Please Help!! looking to get into computer audio.


I am looking into exploring the computer audio format, I am a long time audio enthusiast. My Digital front end currently consists of a Oppo bd103 and a Bryston Bda 1 , I currently have the capability to stream my itunes library from my computer via bluetooth to my oppo player , but the sound quality is not up to my standards. Any suggestions on how to increase the sound quality would be great. Please consider that i am a newbie to this and a little confused with the formats of computer audio. Any solution would be appreciated thanks. I have been looking at the w4s remedy and or Blink or recovery. I am also considering just getting a wadia 171 ipod transport and just using my ipod. confused and not sure which route to take for best sound qaulity.

128x128whinoman
Hi Whinoman,

Now in a post USB 1 world, OSX and Linux can support most formats without extra drivers. Windows tends to be the exception. I'd look for a Bryston specific forum to ask questions about how to stream music from your PC to you DAC.  You should only need a USB cable and the right driver.

The two really popular apps are JRiver and Media Monkey.  I don't know why but music players are among the second worst designed apps in the world.  The only code I know of that's worse is auto-correct software, but I digress.  I hate JRiver, and tolerate MediaMonkey. JRiver may have had some advanced features like DSD playing or transcoding, not really sure right now. MediaMonkey has a free version.  I found with my USB DAC (quite old now) that getting it set up right was a bit of a PITA.

Again, go to the Bryston site and see if you can find a support or forum to help you stream to your DAC.  You are NOT the first person to need help with that. :)

By the way, I just read a review of the BDA 1. It has an ASRC built in, so it should do the same work as a W4S Remedy. It may be called "upsampling" or something like that.  Try it. I have found that the better the original source, the less benefit this has. More reason to save your cash for other things. :)

Best,

Erik
You guys are great Thanks!!
Oh and i figured out the Tidal oppo control set up. Pretty cool and sounds much better than streaming my pc. I will take the rest of everything that was posted and start my exploring into this new to me format!! Thank you everyone!!

I'm glad you could find the help you needed.

You had a lot of obstacles at first, having the Oppo 103 BD player was a very fortunate thing.

Try the upsampling on the BDA1 and let us know what you think.

There's lot of music to buy as well, so getting your PC set up to play via USB to your BDA 1 should prove a great experience.

Good luck!

Erik
Can anyone recommend a media server that will sound great work well and not break the bank to much?

Get a New Old Stock (NOS) Squeezebox Transporter. Selling on Audiogon for around $550.

Honestly there is no other media server I would buy right now, except a Squeezebox Touch. The current one's I might buy lack Android phone support.

The transporter however has broad open source support. It IS old though, but a good one.

Best,

Erik