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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
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
sandstone
358 posts
 
Steve,
"ALL lossy compressed formats compromise sound quality IME"
Don't disagree with your point, but want to clarify that FLAC is not lossy but a lossless compressed format that can be converted to WAV or other lossless uncompressed formats with full digital accuracy.

I should also add that the choice between FLAC and WAV is not quite so straightforward. For a multitude of reasons, many systems will not exhibit the same degree of falloff in SQ with FLAC that you describe. For some, it won't be noticeable at all.

"You may have to find them as files and not albums however."
This is not just a trivial problem! We should mention that WAV has the disadvantage of not encapsulating any metadata in its files, as do FLAC and Apple Lossless, leading to library nightmares for more than just a few.

For this reason I usually rip, transfer, and keep stored archive copies in FLAC (this could also be ALAC?), then batch convert an active album set to WAV for critical playback (for albums and systems where WAV seems to matter).

246810,
"Only problem is I promised my girlfriend I would load her Ipod if I could rip her CD's. Does that mean I'll have to rip 2 different times?"
Some ripping software apps let you simultaneously rip to two different formats and folders. Others make batch conversions relatively painless.

audioengr
3,282 posts
 
I meant Lossless - a typo.

Use AIFF, not FLAC or ALAC if you care about tags and album art.

Steve N.
Empirical Audio
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