empirical audio or lynx aes 16 sound card

Interfaces?

I thought the DAC was supposed to address the area of jitter. Some do it better than others. Some have been measured by 3rd parties and shown to be better at addressing jitter too.

I've tried two of these tested DACs and could live with either, although one was a lot more jittery as tested than was the one I kept. What I'm saying is let's not beat a dead horse to death, hearing it is why we buy it. After that it's just simple chest beating as to why we did and a lot of the time people will then point to such things. had my needs for my system been different, I'd have bought the lesser expensive albeit more jittery DAC.... because of it's 'Sound'. As sound is all I have at my discretion to judge a thing with.

I found nothing wrong with the tone of either unit.... just one was softer and more refined than the other, and I had too much of a good thing by adding still more of that softer refinement to my system. A good stew needs salt.

If you are using iTunes consider Apple's Airport Express http://www.apple.com/airportexpress/. You can use ethernet cable from your router or even transmit wirelessly via 802.11n (very reliable). AE is very easy to set up, cheap AND has an optical output from the headphone jack. I know optical is often criticized, but I've found it to sound remarked;y good. I've read that AE limits output to 16/44. If it does then a conversion must be occurring somewhere, because I'm streaming 24/96 files that will play. You'll have to configure iTunes and the sound card digital output for your needs. If you are streaming anything but high res files I'd anticipate no problems at all. And even if you're not totally satisfied the AE is a great device to have anyhow. This is the cable you'd need: http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10229&cs_id=1022902&p_id=1556&seq=1&format=2

Sorry, this IS the link:http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10229&cs_id=1022902&p_id=1556&seq=1&format=2

Airport express does sound good Lenny_pt and especially for the price. What can make it sound better is something like the Pace Car in mode 3 with the Airport Express modded and slaved to it. But the Pace Car and the modding process is expensive unfortunately.

Blindjim, it would be nice if you were right, that a DAC can eliminate jitter. I haven't found one that is not affected by changes in jitter performance. I also don't see improving jitter performance as just changing flavour. I have generally found that improved jitter performance improves everything - smoother, tighter, more resolution, less glare, better dynamics.

Check the 'corrected' jitter figures JA made in his review of the Bel Canto e one DAC3 in Stereophile. Additionally, the balance of the tested specs of the BC D3 also in that same review.

The important part of it all is just how much jitter, or how little jitter, can a human being actually hear?

At some point one has to be reasonable with specs. I've yet to find specs which dictate how a thing will sound, regardless how good or poorly the device measures out at. Especially given one uses only the manufacturers specs.

The only specs that still carry weight with me, are price, size & weight, (sometimes), and color (sometimes).

It always comes down to hearing it. That's the spec to go by.