MBA project - audiophile computer transport

Rives - you are comparing apples and oranges IMO. Now if you had a low jitter bit-perfect digital computer source and compared it to the same track playing on a Transport, not a CD player, then you would have a valid comparison. Digital Lens is old technology BTW. There are much better clocks now. You also need an excellent DAC and preamp to hear the differences. The computer should trounce your Transport.

As for a S/PDIF out of your laptop to a DAC, a modern reclocker can make it as good as a transport, even better. See this review:
http://www.positive-feedback.com/Issue39/ramblings_computer.htm

Steve N.
Empirical Audio

Steve:

Thanks. I guess my question now is, how do you get a "low jitter bit perfect digital computer source"? In theory the wmv files should be bit-perfect. They are lossless and on digital comparison once uncompressed should be perfect. So that leaves the jitter and as I understand it there are two forms of jitter. That between the "word" and that within the "words". I know the lens is VERY old technology, but I had it and figured--what the heck.

The equipment is pretty good--I'm a vinyl person, so my DAC is not the best. It's a Levinson 360S. The transport that I compare to is the Levinson 37. Actually--it's quite good for redbook.

The difference I currently hear between the CD going into that DAC, and the wmv files going into the same DAC are pretty huge. The wmv files have a tremendous loss of dynamics, both micro and macro. My main purpose for the server is whole house audio--so this is not some great quest of mine, but if I could improve it and get the lossless wmv files to sound as good as the transport without shelling out a bunch of cash--I would certainly do it. Any additional advice is appreciated.

I haven't read the link you put in yet--but I will--so if my answers are there, sorry about this post.

The wmv files have a tremendous loss of dynamics, both
micro and macro.

Sounds like something is wrong. It might be digital volume control from your
software - digital volume control is notoriously bad - in many cases bits are
adjusted without dither.

Try this: Make sure you computer audio volume is set at max or UNITY gain.

My ipod going from a Wadia to a DAC sounds better than a PC with the same files going into the same DAC (SPDIF). In fact the ipod (these are lossless files) sounds just about imperceptible to the CD that was ripped. Going from the computer there is a very noticable loss in fidelity.

This is very interesting. I don't have any experience with the iTransport, but what Rives is describing suggests -- well, I'm not sure what it suggests, but I do find it very curious. Is he getting better sound because of the iPod (reading the music files off solid state memory?) or because of something the Wadia is doing, or what?

"The equipment is pretty good--I'm a vinyl person, so my DAC is not the best. It's a Levinson 360S. The transport that I compare to is the Levinson 37. Actually--it's quite good for redbook."

I have to be skeptical here because I've modded a bit of Levinson gear over the years. Very dark-sounding and lacking in extension is the commong thread. The 37 I have modded and installed a Superclock4. This is really stellar with these mods, but not that great without. ALL of my Computer audio devices beat this transport, even with the mods.

"The difference I currently hear between the CD going into that DAC, and the wmv files going into the same DAC are pretty huge. The wmv files have a tremendous loss of dynamics, both micro and macro."

The first problem you have is wmv files. I would use AIFF or .wav only.

Second thing is your S/W player. If you are using a PC, then the only players are Foobar2000 or Jriver. Nothing else comes close IMO.

Third thing is insuring that you are bypassing KMIXER if you are operating on an XP platform. The best way to do this is to unmap the device in control panel-system-devices. I can give you instructions for this if you email me.

Finally, if you are using Vista, then it is critical that you have 24-bit data to get bit-perfect playback, not 16/44.1, but 24/44.1. Only certain devices can deliver this. You must also be sure that the volumes are set at maximum on any player you use and that the sample rate matches between the player, the file and the Vista settings.

There are a lot of pitfalls to getting good sound from a PC, but its certainly possible. No transports (even modded) match the computer audio interfaces that I use.

Steve N.
Empirical Audio