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just starting - mac vs. windows computer source?

Hello all. I don't know much about the specifics of a computer based audio source, except what I have learned looking thorough the archives. I am still hoping you guys can help me with suggestions that are specific to my situation and considering the current and potential future advantages of using either a windows or mac based system as a music source.

I have a fairly dialed in audio system (see my virtual system under mitch2) but want to now include a computer based source (I know, I am quite late to the party). I currently use a new(ish) windows based laptop for home computing, have external hard drives, and also have a windows based laptop for work. My only mac exposure is the company i-phones we recently adopted, my wife's ipad, and looking at my daughter's macbook pro. I have hundreds of CD's and a very high quality hi-rez player, but none of my music is yet digitized.

I want to add a high quality, great sounding computer based audio source that is at a similar sound quality level as my current player (or better), and I have heard using the ipad as a control and visual display, and the mac mini as a server, is a good way to go. I like the idea of having the mac mini near my gear, so shorter cables to the dac, and I like the idea of controlling everything wirelessly from the ipad, but this means I will need to buy more stuff and will not be able to use my windows based laptop for that function. I am okay with that as long as the ipad/mac mini is really a superior solution.

I have four questions regarding my decision to adopt a mac based or windows based music solution. At this point, I want to focus only on which computing system is best for me and handle dacs, cables, etc. later.
My questions;
1. is the overall consensus that the mac based system is better for hi-rez music playback, considering my goals are very high quality playback, wide bandwidth, low noise, and ease of operation,
2. is there a windows based system that could sound as good and be operated similarly to the ipad/mac mini option, perhaps using my windows based laptop as a control,
3. if I go the mac route, is there any advantage to purchasing a macbook pro over the ipad to control things, assuming I still plan on using the mac mini as the server, and
4. what other questions should I be asking that I haven't asked?

Thanks for any solutions or suggestions you guys care to provide.
mitch2
almarg's avatar
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almarg
9,670 posts
 
Tim (Mitch2), a thread that I think would be very worthwhile reading is this one, especially the comments by AudioEngr (Steve N. of Empirical Audio), whose opinions and experience certainly warrant a great deal of respect IMO. Several of the other posters in that thread also provide good food for thought.

One brief excerpt, to whet your interest: "A low-jitter source will often make a $1000 DAC sound identical to a $8K DAC."

Best regards,
-- Al
lewinskih01
909 posts
 
Mitch,

The thread Almarg pointed to is very informative, and echoes why I was focusing on the USB converter instead of the DAC. Good reading.

Windows laptop vs. "desktop": laptop is easier with the included screen and keyboard, but a"desktop" has more room inside and is easier to open up and change stuff. You asked about a permanent solution, which of course means different things to different people. Down the road you might want to replace the card in your PC with a SotM card, with an independent power supply to it, etc, etc. In that case a desktop type would be the way to go. Yet this is secondary to getting the USB converter and DAC right, I think.

But all this trouble is, in my eyes, meaningless if you use computer audio just like you use your CD player. If all you are getting out of it is saving yourself from standing up to change a CD...not sure it's worth the trouble. So trying it out cheaply was what I was steering you to, so you could come to your on conclusions. In line with this the HRT makes sense to me, just don't expect the same sound quality as with your Muse.

Regards
holmejr
30 posts
 
my point at AA. For your situation the devil might be in the details, but your saving grace will be in your DAC/Converter.
davide256's avatar
davide256
399 posts
 
For the music server novice, Mac seems safest. You don't have to be a software expert to get it right.
zd542
5,339 posts
 
After reading Davide256's post, I can't help but agree. I recently bought a laptop with Windows 8 installed. To make a long story short, Win 8 is a nightmare. Its the most poorly designed piece of software I've ever used. I actually wiped it off my hard drive and didn't even take the time to make recovery CD's. Its not too much of a problem for me because Linux is my primary OS. If you are going the Windows route, though, its definitely something to consider. In my opinion, Win 7 would be a much better choice than 8. Mac's are great too. I think more audiophiles use Mac than Windows.
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