2. pc-audio
  3. 1324354429

What is the function/pupose of music plyr/streamer

Sorry guys another neophyte here with a simple question.
I am going to set up a Computer sourced link into my audio system (sooner or later, once I figure this out).
I "think" I have the basics of the chain down; Computer, Bridge/Converter, DAC, Amp. However I don't understand what advantage a music player/streamer would afford me.(I will be using a MAC and using mostly Apple Lossless files). So this invites 3 questions for me.
1. Why do I or would I need a Music player or Music Streamer? (they are the same, right?)
2. When used, where should it go in the chain?
3. While these devices often list support for many different kinds of audio files, almost none actually say they support Apple lossless, is this because they don't or they just don't want to spell it out?
Thanks for your patience with some of us new/old (double jeopardy) guys.
But any info would be much appreciated.
246810
loomisjohnson
1,974 posts
 
246, according to logitech the squeezebox touch does play apple lossless as well as flac (you are correct that they are different codecs). i've been using my touch for a week or so now and i've become a fan--it's quite addictive once you get past the setup hassles.
audioengr
3,282 posts
 
"Steve, in what way are ALAC and Airplay 'flawed'?"

1) It is not just using networked data transfer, it uses the audio stack so it is mucking with the data with mixers and volume control etc..
2) compresses the data to ALAC

Firewire is no panacea. USB interfaces done right beat Firewire.

Steve N.
Empirical Audio
audioengr
3,282 posts
 
"So, I'm going to guess you use FLAC.
Can you recommend a s/w app that allows my mac to play well with FLAC?"

You would be wrong. ALL lossy compressed formats compromise sound quality IME. I recently did this comparison at RMAF at my exhibit room. Had a great track, Steven Stills "Treetop Flyer" in FLAC and was playing it a lot and then one of my room partners said I should convert it to .wav and try again. I used XLD on my Mac to convert it back to .wav and it was considerably improved. Sounded like listening through a tunnel with the FLAC version. It's the real-time behavior of these CODECs that mucks-up the sound quality.

I put only .wav files on my iPod and my wifes ripped with either dbpoweramp on a PC or XLD on a Mac. Big difference.

Steve N.
Empirical Audio
stl114_nj
94 posts
 
Steve how are you able to get wave to work with the. iPod? Is this outside of iTunes?
audioengr
3,282 posts
 
.wav files play fine on the iPod as long as they are 44.1. Just put the .wav files in your library into the iPod playlist on your Mac and when it syncs the iPod, the .wav files are on the iPod. You may have to find them as files and not albums however.

Steve N.
Empirical Audio
More to discover