First steps in PC audio - Help !!!

quote:

Originally posted by P.Bonte:
Should be simple to you, but seems very complicated to me.

Hi Philippe

What is your question exactly, it isn't quite clear to me?

What are you looking for, a DAC?
For a new streamer + DAC combi?
The new Naim Unity?

The most simple answer would be:
Buy a Unity!

or else

Use your PC/Mac to connect an external disk to and use some software, (like foobar, VLC) to stream over a SPDIF-digital output to your DAC (make sure the DAC is capable of 96/24) and connect your DAC to your amplifier.

I'm not into the iTunes and Apple stuff, but I'm sure there is some software out there to communicate with your PC/Mac to control the software (but I heard about things like SongBook from BookshelfApps or PlugPlayer).

-
Aleg

quote:

My target setup :

Portable PC or Mac (portable to be able to use near my main system and easely select my music), iTunes or equivalent (to be able to continue to synch with iPod and easy interface), 24/96 capability including FLAC (to start with HD digital quality, External storage (enventually via wifi) of at least 1Tb, all of that connected somehow to a DAC (toslink or coax).

Should be simple to you, but seems very complicated to me.

It seems you understand it very well. You cannot play FLACs on iTunes. Try Songbird if you have a Mac. There is an iPhone app.

-p

quote:

Originally posted by P.Bonte:
My target setup :

Portable PC or Mac (portable to be able to use near my main system and easely select my music), iTunes or equivalent (to be able to continue to synch with iPod and easy interface), 24/96 capability including FLAC (to start with HD digital quality, External storage (enventually via wifi) of at least 1Tb, all of that connected somehow to a DAC (toslink or coax).

For the easiest solution which WILL give you high quality, I would look at a White MacBook, running iTunes and then a mini-TOSLINK to TOSLINK cable into either your existing AV Amp or ideally into a standalone DAC. For storage, I'd look at a Lacie or WD NAS drive, but if at all possible connect a ethernet cable to your laptop. If you have an iTouch or iPhone - this is an excellent day-to-day remote control for iTunes. You could use a Windows laptop as an alternative but iTunes is more tricky to setup to be bit-perfect and you will probably need to add on some form of USB to SPDIF (Optical or Co-ax) converted.

For 24/96k, use MAX to convert from FLAC to AIFF files. Alternatively for the occasional FLAC file you can use VLC, Play or Songbird.

Ideally when using 24/96k files you need to change the setting in the Audio Midi Setup utility from 16bit 44.1k to 24bit 96k AND THEN RESTART ITUNES, or many people just leave it permanently set to 24/96.

Eloise

Hi to all of you,

Thanks for your replies, I will examine them tomorrow and eventually post complementary questions. I am really new to these questions and greatly appreciate your help.

Philippe

Ok, so if I understand well :

I could use a portable Mac with iTunes and Songbird (for FLAC and 24/96). Thanks, I did not know this program.

Storage should ideally be wireless (Eloise why should I connect an ethernet cable ?)

If I use something like Airport express, I think I lose 24/96 capability ? Are there other alternatives to stream wireless HD FLAC ?

Philippe

quote:

Portable PC or Mac (portable to be able to use near my main system and easely select my music), iTunes or equivalent (to be able to continue to synch with iPod and easy interface), 24/96 capability including FLAC (to start with HD digital quality, External storage (enventually via wifi) of at least 1Tb, all of that connected somehow to a DAC (toslink or coax).

Ok -

How about a Mac mini - it can sit in your rack, handles 24/96 and can run headless so you can VNC into it when you need to do maintenance. For control use and iPod touch with the remote app. Just run iTunes. Use a program like Max to convert FLAC files into AIFF and then iTunes can play them through the standard iTunes interface.

James

Thank you all,

I will keep things simple and :

Hold on to my classic setup with airport express and itunes in 16/44.1 mode - perhaps upgrade to an iPod touch to have the remote application.

Test and play with songbird and hires 24/96 on a separate portable PC connected - with cabling -to my DAC. I will then be able to evaluate the differences.

Anyway, I do not think that a large offer of 24/96 exists.

Next upgrade could then be a new DAC, as one of you suggested.

Philippe.

quote:

Originally posted by P.Bonte:
Storage should ideally be wireless (Eloise why should I connect an ethernet cable ?)

9 times out of 10 Wireless is fine, but remember with Wireless only one pice of data can be sent at once. For (close to) 100% reliability of the data stream to ensure no drop outs, I always find Wired is best though it's obviously less convenient. Some people will also argue that it's best to avoid WiFi as you are then introducing a lot of EM fields around your HiFi - personally I think this is very unlikely to affect sound quality in any meaningful way - I just prefer the confidence of cables over the convenience of WiFi.

Eloise

The songbird ipod remote is a large let down. When you select to look at music by artist it simply lists all that artists song alphabetically.

Pick for instance zappa from my library instead of then going to the albums of that artist it goes straight to thousands of songs.

Really silly and a deal breaker.

quote:

Originally posted by garyi:
The songbird ipod remote is a large let down. When you select to look at music by artist it simply lists all that artists song alphabetically.

Garyi,

Is this with the free version, the paid version, or both?

thanks,
p

quote:

Originally posted by garyi:
Pick for instance zappa from my library instead of then going to the albums of that artist it goes straight to thousands of songs.

Thank the Lord there are so many though!

Philippe, I would also consider the PC route, although here Mac users are the mayority Windows XP and Vista are at least as good OS for music server purposes as Macs.
Besides with a PC you won't be tempted to buy the misterious Amarra player!
XP through ASIO in a decent PC can give great performance, I would expend most of the budget in the DAC.

quote:

Originally posted by goldfinch:
although here Mac users are the mayority

Are you sure about that? I dont remember Mac users winning any elections

Seriously though. Really? you think? I would be very surprised if this was true.

Oh well, I feel sometimes like a lost PC user among the itunes and Mac chaps, specially now Naim DAC is so ipod friendly!

I have iTunes working nicely on an XP based PC, using the ALAC way of storing.

Either I could go MAC or get a more external[USB] HD for the PC.

I would would like about 350 Gig of extra HD and get at least a pair of them, so I could make significant amounts of back up safety.

ATB from George

PCS I paid up for the full version. Have you not noticed this?

quote:

Originally posted by garyi:
Have you not noticed this?

I have not. I dont use Songbird. But I suggested to a Mac friend who needs FLAC support.