Will computer to DAC replace transports and cdp's?

Kublakhan, I'd be glad to share that imfo, I need a few more reports like Pardales'
This is getting interesting.

>Pawlowski6132

read a little bit about it. its basically replacing your transport with a digitally stored data on a hdd, the whole signal conversion is supposed to take place in your stereo system (good DAC), away from a computer...

Let me try again. Playing a song (Bill Evans Live at the Village Vanguard - Track 1, let's say) from an external LaCie hard-drive, using my Apple laptop running iTunes as the interface -- with the U24 taking the USB signal out from the computer and converting it into S/PDIF, and then running a coxial digital cable from the U24 into my Dodson DAC, which was connected to a Modwright Preamp, a Pass Labs 250.5 amp and VR4JR speakers....sounded AS GOOD as playing the CD I ripped the music from via a CEC TL51X transport with the same coaxial cable out to the Dodson DAC and through the same system.

Anyone care to suggest why it would be as good or better? We all know that transports make a big difference, but it appears that the hard drive solution somehow works around whatever problem it is that a good transport fixes.

Let me jump in here with a slightly off topic question I'm very curious about. There is one so far unmentioned problem with computer audio I haven't seen addressed, namely fan noise. How do the contributors to this thread deal with it? I nearly went crazy figuring out how to minimize the 24db. computer fan in my PS Audio Power Plant, so the thought of more fan noise from other sources puts me off.