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Apple vs PC for Music System

I'm pretty familiar with XP owning both a desktop and laptop. But I want to put together a similar system to the Apple TV Setup featured in the Absolute Sound and PS Audio.

However when looking at PCs at a local store they had a windows media computer that looked really interestesting that I'm considering purchasing for just audio into my Levinson DAC. I was told I could use an iPod Touch to control this system just like I could an Apple TV.
Also this system included a BluRay Disc drive. The setup looked very cool and very hi tech.

So to do this system right, should I stick with Apple only like the Absolute Sound or a combo of Apple w/PC to do the ripping, or all PC with Sata drives like the computer store would customize for me w/I-Tunes/iPod running the show?
128x128sgr
audioengr
3,282 posts
 
M3pilot - Both Mac and PC can be great using USB, particularly with Vista. However, not all USB devices are the same, and not all USB ports on a give computer are the same. The S/W driver and how the USB protocol works is critical. The clock in the USB device is critical as well as the overall design. USB can also support both 44.1 and 96, depending on the USB device.

For WiFi devices, it does not matter whether it's PC or Mac. They are identical. Both bit-perfect data delivery. Just a matter of personal preference for the GUI. The problem is in the jitter of the end-point devices. Most of them only support 16/44.1.

Steve N.
Empirical Audio
toufu
83 posts
 
I can transfer a 1 gig file cross my wireless network bit perfect in a minute, surely they can use the same technology to etoufulimnate jitter?
toufu
83 posts
 
I meant elimanate...
audioengr
3,282 posts
 
Toufu - sending data without errors and playing it back real-time with low-jitter are two very different challenges. If it was so easy to eliminate jitter, why would CD's be plagued with this for 20 years?

Steve N.
Empirical Audio
m3pilot
12 posts
 
Audioengr,

Thank you(!) for the clear response. I want to use USB into my DAC and it seems that mandates the use of some type of computer as opposed to an appliance. I'll probably go the Windows route since I have more experience with them and all my other machines are Windows-based.
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