Any audiophile use computer (MacBook) as your audio streaming source?

The BDP-3 is largely a computer but one that is built specifically to do one thing.

Streamers are computers. Some brands, such as marque du jour Aurender, make a convincing effort to conceal that basic fact. And they’re right, because who wants a $14K piece of kit with a $69 motherboard at its heart? Others, like Bryston, don’t seem especially concerned.

Admittedly, most - if not all - off-the-shelf computers are unfit to stream digital music. They don’t have a place in a proper audiophile system.

But a purpose-built computer absolutely does. Usually this means a machine you build yourself of thoughtfully selected components, and properly set up and configured OS and software.

A computer lets you run any software you want, and that alone makes a decisive case for using them. You’re not stuck with software cobbled together by a small electronics-focused business that has zero expertise in software development. Someone recently posted about a wyred4sound unit whose driver’s supported-OS list topped out at Windows 8 if I remember correctly.

Or maybe you own tens of thousands of files of rare recordings that you carefully organized on your NAS, but the crappy software in your new dedicated streamer is unimpressed by your librarian skills and refuses to display or play a good number of them.

Speaking of NAS, I was glad to see the same Synology NAS I own in the virtual system of a member who is apparently rather revered in elevated audiophile circles. Yet a NAS is just a computer, right?

On the flip side a computer will output to USB, therefore a person will need a USB DAC with, preferably, a very good clock.

A lot of misconceptions and unchallenged groupthink are floating around computers in the context of high-end audio. If I had a say, I would encourage folks to keep an open mind and take the time to inform themselves on the subject and develop enough knowledge to at least discuss them intelligently. Beyond that, everyone is free to welcome in their systems whatever component they feel works best for them.

Admittedly, most - if not all - off-the-shelf computers are unfit to stream digital music. They don’t have a place in a proper audiophile system.

But a purpose-built computer absolutely does. Usually this means a machine you build yourself of thoughtfully selected components, and properly set up and configured OS and software.

Or, get a Bluesound Node, LPS and nice cables, feed it to a good tube DAC (with really good NOS tubes) and be done and happy for ~$3K (+ $11 a month for Qobuz and SXM for free if you have SXM in your car) - and a nice app to control it all from every phone and tablet in the house.

But a purpose-built computer absolutely does. Usually this means a machine you build yourself of thoughtfully selected components, and properly set up and configured OS and software.

@devinplombier  That’s probably true, but how many people here who are audiophiles and not computer techs are qualified or are willing to undertake such a project?!?  C’mon man, be real.  Sometimes things are just worth paying for. 

Here’s another voice in the dark that at first used a MacBook, then a Bluesound .....great place to start .. hint hint) and then a better streamer and DAC. My wife who could give a rat’s behind care about all of this also noticed the improvements. Cabling and a clean ethernet matter too. In other words far better SQ can be had away from ye old lappy. You will get what you pay for.

I used to use a MacBook as my streaming source; changed to an Eversolo A6 about a year ago, which was far superior; I'll upgrade that eventually, too.