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Apple Macintosh Music System

This post has been along time coming for me. I have been lurking around for years, and have learned a lot from the people here. So here it is....

I really like my Apple Mac and iPhone. I like the quality hardware and simple software. I like that it works. I like than I can automatically backup with Time Machine and Time Capsule. I like the AirPort Express. I like the Remote App. I have ripped all of my music to Apple Lossless. I have a main system that I connect directly to and other systems that I stream using the AirPort Express. I like the way Apple allows me to access my music and share it with other devices, and around the house. I am very, VERY happy with my Apple setup.

I want to squeeze every bit of "musical information" out of my Apple system. Here is what I have found works best, but please feel free to make recommendations. I haven't listened to and tried everything.

1. MacBook Pro with a nice SSD drive. It sounds silly, but the SSD makes a huge difference. Not to mention how quick boot time and app launches are.

2. Van Den Hul polished glass optical cable to DAC. I've tried "coax" and "USB", but the optical output seems to sound a little better and more consistent.

3. Altmann DAC with a Optima Red Top power supply. Geeky, but that DAC sounds wonderful when battery powered.

4. Altmann AMP or 47 Labs Shigaraki amp. Both are sweet and gentle.

5. 47 Labs Lens speaker. Amazing!

6. 47 Labs OTA cable for interconnect and speaker cable.

As you can see, I like a smaller (more intimate) sound. I have owned a lot of Linn and Naim gear in the past, but the Altmann and 47 Labs gear still amazes me with every listen.

I'm open to something new, if I can improve.

What other DACs with optical inputs should I consider?

What about "chip amps" and single driver designs?

Any suggestions?

Thanks for your time....
timbrepitch
timbrepitch OP
21 posts
 
This is all great information. I have had much of the same experiences.

All of my collection is CDs, and while I'm excited about 24/96 and higher content, I'm not going to jump in now or loose sleep over it. I hope the industry finds a consistent and mature way of improving the quality in the future. I have listened to some 24/96 and 24/192 content, and it is excellent. I lived with a Linn DS for a year, but couldn't get the software to work correctly and I found Linn's approach very anti-Apple. The Altmann gives me most of the quality of the Linn DS, without the hassle and attitude.

I also tried the Bel Canto DAC3. It is a great DAC, but the Altmann sounds more "involving". (Mb9061, look what you made me do!) ;)

I am learning that "digital" is becoming as complex as "analog". File "formats" are becoming the new "pressing" and "drives/networks" are becoming the new "cartridges/tone arms". HiFi seems to be a moving target and we are in "Hot Pursuit" (as Sheriff Buford T. Justice would say).

More HiFi stuff to be neurotic about. :(

Thank you for your help and keep me posted if anything changes.
lourenz
14 posts
 
Nice thread. I use an old iMac as a server for my Transporter (wireless thru Airport Extreme), and sometimes a MacBook Pro toslinked to my dCS Elgar Plus. Thanks for the tips on glass interconnects.
The main lesson I learned: never connect any computer hardware hardwired to high end gear. Switching the Transporter from ethernet to wireless was a major improvement in my system. Other sources in the system benefited too, probably since there was no more pollution from the common ground plane.
On lossless or compression formats: take care of correct settings in iTunes! Follow the instructions from Gordon Rankin and Apple Lossless sounds as good you can get, imho: http://www.usbdacs.com/Macintosh/Macintosh.html
Very useful information about the best Mac OSX setup for audio!
flg2001's avatar
flg2001
543 posts
 
I am just in the process to upgrade my vurrent Digital front end as well - I have ripped all my CD collection to WAV files iinto my iMacthru iTunes this is replicated to an AppleTV storage that goes to my Reimyo DAC via TosLink at my dedicated audio toom.

Iam planning to change the AppleTV for a Macmini and explore a new software that runs over iTunes and says improve the sound (sorry folks - the name just escaped from my mind but will re-search and post it).

I heard a lot of HiRez at CES last week - it is the way to go in the run of matching my analog etup.
jax2
3,031 posts
 
Thing that sucks is, I then tried to convert an Apple Lossless file to AIFF within ITunes to see if I still had a future option of AIFF if I go ahead with Apple Lossless right now (you'd think it would work and compare equally to a direct AIFF rip from a CD). Not quite. AIFF conversion from Apple Lossless sounded the worst of all when done this way.

I missed this post to this old thread.

Thanks for your observations here. It's always interesting to hear what others impressions are with their systems. This last observation (above) surprises me though as that conversion should, in theory, be bit-for-bit without any possibility of mechanical/physical error of the reading of a disc. I haven't tried it myself though. I just rip to AIFF from the get go (in the past I've used all three formats so have all three in my library). I haven't found WAV files to sound inferior, but they are damned inconvenient on a Mac as they do not support metadata, so moving them around often becomes a royal pita. WAV is a format optimized for PC while AIFF is optimized for Mac and does support metadata and is much easier to deal with on a Mac and in iTunes in my experience. Can't speak to PC's or other file management software.

There was some buzz at CES, or was it the last RMAF, about computer-based systems using Amarra software (a very expensive plug-in for iTunes). Has anyone tried this? I would find it very difficult to justify the $900 price tag for the plug-in (unless I'm not understanding the pricing structure on their website correctly - a "mini" version is available for $300). Can anyone comment on this software? Is it an improvement sonically over iTunes? Does it alter the ripping process at all?
synthfreek's avatar
synthfreek
627 posts
 
I sure hope all your tags make it when you make your transfer flg2001. Can't honestly say that I hear of many people using wavs with macs. I hope you don't end up with an iTunes library full of Track 01s and Track 02s, etc.
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