Absolute top tier DAC for standard res Redbook CD

Streamers used with USB or S/PDIF outs should be Linux-based, not Windows IME. The difference in SQ between FLAC and wav goes away with Linux and a good CODEC.

The big advantage of USB out is that you don't rely on the clock in the server.

Steve N.
Empirical Audio

Steve, one of the questions I had about the Antipodes unit was how their "Uncompressed Flac Paranoid-mode" format, which is standard from the internal ripper, would sound compared to the uncompressed AIFF format I use with my mini. It is my understanding that FLAC is a compressed lossless format and I have read forum discussions with folks on both sides of whether the "uncompressed" characterization (i.e., "Uncompressed Flac Paranoid-mode") can be accurately applied to FLAC. Users of the Antipodes devices don't seem to be concerned about it so it must sound good. Any thoughts?

I was told the Antipodes will also store other formats but if you use the internal ripper you get FLAC. To store and play the other formats, you apparently need to download them from the internet or rip them on another device and transfer. I will have some things to learn when my unit arrives later this week.

For the DSD-heads out there, Linux does not yet have a driver that can handle DSD256 and above. That means that for the HQ Player upsampling crowd, this is a no-no for now. Windows is the only way to go.

Windows 2012 with Audiophile Optimiser is Core mode is Exceedingly good and now that people are getting this to work with HQP, many have found their Nirvana.

AL, a streamer just streams data, no storgae. Add on storage and it becomes a Server. That is why Aries will become a Server with the addition of the USB HDD input. It will also stream from a NAS and do the Tiday, radio thing. it will not rip CDs like many Servers do, including the expensive buut phenomenal Memory player made by the tempermental genious Mark Porzilli.

The MemoryPlayer has lots of proprietary tech like Read until right(RUR), IDEAS (jitter reduction), D2D, 64bit playback and Jukebox.

http://www.positive-feedback.com/Issue65/memoryplayer.htm

Wisnon, mmmm, you are an asset to me, thankyou, I will follow up with you to help me build, you seem to know quite alot of the now and future of digital, this is a great compliment from me to you, I really cannot use much from others within other topics, I welcome all that is willing to teach me about the new formats available, thankyou gentleman.

Bryston is a good brand and reasonable price. - I was impressed with the quality of sound when paired with the ODSE. Much cheaper than my highly invested CAPS server.

"Computer Audio Design - not available in the US. You can get them, but import only. Usb only for Input. Probably in the same class as the ODSE. But as long as it doesn't have a solid US presence, I'm hesitant to look further."

-They make a great USB cable. I am unfamiliar with their dac, but I do not believe they make a server.

***Regarding servers - the interface design of the dac and how this is implemented goes a *Very* long way to eliminating any sonic issues created by the server. In other words, the benefits generated by using LPS, OS optimizer programs, quality USB cables have benefits of diminishing returns.

"After a multiple USB cable trial, I found galvanic isolated interface greatly reduces the sonic differences between cables. Although there remains a difference between extremes comparing a USB 2.0 generic USB printer cable to my preferred Vertere Pulse-R 1.5 meter USB cable, the difference is muted demonstrating subtle differences. The Pulse-R removes a slight course texturing or hash bringing the overall soundstage into focus."

At $1800 this cable paid dividends when used with the EMM DAC2x. When I asked their engineer why they did not have galvanic isolation, he believe it would be prohibitively expensive. ODSE (and ODSX) with XMOS USB interface will have galvanic isolation. Allnic and Waversa are two dacs with this implementation.

Empirical Audio new Ethernet to I2S converter (either internal dac implementation or and external unit with a linear power supply) will eliminate the server and its associated issues.