Hi All
I am currently streaming music via the Rdio service. This like Spotify runs at 320kbs and I
control via Airplay/Airport Express into a DAC then into an Integrated amp. All OK and very
varied as like all Streaming services its an online jukebox.
The issue is source quality. I had a Qute for sometime and struggled to get on with the whole
NAS thing and following a HDD failure i dabbled with the USB option with results that surprised
me. This is something I would like to revisit but feel the Qute is a pricey option as I already own
a v respectable DAC and Amp.
I do not really want the streaming option or the iradio, just the USB and am happy to experiment
with audio from a laptop. Can i achieve good results from USB via a laptop into the DAC?
Posted on: 30 October 2013 by Jude2012
@Fretfan these theories are all good and the Naim White paper also says that the influence of the cable should be less. However, listening to different cables gives differences in sound. That's all I am saying. As with any hifi or hifi enhancement it's down to the individual. :-)
Posted on: 31 October 2013 by Simon-in-Suffolk
Guys it not theories, but established electronic engineering / physics principles.. Or at least it was when I passed my exams on the subject. Any set of conductors carrying high frequency alternating current (RF) will have specific properties. This includes reflections at changes of impedance, cross talk, coupling, EM radiation to name a few. (of course if this didn't happen, electronics as we know it would cease to function and our world would be very different) Therefore in the real world ( as opposed to the simplified marketing FAQ world) cables and thier construction will affect through some sort of interaction to connected devices.
You can mitigate this, but can't remove entirely... But i am confident one can get pretty close to it in a controlled lab environment.
So there is no mystery... Ethernet, SPDIF, USB leads all carry analogue RFsignals and as such obey the laws of physics. They will almost certainly interact with connected equipment. With sensitive audio equipment, where our ears are most acutely tuned to the makeup of the audio.. We are mostly likely to hear these interactions through some sort of low level intermodulation. This is why cables sound different.
It really has nothing to do with higher level bit and byte abstractions (unless the cable is broken).
Simon
Posted on: 31 October 2013 by dave4jazz
Simon
I understand what you are saying but can you answer my earlier implied question:
If the BitPerfect test is successful, i.e. the final display shows "Finished - Your Audio is BitPerfect" has the file audio integrity been maintained, or not, and hence can this test be used to determine the quality/cost of USB interconnect required.
Dave
Posted on: 31 October 2013 by Simon-in-Suffolk
Dave, I would say unless the cable is faulty, broken, or is operating outside specification ie the cable is too long, then this really is not a useful test for a cable. It's however probably very useful to check the personal computer/server of whatever brand is not modifying the signal through its software and/or drivers.
Simon
Posted on: 31 October 2013 by Jude2012
It's good that Simon and has provided a definite technical explanation regarding the scope of the Bitperfect test.
One thing I have discovered is that the iphone version of the forum makes it difficult to see all the post and I had not seen all of @ Fretfan's and @wat's posts jut now via a desktop computer.
Jude
Posted on: 31 October 2013 by Jude2012
It's good that Simon and has provided a definite technical explanation regarding the scope of the Bitperfect test.
One thing I have discovered is that the iphone version of the forum makes it difficult to see all the post and I had not seen all of @ Fretfan's and @wat's posts jut now via a desktop computer.
Jude
