audioengr
Responses from audioengr
| Any insight with the Berkeley Alpha DAC ..?? Drubin - as for devices that use the audio stack in the computer, they are all the same in theory. However, the implementations and protocols used make some devices superior to others. PCI cards are the worst because they rely on too much of the c... | |
| Any insight with the Berkeley Alpha DAC ..?? Dougmc wrote:"As I understand it, quality computer audio systems bypass the sound card for conversion to SPDIF (and therefore for conversion to analog too) by taking the digital feed from the hard drive outside the computer. If this is so, why is ... | |
| Sending music to DAC wireless vs wired Rbstehno - you obviously did not read the reviews that I cited. The Spoiler is not only the best USB DAC, but the best DAC that the reviewer has auditioned. He has heard a LOT of high-end DAC's too, you name it.Steve N. | |
| the ultimate set up 1. how powerful must my PC be?If you are doing USB or Firewire, then more Ghz is better and bigger RAM. If you are doing networked, ala Squeezebox, Sonos, Duet, then it does not matter.2. what ripping software should I use?EAC for PC, iTunes for M... | |
| PowerBook G4 + Apple Express + iTunes +? to analog Your new proposed setup will work fine.Apple-lossess is fine too, although there are some CODEC artifacts, so It's not perfect. It is the best thing to do with Mac. You could also look at AIFF.Steve N.Empirical Audio | |
| Sending music to DAC wireless vs wired Rbstehno wrote: "the best external dacs do not use usb and the reviews of the dacs with usb have not been favorable."Not true at all. The review of the Benchmark DAC-1 USB, the Wavelength Cosecant and the Empirical Audio Spoiler USB DAC's were def... | |
| PowerBook G4 + Apple Express + iTunes +? to analog Syncrasy - why do you need the AE?Networked audio, particularly if you are only doing 44.1kHz sample-rate will be more trouble-free than USB. I would only do USB if you must have 24/96 capability. USB tends to hog system resources. It can work gre... | |
| PowerBook G4 + Apple Express + iTunes +? to analog Syncrasy - the connections would be:Powerbook -> WiFi -> AE -> Toslink -> Reclocker -> S/PDIF coax -> DAC -> analog -> Arcam ampSteve N. | |
| PowerBook G4 + Apple Express + iTunes +? to analog Syncrasy wrote:"Are you saying Airport Express's optical *and* analog outputs are jittery? Does AE jitter come into play if I'm using my AE simply for wireless transmission of data?"Yes, both are very jittery. The clock in the AE is a relatively h... | |
| Sending music to DAC wireless vs wired Jpod - you are missing the point. It's not that wireless is better than wired. The point is that networked, packetized data is superior to USB protocol for music streaming. The reason that networked (ie; ethernet), both wired and wireless is bette... | |
| Apple vs PC for Music System Toufu - sending data without errors and playing it back real-time with low-jitter are two very different challenges. If it was so easy to eliminate jitter, why would CD's be plagued with this for 20 years?Steve N.Empirical Audio | |
| PowerBook G4 + Apple Express + iTunes +? to analog To get a stellar result with AE, you must address two things: first the jitter issue - AE is one of the worst sources for jitter, and then the DAC issue. Forget about using the DAC's in the Computers or these end-point devices. They are not good q... | |
| Apple vs PC for Music System M3pilot - Both Mac and PC can be great using USB, particularly with Vista. However, not all USB devices are the same, and not all USB ports on a give computer are the same. The S/W driver and how the USB protocol works is critical. The clock in th... | |
| Apple vs PC for Music System Toufu - jitter is jitter, but looking at artifacts at a 60hZ or 120Hz framerate on video is really not as critical as the brain-ear function. If you were to look really close with a magnifying glass at each pixel, you would probably see difference... | |
| Sending music to DAC wireless vs wired Ejliu - most DAC's and Transports save money by not using pulse transformers, or they use cheap ones. It's completely different type than transformer used for power. It's a pulse transformer. They cost about $10-20 for a good one.Steve N.Empirical... |