An alternative view: I have the Zero One Mercury music server, and for $2600 I dare anyone to best its sound with a PC. It uses a 24-bit internal DAC (or any DAC you care to plug into it) and my version has a 750GB hard drive that can store about 1200 CDs as bit-for-bit copies, copied at 4X speed (i.e. 10 minutes for a 40 minute CD). The sound is outstanding (see the recent 6 Moons review) and operation is as easy as plugging it in, loading some CDs and off you go. You can choose upsampling/oversampling rates, filters (brickwall to gentle slope to none), and dither types (not needed with the 24-bit internal DAC). I love it. Just my humble opinion, though.
Music Server vs. PC vs. Transport vs. ?
I don;t really want to add another rack in my living room. If I do, I may end up sleeping on one of the couches. Ideally, I would like to do the following:
1. Either use a pc or a server to store discs and have them accessable.
2. Have a way for the kids/wife to hook up their ipods
3. Have a way to get digital radio (xm, sirius or even computer streaming, doesn;t matter)
4. Do all of this WITHOUT degrading the sound quality ( i know, the ipod, by definition will do this)
My understanding of most high end DACs is that they do not have USB ports, but that is the ideal port to use to negate jitter. As I was researching this, I got the latest issue of the absolute sound, and they address some of this a bit. My feeling seems to be that one pays a HUGE premium for a server, that both their DACs and PCs DACs suck, and one has to get a USB to AES or other adapter, and still use an external DAC. It also seems that if one is willing to use a lossless system, that the universal opinion is that a hard drive rivals or beats any transports.
So my initial thought would be to get a pc with an ipod dock, run lossless, get an additional adapter say from Wavelength, and use the current dac. That adds at least two pieces, maybe three.
Help?????
Thanks,
Chris
Help??????
Thanks,
Chris
1. Either use a pc or a server to store discs and have them accessable.
2. Have a way for the kids/wife to hook up their ipods
3. Have a way to get digital radio (xm, sirius or even computer streaming, doesn;t matter)
4. Do all of this WITHOUT degrading the sound quality ( i know, the ipod, by definition will do this)
My understanding of most high end DACs is that they do not have USB ports, but that is the ideal port to use to negate jitter. As I was researching this, I got the latest issue of the absolute sound, and they address some of this a bit. My feeling seems to be that one pays a HUGE premium for a server, that both their DACs and PCs DACs suck, and one has to get a USB to AES or other adapter, and still use an external DAC. It also seems that if one is willing to use a lossless system, that the universal opinion is that a hard drive rivals or beats any transports.
So my initial thought would be to get a pc with an ipod dock, run lossless, get an additional adapter say from Wavelength, and use the current dac. That adds at least two pieces, maybe three.
Help?????
Thanks,
Chris
Help??????
Thanks,
Chris
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- 102 posts total
- 102 posts total