2. pc-audio
  3. 1133743568

High End User Interface for PC Audio

In the future, I am sure high end manufactuers will give us the same tweaky, visual and tactile happiness that we enjoy with exotic digital and analogue source devices.

In the meantime, however, one of the things that really disappoints me about PC audio is the cheesey, plasticky feel of surfing through iTunes on a computer, with my Tympanis, ARC and Mark Levinson eyeing me suspiciously from the background.

Indeed, there are times when I almost feel guilty, as if I were pouring cheap wine into a beautiful glass.

So I am wondering: using technology available TODAY, what would you use to upgrade the look and the feel of a hard drive based system, using UNCOMPRESSED files, delivered to the DAC of your choice?

A metal keyboard? laser mouse?

A sexy, HD capable monitor sitting on a coffee table to surf through your digital library?

Wireless technology to increase the - wow this is cool -factor for PC based audio?

Apple Mac G5? (Not a good answer IMO.)

Airport type wireless device? Or USB based device?

Thank you for your ideas.
cwlondon
nicksgem10s
98 posts
 
I have started this journey myself and am waiting for the Intel chip MAC Powerbooks to come out before buying the laptop. I have however already started loading a sweet looking little 250GIG external HD made by a company called Wiebetech. The hard drive is all aluminum and should look pretty sweet on my rack once I have it loaded with high quality files. It is the tough tech model on their website http://www.wiebetech.com/home.php
I was informed of the tough tech drive by someone who I was discussing the Wavelength Brick USB DAC. I am going to go for the Off Ramp Turbo from Empirical Audio to a state of the art DAC. Babysteps....
kenn39
75 posts
 
To be fair, Off Ramp Turbo is state of the art. Pairing it with a good DAC, it should be as good as anything else.
slothman
311 posts
 
Curious as to what DAC's you folks have found success with out of the Waveterminal.

Would anyone consider SRC upsampling in Foobar (channeling through a capable device) superior to an upsampling DAC downstream of the U24? Or non OS DAC for that matter?
edesilva
768 posts
 
I'm using a WT U24 with great results with a dCS Purcell/Delius combo. Haven't really messed with SRC, but I know there is one person who would say that its a better upsampler than any hardware out there... Audioengr?
kenn39
75 posts
 
Slothman,

One more scenario to your question: SRC upsampling in Foobar to an upsampling DAC. I use SRC upsampling to 96k and Benchmark DAC1 upsmapling to something like 110k.

This is conceptually hard to accept. But once I tried it, I became addicted to this configuration. Obviously, whether the sound is better or not, it's more a matter of personal preference.
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