Connection PC-DAC SuperNait: how ?
Posted by: Paul Labrador on 28 October 2008
I like to play some downloaded music in my new PC (with Windows Vista)through my SuperNait + Allaes.
It would be pleasant to get a nice sound.
What's the best path ?
Who has suggestions for a quality soundcard ? Perhaps Creative X-Fi Xtreme Audio ?
What is the best connection through a wire distance of 14 m, coaxcable ?
I'm looking forward to your suggestions.
Thanks.
Paul
Posted on: 28 October 2008 by garyi
14 metres?
Airport express or Sonos or HDX or Duet
Don;t worry about the sound card.
Posted on: 28 October 2008 by themrock
I would go wireless via
a) Sonos pro:stabil wireless running, easy to install, easy in use with NAS
Neg: some Users say the dont sound wireless as good as wired. expensive ca. 800€
b) Logitech Squeezebox Duet Pro. stylish, cheap 330€, very good sounding wireless
Neg. not so smooth running wireless, tricky installation with some NAS, often new firm/software.
For both, when you use the SN you have to go via Digital output in the SN Digital Input, so the quality of the Sonos/Duets DAC is from no importance, because the DAC of the SN will make the "Music"
Posted on: 28 October 2008 by winkyincanada
I second the AE route (only with iTunes, - or use the $25 Airfoil plug-in for other players).
Some think the combo of iTunes/wireless/AE/SPDIF/Toslink adversley and unacceptably affects the sound, but I think it is fine. Disclaimer: I might be going deaf(er).
Oh, and if you have an iPhone or iPod touch, the "Remote" application totally rules the world.
Posted on: 29 October 2008 by gary1 (US)
Definitely go ethernet for stability. However, I disagree that the Sonos/SB has no effect on the music--it does. I cannot get into any technical explanations, but I have listened to files ripped with Wav Lab Pro and played back using wave lab/K8/SN DAC and the same files played back through Sonos or SB/SN DAC. The former were better than the latter, however the WL/K8 solution more dificult to use because there is a limited amount you can do with playlists etc... with the WL program.
My own opinion is that the Sonos dig/SN DAC sounds great, not audiophile mind you, but very listenable, enjoyable, and musical. I preferred this to SB duet. If you forego the hand controller with Sonos then a single box is $350 and use the downloadable software from the PC--it's free.
Posted on: 29 October 2008 by Graham Russell
There is clearly a difference between Wav and Flac file playback on a Sonos. Wav files are much more musical.
I'm struggling to hear a difference between Wav on Sonos and Wav on a PC via digital out.
Posted on: 29 October 2008 by james n
Having listened to both the HDX and Sonos / Dac (and not just the usual suspect) the Sonos gives the bare HDX a very good run for its money. I was rather suprised.
James
Posted on: 29 October 2008 by gary1 (US)
James, not only have I listened to the Sonos/SN DAC and HDX, I own both. I've even listened to Sonos played with rips from the HDX. While this combo was clearly better to the Wavlab/Sonos/SN DAC and I do really enjoy the musical feel of the Sonos, IMO, there really is no comparison with the HDX (bare). Huge difference.
Posted on: 29 October 2008 by Graham Russell
Gary,
Interesting, well all hear things differently.
We had a long listening session round my house last night. I agree with James, in my system the HDX was not much different to Sonos/DAC. We tried native HDX rips and flac & wav rips off my NAS. Adding a 555PS to the HDX did give the music more drive. Neither set up was a patch on a CD555 and adding the second 555PS back onto the CD555 was a huge improvement again.
We all learnt an important lesson last night that digital coax cables make a difference too. This was very unexpected. We ended up with a Chord Prodac cable (approx £80) which was a huge improvement over a £30 QED coax cable. Tomorrow a Chord Signature digital cable will be dropped in for comparison and apparently the improvement will be substantial. I'll let my ears decide but it will be interesting.
Before anyone gets upset with the DAC usage, it wasn't a Lavry.
Posted on: 29 October 2008 by james n
Running the HDX into an external DAC was quite an interesting one too.
We did experiment with the grounding on the HDX as i know this has been mentioned in the past and found floating to be the best - there was quite a difference between the two ground settings. It was certainly an eye opener on all accounts.
James
Posted on: 29 October 2008 by thesherrif
quote:
Originally posted by Graham Russell:
Gary,
Interesting, well all hear things differently.
We had a long listening session round my house last night. I agree with James, in my system the HDX was not much different to Sonos/DAC. We tried native HDX rips and flac & wav rips off my NAS. Adding a 555PS to the HDX did give the music more drive. Neither set up was a patch on a CD555 and adding the second 555PS back onto the CD555 was a huge improvement again.
We all learnt an important lesson last night that digital coax cables make a difference too. This was very unexpected. We ended up with a Chord Prodac cable (approx £80) which was a huge improvement over a £30 QED coax cable. Tomorrow a Chord Signature digital cable will be dropped in for comparison and apparently the improvement will be substantial. I'll let my ears decide but it will be interesting.
Before anyone gets upset with the DAC usage, it wasn't a Lavry.
There you go again, you just had to mention Lavry didn't you
Posted on: 29 October 2008 by Graham Russell
There was one in the room, but we used an alternative that sounded a bit better
Posted on: 29 October 2008 by Chris Kelly
The Bedini!
Posted on: 30 October 2008 by gary1 (US)
quote:
Originally posted by james n:
We did experiment with the grounding on the HDX as i know this has been mentioned in the past and found floating to be the best - there was quite a difference between the two ground settings. It was certainly an eye opener on all accounts.
James
Again, very interesting. I guess the bottom line must be that we all hear things differently and what each wants out of their music playback is different.
I, too, ran this experiment as Naim says the floating mode should be used only if you have another grounding device in your system. I have the HDX as a stand alone and therefore chassis is recommended.
To me there was a significant difference between the two settings. Music in floating mode was soft and lacked crispness and clarity, whereas in chassis the music noticeably tightened up and was crisp and clear. Very significant and immediately noticeable.
Posted on: 30 October 2008 by gary1 (US)
quote:
Originally posted by thesherrif:
There you go again, you just had to mention Lavry didn't you
Wrong guy
Posted on: 30 October 2008 by james n
quote:
To me there was a significant difference between the two settings. Music in floating mode was soft and lacked crispness and clarity, whereas in chassis the music noticeably tightened up and was crisp and clear. Very significant and immediately noticeable.
Yep - thats we we found. The 555 was in the system at the time so we had a grounding path.
James
Posted on: 09 November 2008 by bigfella
Cheaper than a number of previous suggestions, and something suggested in previous posts . . . .
Apple TV + iPod Touch for control.
I have just done this myself, and packed up the CD player ready to eBay. It's a huge step up from Airport Express streaming to Supernait, and means I can switch off my Macs (G4 tower and laptop) and just listen . . ! Most recent CDs are Apple lossless rips rather than mp3 btw, and while there was a clear difference between CD player (Arcam CD93) dig out into Snait and Airport Express (in favour of CD) the gap is negligible between Apple TV and CD player.
Having said that neither are a patch on my old and new vinyl via my VPI . . .
John
Posted on: 10 November 2008 by thesherrif
quote:
Originally posted by bigfella:
Cheaper than a number of previous suggestions, and something suggested in previous posts . . . .
Apple TV + iPod Touch for control.
I have just done this myself, and packed up the CD player ready to eBay. It's a huge step up from Airport Express streaming to Supernait, and means I can switch off my Macs (G4 tower and laptop) and just listen . . ! Most recent CDs are Apple lossless rips rather than mp3 btw, and while there was a clear difference between CD player (Arcam CD93) dig out into Snait and Airport Express (in favour of CD) the gap is negligible between Apple TV and CD player.
Having said that neither are a patch on my old and new vinyl via my VPI . . .
John
Interesting, because I understood the digital out of the AE to be identical to the ATV. ?? Did anything else change?
Posted on: 10 November 2008 by bigfella
http://forums.naim-audio.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/8772903...492955617#5492955617Some discussion about the AE/AppleTV on this link.
I'm not sure of the hardware differences (if any) between the outputs, but do recall reading somewhere on these boards that the wireless transmission to an AE involves some compression. Maybe a factor. It certainly sounds more wholesome to me. Nothing else changed in the system, other than eventually adding in a better quality optical cord, which in fact made little difference, if any.
John
John
Posted on: 14 November 2008 by Robbert
My system now is SN/AE/POWERBOOK G4/iPod Touch ( with app. remote )
I'm sitting on my couch with the iPod Touch in my hand as a remote. Works very fine. better then the logitech Duet. Also i got internet and games + the rest in my hand when i listen to music.
Everything threw my wifi
You can put your PC as far as possible in your home Wireless Network. So you won't here the fan to cool it.
The AE i connected by Toschlink. Super!!
