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Computer audio, I am not convinced yet ......

I am extremely interested in using the computer (Mac or PC) as a source for a digital playback. It seems to be the right direction for modern digital playback, a good alternative to the age old CDP, has endless potential and most convenient. So, I got an EMM DAC2 (retail $10000) with USB input and connected it to an Windows laptop via USB. My preamp, amp, speakers and cables are also of very good quality. Played some track on my system from the PC (used Audacity software, a very good and high quality software for sound processing). In 2 minutes I had to turn it off. It is just mediocre sound compared to playing the same track through a $1000 CDP(Sony SCD XA5400ES). It is almost like listening to an internet-radio through my PC speakers. I was wondering what happened to my first rate sound system ? Later I replaced the Windows PC with a Linux based MacMini, hoping that I will get the result I wanted. But it did not improve much. I did not like the outcome. My listening experience with the computer set up was 4 minutes(2 with PC and 2 with Mac) total. Since then I have gone back to using the same old CDP. I think I blame on the USB interface for this failure. The USB interface has not come up to the state of the art of a modern CD player. I did not try other interfaces purposely. No High-Res, only 16bit/44.1 audio files. I dont listen to SACD. Fire Wire to USB, USB to SPDI/F, Fire wire to HDMI, Firewire to SPDI/F, and almost an infinite combinations of patch up ideas are out there. But I dont like a patch up solution nor do I like to compromise the sound in favor of convenience.

I have heard many audiophile friends changed to computer based playback system many years ago for good and they are happy too. But I am not convinced yet. I am eagerly waiting for computer audio to catch up. I am sure it is in the making but it still has to go quiet a long distance.

Your thoughts are most welcome.
topmostaudio
topmostaudio OP
28 posts
 
Dtc,
Thanks for asking this question. yes I have tried the Digital input of the EMM DAC2 and the sound was fantastic. DAC2 is a great DA converter by itself when non-USB port is used. I have no knowledge of how the USB is implemented. This is exactly the point. The technology has not been matured enough. Everybody is trying something in all directions to find the right approach which has not been achieved satisfactorily. I am not blaming the DAC2 entirely for the failure. The computer is also involved in the whole picture.
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,427 posts
 
In general, it seems USB connections seem to be much more hit or miss for really good sound than older more established and standardized interfaces designed specifically for computer audio, like TOSLINK and SPDIF. I have yet to get any clearly bad results with either o those. Have shied away from USB so far as a result and have not tried it to compare, though my mhdt Constantine DAC does has a USB input.
topmostaudio OP
28 posts
 
Spectron & Mapman, yes you are right that the mediocre circuits in a general purpose computer and the noise inside it are the big issues. If that is the case then we can not use a general purpose PC/MAC at all for this purpose. The computer must be designed by an audiophile company carefully removing non-audio parts and selecting exotic audio-parts which will cost $30,000 and up like some of the exotic CDP or DAC ? It may or may not run my 3D graphic software at its full speed. I will not call this specially designed audiophile grade computer a computer at all. It will be an alternate transport which happen to use some processor and useless outside audio application.
onhwy61's avatar
onhwy61
5,254 posts
 
There is no rational set of arguments, facts or opinions that will convince you.
audioengr
3,282 posts
 
Most manufacturers are adding USB interfaces to their DACs now without much experience with these. As a result, most of these DACs sound better driven from S/PDIF input rather than USB input.

The other thing to realize is that even the very best USB interface when install in a DAC will likely share some part of the power system, ultimately compromising it.

The best course is to buy the very best outboard USB converter and then power it from the very best power supply. This will definitely beat even the best transports on the market. There are some companies that are shipping 5th generation of these interfaces.

The other thing to realize is that the player software and computer hardware is critical. I recommend Amarra on a 2009 Mac Mini powered by a Hynes power supply playing .wav files. Nothing touches this IME.

Steve N.
Empirical Audio
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