PCs are too noisy for proper sound. You can pick up a decent second hand macbook with an ssd drive on ebay for less than $800, install Audirvana Plus for $75, connect your dac, and you have a superb standalone music player for less than a grand. The software comes with a pdf explaining how to optimise your laptop for best sound. Basically you want to run it off battery power, use the correct usb port, set Audirvana preferences so that you're in Type One Integer Mode, then fiddle with the computer's main volume so that you can max out the volume on Audirvana. I run the dac straight into a power amp and it sounds incredible.
I tried PureMusic and Amarra as well: They both sound great but I prefer Audirvana by quite some margin.
Avoid iTunes at all costs. It sounds horrific. Just. Just awful.
I tried PureMusic and Amarra as well: They both sound great but I prefer Audirvana by quite some margin.
Avoid iTunes at all costs. It sounds horrific. Just. Just awful.