2. pc-audio
  3. 1196013673

Music Server vs. PC vs. Transport vs. ?

I don;t really want to add another rack in my living room. If I do, I may end up sleeping on one of the couches. Ideally, I would like to do the following:

1. Either use a pc or a server to store discs and have them accessable.
2. Have a way for the kids/wife to hook up their ipods
3. Have a way to get digital radio (xm, sirius or even computer streaming, doesn;t matter)
4. Do all of this WITHOUT degrading the sound quality ( i know, the ipod, by definition will do this)

My understanding of most high end DACs is that they do not have USB ports, but that is the ideal port to use to negate jitter. As I was researching this, I got the latest issue of the absolute sound, and they address some of this a bit. My feeling seems to be that one pays a HUGE premium for a server, that both their DACs and PCs DACs suck, and one has to get a USB to AES or other adapter, and still use an external DAC. It also seems that if one is willing to use a lossless system, that the universal opinion is that a hard drive rivals or beats any transports.

So my initial thought would be to get a pc with an ipod dock, run lossless, get an additional adapter say from Wavelength, and use the current dac. That adds at least two pieces, maybe three.

Help?????
Thanks,
Chris

Help??????

Thanks,
Chris
128x128mount_rose_music
sammie
220 posts
 
7. Wavelength Audio -or- Empirical Audio

Both sites offer good products and are good sources of information.
sammie
220 posts
 
7. Wavelength Audio -or- Empirical Audio

Both sites offer good products and are good sources of information.
bigamp
219 posts
 
I agree with (1) from rbstehno. Get a DAC that sounds good to you and make the PC interface work from there. I've tried DACs with built-in USB interfaces (Benchmark and Cosecant) and haven't been impressed. But everyone has different tastes. If you find a DAC that you like that already has a USB or some other type of PC interface built-in, then that's even better.
ckorody
643 posts
 
Hi -

1. What is the right DAC to get? you can use the one you have. If you don't have one I suggest a USB DAC or a Squeezebox depending on what and where you want your systems

2. What is the right format to import files into iTunes for the best sound?
Apple Lossless with error correction on, all other sound functions off

3. Is there other software out there besides iTunes that should be considered on the Mac?
NO

4. Is the drive on the Mac optimal for importing music to the drive?
Yes but it is probably too small and no matter what you will need a second drive to back up to

5. Does transmitting the music over a wireless Internet (Airport) degrade the music in any way?
WiFi is a radio signal. Line of sight is best, thick walls and floors are generally counter indicated for success.

WiFi can degrade the signal in that the signal can be disrupted by external factors leading to drop outs - if you have trouble with a wireless phone in your location, you will probably have trouble with WiFi.

6. Is Ethernet superior to Wireless for music transfer?
Yes in that it is more robust and can be run wherever you want it

7. Are there any good websites to learn more about this?
Do take a look at the PC Forum on Audio Asylum and also search on this Forum - a lot here - keep in mind that this is changing fast so I would look at the most recent posts first

Do keep in mind that doing this on a PC is a very different problem then doing it on a Mac - for instance EAC, Foobar, Secret Rabbit etc are specific to PC as is the K-mixer and ASIO issue

As far as commercial sites, take a look at the SLIM site - they are the leaders in the WiFi/Ethernet space http://www.slimdevices.com/

This blog is a bit old but has a lot of good info
http://musicserver.blogspot.com/
hdomke
40 posts
 
Rbstehno,
Thanks for your answers. If I could go farther with my questioning:
"1. get the best dac you can afford."
I was thinking about the $2,500 Bel Canto e.One DAC3 D/A processor. It has a volume control, so that a Preamp would be unnecessary.

I was planning on connecting to the DAC via optical output from the Macintosh via a Toslink cable. Is that the highest quality?

"2. do some experimenting."
I would rather hear from an expert about what is the absolute best file format to use for importing into iTunes. I will be putting this in a high end system. There are only five options:
AAC
AIFF
Apple Lossless
MP3
WAV

Which format is identical to the CD bit-for-bit with no compression? I don't care about file size. Optimal sound is everything!

"3. if you want to use the ipod, you are pretty stuck with itunes."
I don't care if I use my iPod and iPhone with this system. This system will be for critical listening. Are there other applications for a Mac that are superior to iTunes for turning a Mac into a high-end Music Server?

"4. a hard drive is a hard drive"
What I meant to say is: Does the CD-Drive that will be used for importing the music make a difference? I have newer Macs with their latest drives. Is that the best? Does anyone ever use external drives for importing?

"5. i use it with good success."
But is anything given up when using wireless transmission? Is the file compressed for transmission then expanded when you get it? Is there any degradation in sound quality that is due to wireless vs. Ethernet.

"6. wired is already better if you can use it."
I have the option of running Ethernet (but it means drilling a hole in a wall and the floor).

" i use wireless to an airport express device with good success. i use 802.11g"
I am using Apple's 802.11n Extreme Base Station with Gigabit Ethernet.
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