophile use computer (MacBook) as your audio streaming source?


I rarely see any audiophile talking about streaming audio digital sources from a computer. I understand MacBook can accept native lossless formats form all the various platforms, and it can store unlimited music files in any format, so supposedly it’s the best source, and the digital file is the most purest before it’s fed to the dac. Anyone compared the sound quality of computer vs other audio streamer? 

randywong

Showing 3 responses by audioman58

You can use a computer but a good streamer with a dedicated LPS power supply ,and upgrade the signal using a ddc or reclocker ,this too applies to streamers  it takes the digital signal ,holds it in a buffer then uses a much higher grade clock and filtering to create a much more pristine signal to your dac ,,

another added benefit is that you can run the best audio signal I2S  cable from the reclocker. online they now have pretty decent USB to I2S converters if you just want to run it into your dac, depending just how good your dac cleans the incoming signal. for even the little linear power supply in your streamer cannot match what a good DDC can do .  In mine I took it up a notch, and went from Femto clocks 

to precision. dual Oven clocks ⏰,plus a lot of filtering , and isolation using I2S Cable from DDC to the dac ,a Big difference in musicality for just over $1k , if you have  a more moderate system around $550 for a decent one ,,buy a respectable cable ,they look like a hdmi cables, Wireworld  work well nothing under $70 like the Sphere ,or Silver Sphere around $270 , to me. A worth wild option , you can spend $10k on a ddc but that is overkill IMO,That being said ,I have heard $100k digital setups ,for people with Ultra budgets . Way out of my league even when I owned a Audio store. 

Streamers or computers absolutely benefit from a DDC or reclocker USB to DDC input., for even with a small LPS power supply from a streamer ,it’s not as good as even a basic $550 DDC , the better ones even have Oven clocks ,which are better then in most dacs and if possible run I2S cable for the best signal input .

A MacBook has many computing processes going on in the back ground 

where a streamer just has 1 process your music ,

also it has no fan even streamers though in more  then 65% the power supplies are not that good meaning not high quality linear power supplies. Both can be improved better still . I have found that’s DDC or Digital to Digital Converter better known as a Reclocker  takes the incoming Digital signal puts it in a FIFO buffer then  totally cleans- filters  and processes the data to either a Temp controlled ⏰ clock, or even better Oven Clocks ⏰ that then go out to your dac with a much more pristine Digital signal .if your dac  has a I2S input then you can connect That from the DDC to the dac I2S which looks like a HDMI cable , which is the best sounding audio type cable connection ,he Wireworld I use has 48 Separate   wires . This will for sure give you computer or streamer a more musically engaging experience . I just stack on top of dac using Iso acoustic feet on both.