Is computer audio a bust?

Hello Keith,
I don't know the technical aspects of the TI 1794 chip. All I can attest to is that Shigeki Yamamoto found a way to get absolutely beautiful music out of it and for that I am very grateful for his talent and effort. I've added Duelund CAST capacitors (1pair) for output coupling and placed the DAC on a Star Sound Apprentice Stand. These two simple steps took it to an even higher level.
Charles,

Jesusa0,
What USB dac did you use for your comparison? The only Yamamoto dac you list is a YDA 1. As far as I can tell this is not a USB dac. Also it is from 2008 or so. There is a new dac from Yamamoto, a YTA 2 dac. This is a USB dac. It is a brand new model according to their web site. You state and I quote, "2.- USB to SPDIF converter. To my ears better resolution than connecting USB straight to DAC". So I ask what USB dac have you used to determine this opinion?

charles, the 1794 allows for direct coupling of the signal instead of out put capacitors,and there is more!, and as a seasoned audiophile that I know you are, this is best!, Incredible!

Charles....I find both done right to sound fantastic and I'm not trying to convince anyone one is better but rather that the premise that computer audio is bad....wrong or dead is way off base. Again..computer audio is the way most recording are created and sound fantastic.

Let me put it this way; a recent recording project did for a client, consisting of the group Spyro Gyra was a 26 track recording. If you were afforded the hardware....software....and tracks....would you like to have total control of your mix and afterwards would you burn it to a disc for playback in a cd player or would you save a 2 track file and use this as your playback reference? My guess is the later.....which is how most engineers keep and listen to their 2 track master mixes. Not that it doesn't get burned to a disc but that the file is saved, archived and referenced on a computer and a hard drive. A dedicated computer based system for sure but today, for most people, it is not hard to put together a dedicated computer based system.....and can cost a whole lot less than a sota cd player.

My point about Spyro Gyra was made because...In the not too distant future this might be possible.....at first I can see it starting with the ambient mix....then surround....then limited track mix....and then total mix. The variables that would need to be reconciled is distribution. ..royalies...and artist creative control. The latter is the biggest...but doable.

You might think that it could never happen but it could....copy protection of some sort could be applied...everything could be save in a cloud and payment could be fee for access. Your home hardware could be the restriction point for protection through software loaded on your computer.

Sound crazy...but so was the light
bulb....telephone....radio...and lp. All this can happen..and nd someday will. Sorry to take off an a tangent....but this is along way of saying computer audio ain't dead but rather just beginning.

Pkoegz

You´re right I have to clarify that point.

I used a TEAC UD-501 DAC which has USB connection. One day I decided to connect a V-Link USB to SPDIF converter to the TEAC and, to my ears, I found more openness. But the the real deal was the USB external power supply (a Chinese one that I don´t remember the brand), suddenly I got more illumination.

When I compared the Esoteric-Yamamoto combo over the MacBook Pro plus Teac UD-501 DAC (USB direct or not) the first combo gave me more resolution and body (besides, the Yamamoto bass reproduction bettered the Teac´s).

Again, a transport like the Esoteric beat a transport like a MacBook Pro plus the external parafernalia mentioned.

Hope this helps.

Daniel