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Opus 21 CD vs Mac Mini... Opus wins

Resolution Audio Opus 21 with Great Northern reference upgrade beats Mac Mini (CDs ripped into AIFF files. Exported via firewire into M-Audio Firewire Solo into Opus 21 DAC with SPDIF cable.)
Am I missing something or am I just a victim of the PC audio hype? The Opus 21 is better... soundstage, articulation, rhythm, drive, clarity.
Is it the digital cabling? A.C. issue for the Mac? From what I've been reading the computer should be at least the equal of the CD player. Thoughts?
bwyoung
jtwrace's avatar
jtwrace
443 posts
 
That's funny. My Mac Mini with Wavelength Cosecant V3 killed my Opus 21. Now with a Wavelength Crimson forget about it. Not even in the same planet.

BUT, if you're happy, that's all tha matters in the end.
glory's avatar
glory
1,616 posts
 
You are a victim for sure. Stay away from PC Audio, it is bad for your system.
tobias
1,534 posts
 
Well, you've introduced two extra cables--the FireWire and the S/PDIF--into the chain, plus the M-Audio converter box. Any one or all of these could be degrading the signal.

If you could put FireWire or USB directly into the converter, that would eliminate some of the possible problems.
dpe
60 posts
 
I too have a Mac Mini and a Wavelength Brick. The sound is superb enough for me to sell off my Accustic Arts transport and soon I'll be listing my Audiomeca Enkianthus DAC. I'm looking to upgrade to the Wavelength Cosecant next (the Crimson is big money).

I must admit that I'm still keeping my Audio Aero Capitole for awhile and I do have an old Rega P3 that sounds even better than the Mac Mini and the Capitole, but then I'm bias since I come from the vinyl era.
bwyoung OP
143 posts
 
Very interesting. The comment that I have introduced three links in the chain is true and may be a contributing factor to degrading the sound (M-Audio unit, Digital SPDIF cable - Canare Digiflex Gold, and the 'out of the box' Firewire cable). Three out of six comments so far seem to indicate that the problem is not the computer storage itself, but what is downstream in the chain. Thank you for your contributions.
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