Up to the Minute: Streaming Bits to Audiophile DAC


I have some unanswered questions from another thread, and also some new ones despite searching the archives. So I hope this thread might be a good place for all of us who are interested in state of the art audio quality from hard disk drive based files.

Kublakhan in another thread suggested using the Sweetwater Creation Stations as hardware for a PC based audio solution and so far this gear looks pretty good to me.

My questions, however, arise from the fact that there may be some disconnect between the conventions for "pro audio" and "audiophile" audio.

So as of this writing, can anyone please explain:

Why does every pro audio person seem confused when I tell them I want to use an external DAC?

What is the BEST way to extract bit for bit data from a hard drive, to export to an audiophile DAC?

Why oh why do expensive $$$ music or media servers, which are supposedly configured to optimize audio use, nonetheless require some sort of cheapo "interface" to stream the data into an audiophile DAC?

Why on earth would I want to buy an audiophile "sound card", which I presume (in addition to an "interface") also has its own DAC?

Given the options which are available for "sound card" and/or "interface" type devices, what is the BEST way to tap the bitstream and/or maximize performance of the audiophile DAC? Optical? TOSLINK? Spdif?

Given the choices I might have for the "interface" between the computer and the DAC, what is the BEST way to minimized "jitter" or other audiophile nasties? Or is that phenomenon more of a downstream issue AFTER the bitstream hits the DAC?

There is a lot of great information in the other threads about ripping, tagging, Foobar vs Itunes and a million other complications of hard drive based audio.

But for now, I would really appreciate just some basic, conclusive opinions on the best way to get bits off the hard drive and safely on their way to my speakers from an audiophile DAC.

Please advise.

THANK YOU.
cwlondon
"This goes to the digital lens which eliminates all jitter and then to the Tri Vista."

I'm sorry, but this is "wishful thinking". The only de-jitter device that I've seen to be really effective is the Apogee Big-Ben, and even this is not as good as what you can get with a USB converter IME. Even this does not eliminate "all jitter", nothing does.

Steve N.
Empirical Audio
Manufacturer
Quit your whining and show some proof that the jitter is still present. I guess Arnie and gang is is a fool for creating such a product. Several write ups confirm that the jitter is reduced consideralby, to the point of nil. If you are hawking your own product, I'm not convinced it is better than what I have currently. Other than that I'll continue to measure with my equiptment and evaluate with my ears. As a software engineer I am aware of the limitations from electronic devices.

Best of Luck Steve
Racerxnet

What "measurements" do you take? The software engineering kind??

The digital lens certainly does not remove "all" jitter....especially something with as much as jitter as the Chaintech.

jdubs
Well the increasingly heated debate here suggest to me that this puzzle still isn't solved.

I am still frustrated and confused as to why we cant export bit perfect WAV files from a well built custom computer into an audiophile DAC and otherwise FORGET all these cheapo sound cards, crap power supplies, jitter inducing processes and arcane acronyms built that I associate with mass produced plastic computers.

As this is supposed to be an "up to the minute" thread...please do continue.

Anyone?

Does the Benchmark DAC work well for this now? Or does it need "mods"? WHy does it need "mods"?

Is the Zanden "pricey like hell" because it is some weird tweako hand made limited production voodoo product and/or one of the few in the world that happens to have IS2?

Are the bigger manufacturers of DACs not listening? Why wouldnt every DAC maker in town be thinking that the world is starting to use hard drives for music and maybe it might be worth a second thought and the extra 50 cents to add an IS2 output to their 5 figure high margin DACs?

I rarely like digital music of any kind, so this set up is more for convenience and archival purposes than trying to outperform my Rockport reference turntable.

Again, if anyone knows how to export a WAV file bit stream into a reasonably priced decent performing DAC without a lot of extra steps and garbage, either electronically or scientifically, or placing a special order to some garage manufacturer who never answers his phone, please let us know.

Cheers

Cwlondon