Computer Audio Setup

"The alternative Steve is alluding to is to get his forthcoming offramp 5, which allows you go from a a high grade music server into a USB converter, I2S into the perfectwave Dac."

Actually, I was referring to a new resampler/reclocker for $599.00 just made for the Sonos etc..

Steve N.
Empirical Audio

Steve,

......If you want the best SQ possible, then get an async USB converter with HDMI I2S to your PWD.......

Offramp 5 is the only such device soon to be on the market as far is I know.

James,

Another thought. If you get the MKII upgrade on the PWD, you will get more bang for the buck in terms of improved SQ per $$$ than anything else you can do. You will also get an asynch USB input, so you can do "computer based audio", probably 90% of the quality of the I2S input. A MKII over USB is definitely going to sound better than a MKI using I2S.

So with the upgraded pwd I can go usb from my computer into the pwd for streaming? Control of the computer, say imac, with ipad or iphone?

You can already do that with the MKI as well. Problem is with the MKI the non I2S inputs are inferior to the I2S, and USB even more so than S/PDIF because it is synchronous.

The MKII implements the lens technology on all inputs and upgrads USB to asynchronous. So on the MKII the non I2S and I2S inputs are much closer. I personally moved from the bridge to AES/EBU a week ago (for different reasons) and the difference is very very small. You can read up on the PS audio site forum about impressions on USB versus I2S.

Getting the MKII upgrade and going USB into the PWD will be your best bang for the buck upgrade. You can insert an offramp 5 into the chain in the future if this turns out to be a material upgrade over USB direct and you're willing to spend the extra $$$.

And for music sever simply use something like JRiver on PC or Pure music on Mac. Plenty bi-directional controller apps running on iDevice available.