TWEAKS for PC USB DAC SETUP

Steve Nugent, owner of Empirical Audio, a high-end computer audio company, recommends Belkin Gold USB cable, 16' long or shorter.

I find that vibrapods under my DAC make a big difference in soundstage and clarity. They seem to help the bass response, too. (I also put vibrapods under my stand-mount Harbeth speakers, where they make a big improvement.) To control high frequency noise coming to and from the DAC, I use a PS Audio Quintet power conditioner and a JPS Labs Digital AC power cord. The latter uses material that helps to absorb high frequency noise.

Thanks for the info on the USB cable.

I used the V-pods for a while too. I've found the Bright Star isonodes to be better, improving the focus and impact, with less blunting of the leading edge of the notes. In other words, a bouncier presentation... more jump factor perhaps. I think they look better too. I use them under my USB drive, monitor speakers, and DAC.

I am running Windows Xp and using a pretty high quality sound card(Echo Layla 24/96) which has an external breakout box with built in dac. I have been using Windows Media Player 9 for all of music. But sounds like you guys are saying that J River is leaps and bounds in sound quality so i am interested. I would like to try this but i don't want to screw anything up with my soundcard. Will the J River integrate seemlessly with it or do i need to do some tweaks after downloading. I believe the Echo Layla already is using ASIO. When i went to try to disable this Kmixer thing i couldn't find it anywhere? I don't want to mess anything up as you can imagine and i am not the most PC savvy guy in the world but i can navigate around decently.
Can anybody help me out with the required steps i need to take to take this to the next level with J River? And is the J River everyone is using free or is that something i need to purchase for best performance as i understand also there is a free one and one you need to purchase?
THANKS!

I'm not too fond of the J River support forums, but if you are willing to dig a bit, your questions and the answers are likely there.

I'd not be too concerned about JR's install. it'll see what you have for your video and audio just like WMP, ItUNES, OR ANY OTHER media player would.

there's two JR players. Jukebox & Media Center 12. Jukebox is free 100%. Media Center 12 has a 30 day trial. Media Center can play ALL media files. Jukebox only plays audio files. MC plays protected, WMA, iTunes, etc.

I suspect yet do not indeed know, that JR MC (what I use on my XP Pro), alters the path for music playback apart from the Sound Mixer inherent to Windows OS AUDIO playback.

What I do know, is with as crapy a sound card as one can have, the onboard audio became immensely better with no other changes and doing playback simply through my desktop Altec Lansing 2.1 junkie speakers.

gaining a better USB DAC (or in essence, a diff Sound card), playback via a higher res system was again improved.

As I had no ASIO (audio stream input output) driver, I added one of them too... ASIO for all... together, the sound is rivaling my main CDP source... albeit not surpassing it. the immediacy or avialability of the greater variety and access of the tracks on my PCs USB HDD offsets the lessend presentation...

The other installed software media players I have on board werent' affected. I never use WMA... but do use and have installed, ituens, Power DVD, EAC, VLC, & Winamp. so it's doubtful something bad or irreversable will happen if you install JR.

In fact I'D REALLY LIKE TO KNOW IF GREATER GAIN COULD BE HAD USING JR WITH A BETTER ONBOARD CARD, AND i SUSPECT IT WOULD... BETTER THAN WITH usb dac? THAT'S A DIFFERENT TEST.

Good luck, don't worry.