Computer vs CD/SACD discs

08-10-14: Audioengr
"Steve, have you compare it to a Bryston BDP-2? Do you know if it buffers data in RAM before play?"

Of course. It is Linux based too, very skinny OS. It beats the Bryston. Bryston is pretty good though.

I found a review ... going to checkout a DX.

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Music isn’t streamed direct from the hard disk. That would result in increased noise and a wandering bit rate at the first step. Instead the Antipodes box uses scripts and MPD tweaks to ensure that music files are guided through the server in a way that keeps timing tight and minimises noise interference. The main scripts are managed and maintained by Andrew Gillis at Vortexbox with whom Jenkins has reaped the benefits of collaborative work scale. Further scripts are added by Jenkins to the final product. You could say that the Antipodes music server babies the signal at every step. The data is read from hard disk to RAM, buffering approximately 1GB. It is then clocked out of RAM to the output card where it is buffered and high-precision reclocked again before being sent to the DAC, which in turn buffers and reclocks it yet again in the—usually asynchronous—USB input. Even as UPnP server pushing digital audio out over its Ethernet connection, Jenkins claims less noise and better sound than a standard Vortexbox appliance.

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Audiolabyrinth, all I can say is that I don't live where you do. I would hate to have to go back to relying on an optical reader with all its errors and other problems.

well I admitt TBG, I do not have any apple products, just PC, Dell top computer of the year I bought it, likly you do not have maintainance requirememnts that I have, cheers.

Joecasey, I enjoyed your last post, keep up the good work, I would like to learn all that I can, anything audio, cheers to you Joe.

AFAIK every computer buffers data in RAM before playback since music is stored on hard disk without timing as data and timing has to be always recreated. Hard disk has hefty cache buffer to start with. At the end everything comes to quality of final clock governing D/A conversion.

I like wireless transfer since it allows to discard everything on computer side of the wireless bridge. It also allows me to keep computer away from DAC. Computer speed, amount of RAM playback program etc. play no role. Clock on the DAC side can be greatly improved by reclocking.