Computer Audiophile

quote:

Originally posted by DaveBk:
Transporter -> nDAC -> 252 -> 300 -> S-600 = Audio paradise IMO

Transporter -> nDAC/XPS -> 282 -> 250.2 -> Katana = next door to Dave's paradise

quote:

Originally posted by floid:
ok I have an imac going into a Beresford DAC via uSB cable into Linn Kairn and LK100 Aiff files. Still does not sound as good as my CD5. Am I doing something wrong

How much was the Beresford compared to the CD5? I'm not familiar with it.

Joe

quote:

Originally posted by floid:
ok I have an imac going into a Beresford DAC via uSB cable into Linn Kairn and LK100 Aiff files. Still does not sound as good as my CD5. Am I doing something wrong

The Beresford is a really poor sounding dac?

quote:

Originally posted by Lontano:

quote:

Originally posted by AMA:
Not to mention that a human will hardly capture a turn ON/OFF of professional studio ADC-DAC chain...

Pardon?

I say if you slip a modern studio ADC-DAC into your analogue chain you will stress yourself to capture a difference. The influence of digitization is microscopic and lateral rather than detrimental.

You may wish to read a ferenc' contribution here

quote:

Originally posted by floid:
ok I have an imac going into a Beresford DAC via uSB cable into Linn Kairn and LK100 Aiff files. Still does not sound as good as my CD5. Am I doing something wrong

Maybe.

Which Beresford? The £180 Caiman?

How did you rip your CD's? Lossless? Lossy?

Is your Mac upsampling before sending to the Beresford?

Hook

quote:

Originally posted by DHT:
The Beresford is a really poor sounding dac?

I've had the pleasure of using the Beresford TC-7510 for about a week (borrowed from a friend). While I haven't heard the CD5, the TC-7510 was up there with my CD5i and this was driven from a cheapo Pioneer DVD player over a cheapo SPDIF cable. Through the fixed-level output, it had a very, very enjoyable toe-tapping sound though I don't think it resolves the fine details.

It's £120 I think.

Fabulous VFM. But certainly not state of the art (doh!)

I have a Beresford TC-7520. Forgive me upsampling what is that and how do I know that the imac is doing it before sending to the Dac

Personally, I find computer audio so simple, but maybe it is a generation thing and I have experimented a lot - Win7 has def improved things drastically! I have been using computer audio for 10 years now. I know some people, younger than me that have never bought a CD.

The thought of trying to setup a record player frightens me, all that balancing etc etc. It all just requires different skill sets. Imagine your average consumer listening to us chat about matching speaker cables to amps and speakers!!

Anyways I am thoroughly happy with digital audio, though I cannot deny some of the best setups I have ever heard are turntables. But price being equal, computer beats CDs for me and I have never owned a turntable or cassette deck!

Just my 2 cents.
First cent, I have a friend who was a die-hard audiophile who has quitted CD replaying and is now totally into computer audio, with a Mac, and swears it's much better. Only, he's spending time and money trying and testing USB cables, and insulating blocks under the PC, and new tweaks of all sort... Plus, being a professional musician, he twice shocked me telling me he had downloaded a >wonderful Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto, in HD, and twice he couldn't remember the performer's name...

Second cent, the US audio magazine Stereophile is long promoting a campaign to put down CD and having vinyl and HiRes downloaded music as the future. They say CD is finished, and I cannot help remembering when, in 1986, specialized magazines announced that in two or three years no more LPs would ever be made.

M.

IMO, what makes the computer audio difficult is the availability of so many different formats. If somehow someone brings the equivalent of Redbook format in the computer audiophile this will make the things as simple as CD play back. Unfortunately, I don't think this will happen...

quote:

Senior Member
Posted Thu 06 January 2011 18:14
A Question is it me or does the whole download culture leave you cold as it does me. I have tried all the various bit rates and still find the production of music to be cold no where near the reproduction of Vinyl or CD. I consider that I have a good set up but still prefer the sound from CD players and Turntables. I recently put a selection of CD's on my imac and feel that it was a total waste of time. Maybe i'm missing something
Posts: 607 | Location: Somewhere In England | Registered: Mon 20 February 2006

Odd that we are now talking about cds as being the mature and better sounding music playback format. It was not all that long ago that many people were so disgusted at the sound quality of digital in any format; recording, playback, the whole chain. If indeed you are comparing apples to apples (no pun intended) as far as price then a conversation can be had of which indeed sounds "better". If someone on the other hand is comparing a $3,500 turntable setup with a seperate phone stage, etc to a $1,500 iMac non dedicated computer and expecting it to sound as good they will of course be disappointed.

It's not there yet. I think almost anyone in the industry will agree with that. BUT, it is improving very rapidly. As has been written many times in this forum, try comparing a Naim CDX2 to something along the lines of an nServe into a nDac. At least it will be a fair comparison in cost and a benchmark of what both technolgies can offer. Some will like one, some will like the other.

A blind test of these two is a good starting point for folks curious about the performance differences.

Personally, I'd rather listen to an MP3 of Ben Webster than a perfect 180 gram record of Candy Dulfer on a full boat Linn Sondek, if you get my drift.

quote:

Originally posted by Lontano:
So if I have a nice collection of ALAC files, can I stream them to my unitiqute?

If I have a bunch of WAV files in my itunes library , can I add album artwork?

Can I play flac files in my itunes library?

Just wondering? If I could it would help me a lot.

Any answers to this? What would I be advised to rip in if I want to stay using Apple computers, get best sound quality, full album art and naming and stream to Naim unitiqute, NDx etc.

I prefer not to let Windoze back into the house.

albumart downloader on hydrogen audio.

AWESOME.

It will automatically or manually add folder.jpgs to any folder without one. Works for artist.jps as well.

Never manually do album art again.

Or image fetch from Sean Adams of Chorus DS fame.

James

Allen - thanks for the info. I suppose it confirms to me my earlier comment (at least in the apple/naim world) that it is all a bit of a buggers muddle at the moment. Something I can work my way through, but not something you would design if you were starting off with a coherent strategy. A bit of a minefield for Naim to work their way through.

Cheers

quote:

Originally posted by Lontano:]

...

Any answers to this? What would I be advised to rip in if I want to stay using Apple computers, get best sound quality, full album art and naming and stream to Naim unitiqute, NDx etc.

I prefer not to let Windoze back into the house.

Nothing wrong with iTunes to rip. Maybe not perfect if the CD is badly damaged, but with normal [previous] handling a quick review of the recording will soon show if anything is insumountably wrong.

Rather than get into a very hard to work ripping engine, it is easier to get a new CD. In practice I found iTunes actually rescued some CDs that never actually worked reliably even on a CDS2. And so one or two [or more!] very rare and now unobtainable issues were rescued on iTunes. I found EAC simply would not make a clean copy ... Media Monkey proved a joke ...

iTunes on a PC works a treat. No doubt also on a MAC ...

I do believe in the KISS principle ...

ATB from George

quote:

Originally posted by George Johnson:

I do believe in the KISS principle ...

ATB from George

George, that is exactly what I want and I like itunes so happy to rip in that. It is just hard to know what format to rip to as nothing seems to work perfectly in all distributed audio situations, hence it seems to me a bit of a minefield/muddle.

AIFF seems to be probably the leader at the moment if the unitiqute can play it soon. Is it as good as flac/wav etc for sound or no different?

quote:

Plus, being a professional musician, he twice shocked me telling me he had downloaded a >wonderful Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto, in HD, and twice he couldn't remember the performer's name...

LOL

quote:

Or image fetch from Sean Adams of Chorus DS fame.

James, what is this?

quote:

Originally posted by Lontano:

quote:

Originally posted by George Johnson:

I do believe in the KISS principle ...

ATB from George

George, that is exactly what I want and I like itunes so happy to rip in that. It is just hard to know what format to rip to as nothing seems to work perfectly in all distributed audio situations, hence it seems to me a bit of a minefield/muddle.

AIFF seems to be probably the leader at the moment if the unitiqute can play it soon. Is it as good as flac/wav etc for sound or no different?

Dear Lontano,

I use the iTunes interface on the PC to drive the systen rather than all this P-UNP stuff with its issues with gapless playing. If I had a MAC PC I would feed out on Firewire to the Wiess DAC, but not having loads of money, feed the USB out to a simple USB input DAC - Aune - and get bleeding marvelous results.

Naim need to make an input on the nDAC that can cope with a USB input from a MAC or PC, or Firewire input.

I use ALAC and it works spot on ...

ATB from George

Thanks George.

Best to you.

Stuff'n nonsense this computery thing I still use my steam powered Nait Ironclad BrunelServe and aside from some nasty rust stains on the carpet Vera Lynn never sounded so good don't you know....


Never catch on ...

Tog

Tog,

To be credible you need to get the punctuation correct, and the computer thing is already there even for non-geeks like me! Mine was set up for me! Though I have enough savee to keep it going and fix minor issues. ...

ATB from George

quote:

Originally posted by AMA:

quote:

Or image fetch from Sean Adams of Chorus DS fame.

James, what is this?

Sorry AMA - my bad - i meant to type Sean Harding (as in Chorus DS fame) not Adams (as in logitech fame). It's still a neat little utility for iTunes users needing to do the folder.jpg for Twonky etc.

James

quote:

Sorry AMA - my bad - i meant to type Sean Harding (as in Chorus DS fame) not Adams (as in logitech fame). It's still a neat little utility for iTunes users needing to do the folder.jpg for Twonky etc.

James

Ahhh, I see now. I wonder where is Sean Adams now? I will be among the first clients to buy his new products if he comes back to audiophile designs. I'm still amazed on Transporter. You may wish to check my TP vs nSrerve thread tomorrow -- I've just finished the audition