Digital Audio Output on a Mac Versus PC

Now that my CD Transport requirs replacing does anyone know about the M-Audio Transit hub from pc to DAC, I believe that gives superb playback from windows.

I'm considering this as I can't afford a Macbook but thinking of getting a pc netbook from Acer with an external CD Drive.
£229 netbook in Currys, All of my music is all on external HD in lossless already and the small size of the netbook will sit nicely on my rack.

http://www.m-audio.com/products/en_us/Transit.html

Apparently it gives bit perect audio on a pc from itunes or a good as you will get on a pc.

quote:

Originally posted by Peter Dinh:

AIFF = Audio Interlaced File Format - AIFF originaly was an Apple standard
WAV = Windows Audio File - It is a Microsoft / IBM standard. This is a popular format for older folks.

Both formats sound the same and both preserve the resolution of the CD PCM audio so the file sizes will be exactly the same as they are on the CDs. However, AIFF is naturally a logical choice for the Macs because all media apps (including iTunes, Amarra, etc.) on Mac support AIFF format by default.

Firstly, WAV stands for WAVEFORM Audio Format. NOT Windows.

Secondly, AIFF is FAR from a ubiquitous codec. If moving away from iTunes, you will be converting en masse.

Peter, everyone knows what ALAC, and FLAC for that matter, is and how it works. The common, and correct, choice for Macs, is WAV or ALAC. ALAC is you care about tagging.

AIFF was developed in 1988 (hardly new), and is used in studio (pro) applications. Its advantage is being able to store data about tempo and pitch control at specific points in the data.

AIFF has no place in the Hifi-Audio world.
To each their own, but I can barely accept your opinion, and am far from agreeing in any way with it.

-Patrick

quote:

AIFF has no place in the Hifi-Audio world

it's still PCM - Same as WAV data so i can't see why its doesn have a place in the hi-fi world.

occam's razor comes to mind.

If you want to use AIFF, go for it. Cant see any reason to though.

well this is why I asked my question. I doubt I'll give up my Mac, But I'd want my ripped files to work thru any DAC. I read that white paper twice and got so caught up in technical issues it wasn't clear if I should do AIFF or WAV.

I don't see an issue with size as it's easy to put a huge backup drive. I was also considering using one Mini for rock and another Mini for classical.

Oh well I'll keep reading and see what happens with the Naim DAC comes out.

quote:

Originally posted by mudwolf:
it wasn't clear if I should do AIFF or WAV.

I wouldn't do either.

Stick with ALAC or FLAC. Tags are really nice.

quote:

Originally posted by pcstockton:

quote:

Originally posted by mudwolf:
it wasn't clear if I should do AIFF or WAV.

I wouldn't do either.

Stick with ALAC or FLAC. Tags are really nice.

Surely AIFF support tags too so no reason not to use AIFF if space isn't an issue. The way I see it there **MAY** be a difference in playback quality (which can be argued against) with FLAC / ALAC so why not avoid the doubt with AIFF. Personally new stuff I rip as AIFF but I've never bothered reripping old stuf.

Eloise

Eloise,

AIFF (and BWF, the standardized WAVE subset) are all RIFF-based formats and can use the standard professional RIFF tag chunks. You can have many different chunk types in RIFF files. Common in professional fields, an 'iXML' chunk will contain additional metadata, while more standard tags are stored in their own standardized chunks - 'NAME', 'AUTH', '© ', 'ANNO', 'COMT'. You could probably map these to "Title", "Artist", "Year", "Album", and "Comments" if you want to use AIFF/AIFC for ripping albums.

I dont think however that Windows supports any of this. Nor hdoes anything other than iTunes when it comes to consumer media players.

AIFF, and its corresponding tagging method are for use in pro applications and used in software like Garage Band or Apple Loops etc...

Even if a devout, and lifelong, Mac/apple user, I still cannot find ANY good reason to use AIFF.

Can anyone describe why/justify using AIFF rather than the other standard codecs for music replay use?

I am seriously very curious...

thanks!