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Absolute top tier DAC for standard res Redbook CD

Hi All.

Putting together a reference level system.
My Source is predominantly standard 16/44 played from a MacMini using iTunes and Amarra. Some of my music is purchased from iTunes and the rest is ripped from standard CD's.
For my tastes in music, my high def catalogues are still limited; so Redbook 16/44 will be my primary source for quite some time.

I'm not spending DCS or MSB money. But $15-20k retail is not out of the question.

Upsampling vs non-upsampling?
USB input vs SPDIF?

All opinions welcome.

And I know I need to hear them, but getting these ultra $$$ DAC's into your house for an audition ain't easy.

Looking for musical, emotional, engaging, accurate , with great dimension. Not looking for analytical and sterile.
mattnshilp
agear
1,362 posts
 
11-04-14: Wisnon
If you use a computer as source, the current rages are HQPlayer upsampled to DSD256 in Windows ASIO or Windows Server 2012R2 in CORE mode.

I have been told that straight USB beats any converter with these two approaches, so maybe the low hanging fruit is optimization of software filtering, or killing needless computer background processes.

Winson, have you been told the theory on why that's better? How is jitter addressed?
wisnon
700 posts
 
Yes, but too complicated to get into here. Phil from AO has spent over 3 years on this problem alone and he is a full time IT guy and gave me a lot of insight.

Suffice to say TIMING is maybe the most important thing in audio and he uses only Windows SERVER OS and encourages a SERVER class motherboard.

Its well and good that some people talk about server being optimsed, but they really have to say HOW in detail.

I dont want to belittle filter tech and POWER supply, as those are critical too.
ag1215
4 posts
 
So, my DAC only handles 44.1, 48, 96 and multiples up/24 - no 88 and multiples. Given that limitation, is it worth purchasing the 88/24 or the DSD version of Indian Architexture? Thanks.
wisnon
700 posts
 
If your Dac cant handle DSD or in any case has its sweetspot at 24/88, then buy thta!
audioengr
3,282 posts
 
"In an ideal (or future) audio world, a server will do this for you. Its simply an engineering lag"

The music server may seem like a panacea, but it isn't. The same jitter problems exist inside. Its like comparing a CD transport and a DAC and concluding that if they are combined, it will solve everything. You know how that turned-out.....

The real solution is using wired Ethernet instead of USB. This is a solution that makes the computer and its power unimportant. Cabling is unimportant. Even the playback software should in theory be unimportant, but I feel that it will be. This is why I am working on this solution now.

All of my USB interfaces will be upgradable to wired Ethernet LAN interfaces.

Steve N.
Empirical Audio
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