The Noiseball (aka computer) converts audio data many times, uses questionable performance clocking, has switching mode power supply and uses poor interfaces (mostly USB and Wi-Fi packets or combination of both) to transmit audio data to an external DAC. It does not really matter if the USB signal is converted to S/PDIF, I2S or anything else, it still comes from that same USB port! Same applies for Wi-Fi connection where the middle of the audio track may be sent first and then the beginning of it and so on in random packets which are then decoded and reconstructed by a DSP (talk about error correction). There are some nice pro-audio computer cards available allowing much cleaner data transmission and slave mode to the DAC clock, but please realize that all you slave to the DAC is the clock of the computer card DSP, nothing else.
Even a cheap $149 universal player spins the CD, SACD or DVD-A at higher speed allowing for memory buffering using both FIFO and large SDRAM buffers which results in jitter free clocks and bit perfect data. It is not true that the DAC in a CD/DVD/SACD player has to be PLL-ed (and whats up with the evil PLL thing? Latest PLL techniques are great achieving as low as 30pS jitter!). Good example that comes to mind would be the famous, faulty and long discontinued Philips SACD1000. This player has its main 16.9344MHz non-PLL audio master clock (low noise powered) next to its DACs, the perfect scenario. This non-PLL, low jitter master clock oscillator is also clocking the audio DSPs. Then, PLL is used to generate the 27MHz clock for the video circuit. The SACD1000 spins the CD at much higher speed and uses combination of FIFO and large SDRAM buffers. The jitter free and bit perfect PCM data/clock transmission in the SACD1000 is carried by our beloved I2S but without any data conversion or long cables and connectors resulting in about 5-6 inches cleanest possible signal path. WOW, isnt this amazing! It looks like the perfect CD player, the perfect solution, right? Well, I am sure that many around here know for a fact that the stock SACD1000 performance is nothing to write home about, although it was a nice machine for its time. The moral of the story; not everything is as easy and simple as it looks.
IMO and IME, a carefully optimized (key word), vibration/error free classic digital front-end using memory buffering and latest error correction engines, with built-in dedicated, specially designed DSPs, shortest signal path, no data conversions to completely irrelevant to audio data transmission formats, ultra low jitter clocking and low noise power supplies simply can not be outperformed by computer based audio, at least not for now. Hopefully in the future the time will come when proper technology will be developed so one is able to load favorite music onto a computer based audio solutions and play it back while achieving the same audio quality as with the classic dedicated stand alone digital front-end is possible today. So lets stay optimistic.
Regards,
Alex
Even a cheap $149 universal player spins the CD, SACD or DVD-A at higher speed allowing for memory buffering using both FIFO and large SDRAM buffers which results in jitter free clocks and bit perfect data. It is not true that the DAC in a CD/DVD/SACD player has to be PLL-ed (and whats up with the evil PLL thing? Latest PLL techniques are great achieving as low as 30pS jitter!). Good example that comes to mind would be the famous, faulty and long discontinued Philips SACD1000. This player has its main 16.9344MHz non-PLL audio master clock (low noise powered) next to its DACs, the perfect scenario. This non-PLL, low jitter master clock oscillator is also clocking the audio DSPs. Then, PLL is used to generate the 27MHz clock for the video circuit. The SACD1000 spins the CD at much higher speed and uses combination of FIFO and large SDRAM buffers. The jitter free and bit perfect PCM data/clock transmission in the SACD1000 is carried by our beloved I2S but without any data conversion or long cables and connectors resulting in about 5-6 inches cleanest possible signal path. WOW, isnt this amazing! It looks like the perfect CD player, the perfect solution, right? Well, I am sure that many around here know for a fact that the stock SACD1000 performance is nothing to write home about, although it was a nice machine for its time. The moral of the story; not everything is as easy and simple as it looks.
IMO and IME, a carefully optimized (key word), vibration/error free classic digital front-end using memory buffering and latest error correction engines, with built-in dedicated, specially designed DSPs, shortest signal path, no data conversions to completely irrelevant to audio data transmission formats, ultra low jitter clocking and low noise power supplies simply can not be outperformed by computer based audio, at least not for now. Hopefully in the future the time will come when proper technology will be developed so one is able to load favorite music onto a computer based audio solutions and play it back while achieving the same audio quality as with the classic dedicated stand alone digital front-end is possible today. So lets stay optimistic.
Regards,
Alex