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Anyone using i tunes as a computer based jukebox?

The write up in the October Stereophile caught my interest. So I picked up a discontinued G4, 15" monitor and a 100Gb hard disk. I also ordered an RME soundcard with both RCA and AES/EBU digital outputs. I'm currently ripping my CDs onto the HD as uncompressed files and I foresee that I'll eventually need 3 or 4 external firewire HDs to hold the majority of my music collection. What grabbed me is the idea that I will be able to instantly access any song, or combination of songs, in my collection and maintain them as custom playlists.

Just wanted to know if anybody else is also pursuing a similar route? I would like to know your experiences.
128x128onhwy61
onhwy61's avatar
onhwy61 OP
5,150 posts
 
kdrofwdc, there's something called a Stereo-Link Model 1200. This is the web address of an article describing it.

http://www.nytimes.com/2002/01/24/technology/circuits/24BASI.html

It's a New York Times sites, so you may have to go thru their registration process to access.
pls1
432 posts
 
I highly recommend the stereo link. I use one in my office driving a Jolida and Linn Tukans. Way better than a sound card. The stereo link was developed by Sigtech. I got one of the first ones because I use the Sigtech DSP in my main system. Check out their site. http://www.stereo-link.com/
jacopob
3 posts
 
I have done something very similar, but have beeen unpleasantly surprised with the results in my setup. My normal source is a DVD player (coax out). I am also using a G4/400 running OS X with an M-Audio Audiophile 24/96 card (also coax out). Both feed into a Tact RCS 2.0 and from that to a Musical Fidelity DAC. I record all my CD's as uncompressed AIFF files.

The files from the computer sound markedly worse than the same CD played through the DVD player! Not as bad as MP3 but more digital sounding. Bits are supposed to be bits but I am not sure that iTunes is allowing the file to go through unaltered. OS X has a digital audio subsystem called Core Audio which manipulates digital audio files in 32/96 resolution but iTunes forces a downconversion back to 16/44 which I think is causing the problem. This is just ahunch, but I do have another data point: when I play CD's through another program (Whamb) I can use the Mac as an upsampler and output in 24/96. It sounds awesome! Only problem is Whamb's interface is not nearly as good as iTunes (which I love) and it does not play AIFF's, only CD's and MP3's. any suggestions?
onhwy61's avatar
onhwy61 OP
5,150 posts
 
Jacopob, I'm no expert on OS X (I use 9.1), but I'm pretty sure it doesn't perform any sample rate conversion. SRC requires a fair amount of processing power and I don't believe your machine could handle in real time the double SRC (16/44 to 32/96 and back to 16/44) that you describe.
onhwy61's avatar
onhwy61 OP
5,150 posts
 
My mistake. OS X does provide SRC as Jacopob described above. Sorry for the confusion. I'm glad I haven't "upgraded".
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