Computer vs CD/SACD discs

AFAIK every computer buffers data in RAM before playback since music is stored on hard disk without timing as data and timing has to be always recreated. Hard disk has hefty cache buffer to start with. At the end everything comes to quality of final clock governing D/A conversion.

I like wireless transfer since it allows to discard everything on computer side of the wireless bridge. It also allows me to keep computer away from DAC. Computer speed, amount of RAM playback program etc. play no role. Clock on the DAC side can be greatly improved by reclocking.

Anyone listen to the Audiophile Vortexbox? It looks to be a simple solution for computer audio.

It's my understanding that you can't rip SACDs by yourself to a harddrive without going the out-of-production Sony PS3 route. Tbg, is this what you did? Thanks.

Rgs92, no, I did not do it myself. Empirical Audio Legacy did it for me. He is a pro guy who also made my prototype Mac Mini and makes the TuneBank. He hopes ultimately to sell his units retail and to make this service available.

On the Exemplar eXpo T105 modified Oppo 105, I could play the SACDs that he had put on the TuneBank from that source and the same SACDs using the universal player. Those on the TuneBank sounded much better, but there are reasons. One, off the TuneBank I was playing with the filters moved up greatly and in DSD. I'm not sure what the SACDs were playing on the universal player. And two, the TuneBank doesn't have the errors of the optical drive.

I love computer audio -- After many years in the format wars - LP / Cassette / Beta / CD / SACD -- I got fed up.
If you don't mind fiddling with computers & you can get a decent network set up - nothing beats it - but you have to feel comfortable with computers. I use a QNAP 32 TB server with raid 5 -- to a Modwright transporter and have a logitech touch and radio in other rooms networked. Nothing beats being able to use your phone or Ipad and select music to play in any room in the house - or outside. Once it's set up properly - it's bulletproof and so easy to use -- I've got a couple hundred CD's gathering dust --- but with about 1500 LP's -- I've recently invested in a good vinyl rig --- I'm still not convinced that it sounds better than the transporter (just different) -- but the convenience of a 200 song playlist -- can't be matched with any other format --- next step is to look at a good DAC to see if I can improve on the Modwright Transporter. For me -- there's no question that computer audio will be around for a long time