Best computer for usb hi fi source

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04-08-15: Elevick
I'm not a Mac fan plus they are pricey. Windows 8.1 is awful. I wiped a new Acer laptop, put in a solid state drive and installed Windows 7. All is perfect. Using both JRiver and Foobar but when streaming, media player is easy. Dead silent, tiny footprint, portable and disposable."

Download and install a free program called Classic Shell. It turns the Windows 8.1 interface back into the 7 interface. 8.1 does seem to sound a little better, and at least for me, its been much more stable.

If you have the patience to manage Windows - and it can be frustrating..

get a custom PC - fanless, SSD with a linear PSU. You can get a lower power processor and use one of those fanless casings which double up as a heatsink.

Run Windows Server 2012 and JRiver. You can tweak it further - use JPlay and the Windows Server optimiser.

If you don't have the patience to manage Windows, get a Mac Mini from one of those companies that specialise in modifying them and adding a linear PSU. As before, use an SSD

You can JRiver for Mac, or iTunes with Audirvana Plus

Bryston BDP-2

You have gotten great replies.

I'd like to add "best" is in the eye of the beholder. For best sound, a server such a Doggiebrowser mentioned (which I use) or a modded Mac Mini. For really best sound you will need to spend a fair amount of time tweaking hardware and software, which in itself defeats the attractiveness and right there it stops being the best option for some. For example, for acoustics you don't want a computer screen in between your speakers, so headless operation is "best" for sound, plus you turn off the video circuits inside the server so there is less electrical noise within, hence allegedly less jitter.

Either Windows based or Mac laptop would be best in terms of simplicity and could get you very good sonics if you are inclined to tweak yhe software piece. Or use the Audiophile Optimizer with a Windows Server 2012 based laptop.

My suggestion is to first decide Mac or Win based on which system you are most comfortable working on today. Either one can provide outstanding sound from what I read (I never owned a Mac server).

Then decide laptop or server. If you haven't been using computers as source I would recommend getting a laptop, even an older one will do OK, and familiarize yourself with computer audio. Some people just don't like it, so better learn this with low investment in time and money. My two cents :-)

I was given a demo of the BlueSound system the other day and IMHO this is the one to get. A proper Linux/ARM based system that looks like it belongs in a B&O showroom.

For complete newbies, you just need to hook up a USB HDD or stream from TIDAL or lossy sources or internet radio.

And if you add a second unit, the OS is smart enough to index all the different HDD attached to the second or third or as many units as you need (up to 34 IIRC).

Or if you are more tech inclined, hook them up to a network drive via SMB.

There's even an Accurate Rip version with a built in HDD to rip yr CDs without a PC.

And not as pricey as a some custom PCs. Designed using tech from NAD - a sister company of BlueSound.

Man, I sound like a fanboy