I just read a review on sixmoons that complained about "pops, ticks, and random outs" on computer based transports, specifically the Empirical units that were under review. It was apparently blamed on the laptop. So my next question is... anybody have a pop/tick problem with their computer based transports?
Thanks,
Chris |
By the by, a special thanks to "bigamp" who got me started on this path. This just looks like a lot of fun:) I will get to hear Tommy's system hopefully sooon. |
Okay, thanks to all! Every post so far taught me a little sometin sometin. Unless I am a lazy, slothful b@stard, I don't get a server, I get a computer. I always wanted a Mac, just to compare, so I get a very good quality Mac,it probably has an easy interface for the iPOD. The more I think about it, I am not sure I want or need to stream audio or xm if all my stuff is on a harddrive. I get two extra harddrives, and a couple of minis if I want internet streaming. So the only question left seems to be how best to get the output of the computer in hi-rez to the dac. I do have 101e's after all, they are discerning of things like jitter and high infedelity. Anything not right I get to hear. One thing about the mac solution I like, the kids are a bit scared of the stereo, but if it is iTunes and a computer, I may never get to listen again:) When I work, I always have a computer by me anyways. Now then, if the mac sucks, I know I need to do something about the interface. Then I go try a re-clocker, or dare I say it.. have all the units run off of one rubidium clock that has multiple inphase outputs. Have to go in and modify the Mac, but I would imagine just a matter of finding the clock and bypassing it with an external clock signal. Seems like if the transport (of whatever type, and the dac are slaved off of one clock that has multi inphase outputs, the jitter problem should be very minimalized. All of this is still a hell of a lot cheaper than say, an MBL transport.
Cheers to all so far, and thank you much for taking the time to help educate me.
Best,
Chris |
What a great thread for me. I really want to thank ALL of you for your input. It seems everybody has found an ideal solution for what is important to them, and everybody is more than helpful. I have met so many great people on the 'gon, and looking over some of my old threads, what fantastic help. I was pretty apprehensive about posting this thread, as I am, after all an acoustic, vibration and microwave measurement specialist and should probably know more about this than I do, but you all have been beyond gracious and helpful. Keep those cards and letters coming!
Best,
Chris |
Gotta share this with you guys.
I went to the apple store today, showed up right when they opened. So first, I asked the guy if he understood home distributed audio. He said he was one of the most knowledgeable guys there. I tell him, "I want to have a computer hooked up to my DAC on my stereo, and then have a remote of some sort, either a macbook or anything with a screen at my listening chair. He tells me that it can't be done without spending a lot of money, but home audio guys can do it with something called a music server that would be simpler and cheaper!
I open up this thread in the store, and show him what was said. He then comes back and says that he can sell me the boxes, but there is a guy, and he gives me the guy's name and website who sets this up, he does exactly this same type of thing, it is very difficult, but this guy used to work there, and he's the T&A. SO we look up the website that he was given, there is none that we can find. One of the other salespeople call this guru, and after a half hour, they say his cell phone isn't on, but that they will leave a message. The salesman reiterates that there are lots of things that have to change in the computer, the hard drive turns off, and then you have to re-awaken it, and that is tough to do remotely, ad nauseum.
Now here I am with only really one question unanswered, does it require a separate computer at the listener chair, or can I have a wireless keyboard and display, ready to drop an estimated 5 grand if needed....and I am told it's way to complicated and difficult for me to do.
And I leave with nothing other than the ipod gift certificates I purchased for my daughters.........
Seems to me my absolute worse case would have been a macpro next to the rack, an airport express, and then a small notebook at the listening chair....Am I missing something? |
Folks thank you all for your time and efforts. One thing that has come through, once you go mac, you never go back..(sorry too good to pass up) but it strikes me that not a single person on this post said "screw it, I;m going back to a transport". Once set up, you all seem to like the harddrive option much better, or are willing to deal with potentially slight sonic losses for ease of music.
If I have the notebook as a controller at my seat, then I can work while I listen, and write it off! So I think for me, that is the way to go. I am going to hear Tommy's system soon, with the Sonos, and his new Ayre amps, that should be fun. Wondering at this point whether I should wait for CES and go see what's there before I make a final decision. Seems like the SD transporter gets very very good reviews, though.
Thanks to all, will post to my system when I finally get off my a$$ and do something.
Merry Christmas,
Chris |
thanks steve, I have browsed your website at length... great out of box thinking. The cool thing is, seeing as I rent both Agilent and Anritsu BER testers, as well as having oscilloscopes in inventory with jitter analysis, I intend to look at that at length. All the the different gazuntas and gazoutas. I have already done that with the two Meitner pieces, and even compared the graphs with and without clock synching, and even compared different optical cables for both loss and jitter. I saved all that on a disk somewhere. So once I set something up, I will measure it and see what is to be seen, and then see what kind of audible difference there is. How boring is my life? |
So, I was at Tommie's yesterday and listened to his Sonos system on his main system. It has the advantage of being hidden, and I like the remote on it. The sound going into his dac was very very good, certainly good enough for background music. I really like my dac, and like Tommy will connect whatever I have directly to it. Also, from the listening chair, one cannot see any of the squeezebox devices although I know I can program a remote to work with it.
I still think I will wait to see what awaits at CES. Although I am almost done with the hardware part of my system, I still have to decide how much I want to invest in turntable ancilliaries, what tonearm cord to use, and start on room treatments and re-designing the fireplace... maybe a display that I can see from my listening chair? Maybe a dropdown heavy curtain that covers the fireplace for serious listening... how about designing the fireplace as a resonator in the first place? Ad nauseum.
This has been very very enjoyable reading all your posts, and I thank all of you, keep 'em coming. I feel quite confident that others have gained insite as well. I contacted MBL, and apparently there are no plans to have a USB input on their DAC. Shortsighted if you ask me, but there it is.
Also I have issues with my wireless already in my house, it is 4 levels, and the knucklehead made the connects in the basement, in the corner. I lose connection way too much as it is in other rooms.....grrrr.
Best,
Chris |
