Upfront apologies: Naim does not figure in this post - but I thought I'd share my experiences and looking for any recommendations from those experienced with this matter.
Over the past two weeks, while CDP was in service, I dabbled around with itunes as a source. Initially with airplay via an airport express (analogue out), predictably the sound lacked a lot of everything. I wouldn't even recommend this setup for casual listening while vacuum cleaning. With my system too far from my network router, streaming is not very convenient (spotty wifi) so I tried hooking up the mac to the system directly.
Success #1: As a DAC, I have the HRT Streamer II+, an affordable but high quality async USB streamer that is powered by the USB interface and is recognised natively by OSX. It gets occasional use, but never in the lead role it played over the last two weeks. I hooked it up to the family mac mini, using an audioquest cinnamon USB cable, with the DAC to the amp via old Siltechs leads. Screen sharing via a macbook. It worked out of the box, with the Mac running iTunes. Sound was OKish, nothing special and definitely not worth the expense.
Frustration #1: I thought the smart thing to do was to use to connect the mac to the TV via its HDMI interface. Wrong. The Mac defaults to YCbCr color space, my TV is RGB native, result is a lovely pinkish hue over everything. An evening's googling gave me script to force RGB, which solved this issue. Apple easy? Yes, as long as you're within predefined operating parameters. Anyway, now the Mini could double as movie server.
Frustration #2. My itunes library was on an external 2TB USB drive. It's a bit older, and the USB interface gets dislodged easily, resulting in the need to go into the system, make peace with OSX and reconnect the whole thing. After a night of rearranging files, I switched in the heavy duty Thunderbolt RAID unit, and this resulted in a marked improvement in reliability. Secondary benefit: it's large enough to hold an unlimited amount of films and music.
Success #2. I was not happy with the sound. Next thing was to try various softwares: VLC (sounds good, bit bloated, inconvenient to use), bitperfect (hogs itunes, not a great deal of change to the sound), amarra (definitely has an effect, but sounds like some equalisation is going on in the background), and finally Audirvana Plus. I say finally, because I quite like the improvement that Audirvana brought to the system. I always understood that async USB negates the computer side of things, but from experience, this is just not true.
Frustration #2: My CD player is back, and within the first minute of switch-on made it clear who's king of the rack. It has a persuasive full bodied and detailed sound that the Mac can only dream about. But the mac is in place and I am reluctant to let it go completely, and I have decided to optimise it further, if possible.
Next step is to try a linear power supply for the DAC. I've heard it some time ago, and thought I could hear a marked improvement. If that doesn't play out, I'd like to audition a few quality DACs. I'm reluctant to convert the Mac's output signal so they need to be USB DACs - Bryston's new BDA2 looks promising, and so does the new HRT Streamer HD. The V1 looks good on paper as well, wonder how it will match up to the big boys.
Is there anything I've missed? Some software or hardware that will allow the mac to become a reference level source? Is it even possible, or is high quality computer music only attained via streaming?
Cheers,
EJ
Posted on: 29 April 2013 by NickSeattle
Hi, EJ,
Nice narrative. Given what you have tried, my suggestions may go without saying:
1. Disable volume control and EQ in iTunes; set Mac machine Volume to max
2. Try AIFF lossless file type
3. Try optical out from the Mac to DAC
4. Verify in System Prefs the the Midi control settings make sense
5. Turn off System sounds
6. If you do not use optical, and stick with the USB solution, get rid of other USB devices, and use a FireWire or Thunderbolt drive instead.
I get quite good results from a Mac Mini into the Naim DAC via optical, with a USB drive.
Good luck.
Nick
Posted on: 29 April 2013 by NickSeattle
Hi, mikapoh,
I probably use the CD5X 5% and the Rega Planar3 2.5%, Tuner 45%, SBT or Mac 45%, other 2.5%.
It takes a while to rip a CD, so I like the CD player because it works right away. Also, I think the CD5X FC2X sounds great, as you might expect that the prior iteration of today's $4800 XS combo would.
To your comment about fairness, I think the Naim DAC is wonderful with or without the PS. I think it is good to add a PS, but not required for pleasing performance, to my ears, in my system.
I cannot say one format is clearly superior; each is compelling in its way. Forced to say, I think the CD has better timing, and toe-tapping magic, maybe. But the stuff into he DAC comes pretty close, and can be controlled with iDevices from anywhere in the house, which is good in my whole-house scenario.
Nick
Posted on: 17 July 2013 by EJS
Two months forward, and I have given up on the mac as a serious source, for now. I've tried a number of DACs, even some quite exotic ones, but a different computer source, a Bryston BDP1 in this case, made quite clear that at least part of the problem lies with the source. Not sure why, but the BDP just sounds a lot better than the mac on any of the tried DACs (except async USB-only DACs, which the BDP doesn't support). So - I can't say I haven't tried the field but I'll stick with CD.
I hope I'm forgiven for writing this on a naim forum, but: the Bryston has given me an idea of what I want from computer-based audio. No LAN streaming, no reliance on PCs or network drives, no set-up hassles, a self contained audio system that starts up quickly, accepts USB sticks and makes me feel it was designed to do just that... In a way, it's what I wanted from my HDX (which ultimately felt too much like a computer, to me).
EJ
Posted on: 22 July 2013 by Massimo Bertola
EJ,
thanks for the whole of this. In one stroke it confirms a number of impressions I have had since the 'Mac As The Best Possible Source' campaign has begun and answers a question I was about to pose when I opened this forum - e.g., regarding which USB DAC was a good investment in order to use my MacBookPro as a streamer of Internet Radio, since I no more have a SuperUniti.
I have heard a lot about the HRT Streamer II, but always thought that you can't have the sound of a €500 DAC for just 135, so I was doubtful, and you now explain to me why.
The Bryston player got excellent reviews on Stereophile. I am not sure that I will ever want to go HD-based, but I have experience enough of Macs used as sources to have learned where it's worth to put time, money and expectations and where not.
Cheers
Max
Posted on: 22 July 2013 by NickSeattle
Originally Posted by EJS:
. . . Nevertheless, the mac itself is more of a bottleneck than I expected so not much point spending insane amounts to get it to sound better if you ask me.
Hi, EJ,
Something is just not right, perhaps in MY system rather than yours. Maybe I have not been following along or I would know what kind of CD player you are comparing your Mac setups with -- it is not in your profile. I alternate between a CD5X and a CD555, both of which I like, and find the Mac optically into the Naim DAC / 555 is pretty close, satisfaction-wise, especially for the money!
I am not suggesting that you buy the Naim DAC; but I do think the Mac itself is probably not the bottleneck, based on my experience. I happen to prefer the sound and UI of the Squeezebox Touch into the nDAC very slightly to the Mac and iTunes, but by enough to disqualify the Mac altogether.
It is possible my system, room, or hearing is too forgiving.
Best of luck.
Nick
