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Audiophile HDD/SSD or CD Playback - Wise Up!

Guest Zacmat

By Guest Zacmat
in Digital Sources, DACs, and Computer Audio

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Audio Grand Champion

Audio

Posted
Posted

Neither do I listen to my Bel Canto CD2 at 192KHz. We all set it to 96K in order to channel it to the DAC3.5 for optimized sound.  If set at 192KHz, only analog output, digital output is not possible.

 

Still prefer 96KHz thru the Bel Canto DAC3.5 instead of native 44.1KHz...one man's man is another's poison, I guess.  :)

 

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naimster Veteran

naimster

Posted
Posted

I see. My friend was auditioning the CD2, so he was more keen in the analog out.

 

Neither do I listen to my Bel Canto CD2 at 192KHz. We all set it to 96K in order to channel it to the DAC3.5 for optimized sound.  If set at 192KHz, only analog output, digital output is not possible.

 

Still prefer 96KHz thru the Bel Canto DAC3.5 instead of native 44.1KHz...one man's man is another's poison, I guess.  :)

 

(Audio)

chua55 Proficient

chua55

Posted
Posted

call the audio-gd a hype. it aint lemon or else it is fried. you may read here

 

http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/466765/audio-gd-reference-7-the-new-flagship-dac/1230#post_7075727

 

check post #1245.

 

check 6moons review . http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/audiogd/1.html

 

problem with them that their product sell so well they are short.

 

I have heard most of audio-gd dac except the newer one which is on its way to me.

Kopi Experienced

Kopi

Posted
Posted

Just recently found a way to connect my laptop with my DAC via USB. Ripped a CD and tried playback via ITUNE. Not too bad via the USB connection. Noticeable difference compared to a CD Player (as transport) but if you don't do an AB, it is not too obvious. So may want to employ this "no cost" technique to get HDD playback for the time being.

 

However, to make it more convenient, I need to find a way to connect the USB connection on my DAC to a wireless device. Once I can do that, I can then playback via laptop anywhere. Is there such a gadget to allow me to do that? Since the USB port will need to have a trigger, will still need something to trigger it..be it a ipad or iphone will be nice.

Guest AndrewC

Guest AndrewC

Posted
Posted

As a matter of fact, there is. "WUSB" (Certified Wireless USB) is an established standard that allows you to wirelessly connect USB interfaces (but forget about sound quality though ;D). IOGear, Belkin, D-Link and a few others make them. Here are the D-Link ones;

D-Link 4-Port Wireless USB Hub

D-Link Wireless USB Adapter

 

By the same token, if you're going the wireless route anyway, you might as well use an Apple Airport Express and stream iTunes to the Airport's Toslink which you can connect to your DAC's Toslink port.

 

 

However, to make it more convenient, I need to find a way to connect the USB connection on my DAC to a wireless device. Once I can do that, I can then playback via laptop anywhere. Is there such a gadget to allow me to do that? Since the USB port will need to have a trigger, will still need something to trigger it..be it a ipad or iphone will be nice.

Kopi Experienced

Kopi

Posted
Posted
you might as well use an Apple Airport Express and stream iTunes to the Airport's Toslink which you can connect to your DAC's Toslink port.

 

Thks bro for your recommendation. Just ordered both the Airport Express and the speaker option( toslink cable) from Apple Store. $217 not too expensive a solution to try try.

 

So do i still need a toslink (optical) cable since the speaker option is a connector (mini-jack)? I read that if it is via the optical connection, the Airport Express will not do any digital to analog conversion and will leave it to the external DAC to do so. This is exactly what I need. Also, you can stream directly via iphone 4. Will be an interesting solution if the lossless audio is of some quality.

baby_zyklon Explorer

baby_zyklon

Posted
Posted

Have anyone tried those very cheap dac on a average system? Do you happen to also find that the soundstage is like totally messed up compared to even those 1k+ cd players from yesteryears? As in everything appears to be concentrated in one tiny box in front of you. No depth and width is like "3 island symptom". Source is just itunes straight to usb dac.Is it coz I am doing something wrong? I mean I don't expect a cheap dac to be good, but it can't be that bad right?

weibchen Veteran

weibchen

Posted
Posted

it is that bad, the computer was not tweaked to be an audiophile device...

CDP and Vinyl has been here for the longest time already..

 

Computer is a new kid on the block which is in it's infancy coming preadolescence.

Quest88 Grand Champion

Quest88

Posted
Posted

XP 32bit, Win7 32bit and 64bit...The one I tried was win7 64bit+itunes10, plug and play.

try 30 day trial for JR media center.

Kernel streaming or wasapi output to your dac, exlusive mode, etc. in terms of clarity, itunes in win7 is really not that good. can read this for a quick guide

http://www.computeraudiophile.com/content/Windows-7-Audio-J-River-Media-Center-14-Configuration

 

of cos, weib will recommend hqplayer.. ;)

weibchen Veteran

weibchen

Posted
Posted

First you have to set to WASAPI

This bypass the direct sound of the kernel of the OS.

 

Then the software algorithm - different noise/filter shaping, also matters - HQplayers or XXhighend..

I personally prefer HQplayer.

 

I have turned alot of computer audiophile on to HQplayer simple ABx with Jriver/Foobar/HQplayer.

HQplayer comes out tops - more details, better tonal accuracy and damn good soundstage and imaging.

 

We moved from foobar snub it for Jriver 14 then stuck on HQplayer...most people don't wanna go back after HQplayer.

But can't bear to part with the money for the software - 145 USD due to the shiity interface ( in the past), getting better now..

 

HQplayer itself has ASIO and WASAPI..

WASAPI sounded alot better.. separation was much better.

Quest88 Grand Champion

Quest88

Posted
Posted

alot of computer audiophile = how many? :)

funnily i get alot of mixed feedback on hqplayer.

i won't go on just because it doesn't support aiff yet.

 

anyway, weib pls give ur feedback on jplay which is a new concept test.. it's free.

Furface Collaborator

Furface

Posted
Posted

Laptop => output via USB => input into USB DAC => analog output via RCA/XLR/3.5mm plug into => integrated/Pre & power amp => speakers

 

 

 

 

Kopi Experienced

Kopi

Posted
Posted

Connected my Apple Airport Express to my DAC via toslink. Setup time in less than 10mins. Super easy and user friendly. Extended it to my current network and now I can see both routers. Streaming it off my iphone using remote app. Super easy.

 

Have not tested the SQ compared to my CD player. Will update.

  • 2 weeks later...
snip3r Experienced

snip3r

Posted
Posted

Now using Audirvana(freeware) on my Macbook

 

http://code.google.com/p/audirvana/

 

Audirvana is an audiophile player for Mac OSX.

 

No equalizer, no trendy special effects, just the music

 

   * Native playing of FLAC, libSndFile (WAV, AIFF, ...), ALAC and other quicktime formats (AAC, MP3, ...)

   * Direct sound path, directly to the CoreAudio HAL for pure bit perfect sound

   * Audio Device exclusive access mode

   * Automatic sample rate switching

   * Up/Oversampling capability

   * Plays completely from memory

   * Tracks are loaded, decoded and sample rate converted in a memory buffer before being played

   * Minimizing CPU and hard drive activity to lessen sources of interference

   * Gapless playback by using a double buffering mechanism (playing track and next track)

   * Transparent split load for loading tracks of any size

   * Background tracks loading/decoding (including sample rate conversion)

   * Playlist (m3u & m3u8 formats) load/save

   * Handles Apple IR Remote

   * Automated updates downloading (using Sparkle)

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