Is computer audio a bust?

Agear, many of the posts in this thread clearly demonstrate
the convoluted nature of computer audio, the lack of consensus
on best practices, and some of the reasons computer
audiophiles will remain a niche group within this audiophile
niche group.

Anyone who thinks USB can't be done right has never spent time with Peachtree's XMOS-chip based asynch implementation in their X-1 Grand Integrated. My system could not be much simpler...an off-the-shelf HP computer from Costco, playing songs ripped in AIFF format through JRiver, over a $12 Belkin USB cord directly into the Peachtree Grand X-1, then out to a pair of Wilson Benesch Arcs. That's it - 3 components, computer to Peachtree to speakers. As far as difficulty making it work - trust me, I may be the least technically-inclined person in this entire thread. I'm one step ahead of being mechanically clueless - some of you have hamsters who can explain what a DAC does better than I can. And my system sounds absolutely fantastic. If I can make it work, anyone can.

Now, would it sound better if I substituted an ARC Reference 9 CD player in for my computer? Maybe it would. But if you could hear what I'm hearing already, you wouldn't be rushing me out the door to go drop $13K on a high-end CDP. But that's missing the bigger point - I don't need my system to sound as good as an ARC CD9 or a Meridian CDP, I just need it to sound superb. I've listened to some of those high-end vinyl & CDP systems, I know the sound that we're chasing. Even if I'm not quite there, I may be a lot closer than some naysayers can appreciate. Except that I have an entire music library at my fingertips - I can go from Journey to Isobel Campbell to Charlie Haden instantly, no stacks of discs, no getting up to change CDs. Superb sound with so few components, and that level of convenience, how could that be a bust?

Agree with Electroslacker.

The principles are not hard, but the products and technical choices are many and not always easy to sort through.

Computer audio is hardest for audiophiles who will sweat every detail in order to get the "best sound".

I am an old time music and audio lover plus I make my professional living getting computers to do what is needed. So computer audio comes as a natural thing to me.

Like most things computer, it will only continue to grow. Not the only kid on the block today, but I would love to take up a bet with anyone who thinks the future of computer audio is anything but grand.

Andrew, the Lessloss streamer had a lot of promise when I heard the first prototype a few years ago or so at RMAF. I do think the DAC 2004 is one of the best I have heard and why I keep it around. I would love to leverage it somehow and the Lampizator or Sonore Rendu could be solutions for me to consider. As for the new streamer, given the proposed price it is unfortunately not something I would budget for. As you mentioned, it still remains to be seen what formats it will support as well.

As for Ethernet cables a good source is Blue Jeans Cable. They verify the cables to be true CAT6 or 5 and they do not break the bank. Given the data is sent in packets and there is no clock to recover I would think if all else is designed properly jitter should not be an issue. With the Cantata I can play a song from a CD and stream the same song doing a fairly close A/B comparison. To me I do not hear an appreciable difference either way. So the convenience factor won out.

07-16-14: Pkoegz
Kr4 same set up as you at least with fan-less, closet, USB and hard wired. The rest of you for the most part most have found it very difficult to go from incandescent bulb to CFLs to LEDs. "So confusing which to chose? Each works differently. It depends on the implementation". Hog wash. I am a 58yr old. Not in any type of hight tech or tech at all industry. 1.5yrs of college. No issues. Minor hiccups. But I have a brain. I am able to think and process thought and ask questions. Stop crying about change and embrace it you will be the better for it. Nothing wrong with the old ways darth vaders, but the technologies can exist together. My turntable has no issues. Live long and prosper.
Pkoegz (Threads | Answers | This Thread)

What a GREAT attitude. Too bad you're in the SMALL minority. Can't believe people are complaining too many options.

07-15-14: Bcgator
Computer audio is a passing fad, just like sex and marijuana (not necessarily together, but not necessarily not together). You wait - in 5 years, nobody will want any of the three. You heard it here first.

Hate to break it to you, DACs are computers. It's not a general purpose computer like Mac, Windows ... but I guess you can classify as embedded system.

You still need to load data in memory before it works so basically the discussion boils down to how. CD transport reading a CD in real time, computer from HDD, computer from USB Drive ...

If you're tech/computer/software savvy, you would never choose off a CD in real time.