Audiophile PC Audio Players

[Daveis]

I wonder how many people actually have systems with a noise floor low enough (and I mean the whole change, including speakers and listening environment) that it would make a difference. If you're dealing with 24-bit, then it's a complete non-issue as even DACs don't really achieve LSB performance in that case.

99% of the music I have is plain old 16-bit/44.1khz. I can't see any reason why I would knowingly or willingly listen to 16-bit music through 15-bit resolution.

Does anyone think their PC/soundcard's analog output sounds better than the alternative -- eg. cd player or cdplayer/DAC ?

I noticed that even this expensive toy http://www.slimdevices.com/marketing/Transporter-Datasheet-US.pdf only has an 8MB buffer.

Any links to modding already good sound cards like the RME one's? I don't imagine many folks have risked damaging a $500 sound card.

 

[FastEddy]

Daveis: " ... 99% of the music I have is plain old 16-bit/44.1khz. I can't see any reason why I would knowingly or willingly listen to 16-bit music through 15-bit resolution. ..."

Too bad ... FYI: to reproduce or rip tunes from vinyl records, the absolute minimum needed vis a vis quality v. bandwidth is stereo 24-bit / 96K .

You too can hear the differences when connected to Internet Radio ... compare the differences between 32K Virgin Radio feeds and 96K Radio Nigel feeds = much of the same music. Radio Nigel sounds a whole lot better, even when playing 16-bit 44k CD music.

I have begun giving away and throwing away my CD collection and replacing it with SACD and DVD-A versions ... anyone can hear the differences when played through a decent system, unless you have become tone deaf from listening to CD quality for too long ...

 

[FastEddy]

Daveis: " ... I noticed that even this expensive toy http://www.slimdevices.com/marketing/Transporter-Datasheet-US.pdf only has an 8MB buffer. ..."

It is also 24-bit / 96K multichannel output D to A ... and you don't need any significant buffer at the output D to A when you have the feed passing through a heavily buffered computer network. The much faster 24-bit DAC doesn't need it.

 

[FastEddy]

Daveis: " ... Any links to modding already good sound cards like the RME one's? ..."

" Please note that the DIGI32 series is no longer in production! The cards are replaced by the DIGI96 series: ... "

... but the DIGI96 is also discontinued ... as is the Hammerfall series, etc.

Here is a really good mod for the (obsolete) RME One: http://www.rme-audio.com/english/products.htm ... dump the sound card and get one of these: http://www.rme-audio.com/english/firewire/ff800.htm ...

 

[hifimaker]

Probably the best PC DAC con the market is the Slim Devices Transporter!

It has 802.11b/g and eithernet input inaddition to SPDIF and TOS.

Check it out.

http://www.slimdevices.com/pi_transporter.html

-David

 

[FastEddy]

dw8083: " ... the best PC DAC con the market ... "

I would say "on" rather than "con" because you are absolutely correct about the SlimDevices.com products being just about the best mass market digital devices for computer connect to Internet Radio, although the Transporter is quite pricey ... but there is plenty room for DIYers to mod their SqueezeBox for similar results.

( My SqueezeBox 3 is now direct connected to Alesis Maticia 900 2 channel amp [reserected from a local movie theater] driving a pair of planar stereo speakers [450 watts X 2 = gobbs of headroom] ... http://3dotaudio.com/images/audio20.jpg & http://www.magnepan.com/model_MMG with DIY amp w/SQBox3 in earlier iteration. Simple is better = SqueezeBox has levels all under control from an Apple Mini-Mac. ... Hardwired the network connectiions 'cause WiFi is verbotten in our office. )

 

[hifimaker]

dw8083: " ... the best PC DAC con the market ... "

I would say "on" rather than "con" because you are absolutely correct about the SlimDevices.com products being just about the best mass market digital devices for computer connect to Internet Radio, although the Transporter is quite pricey ... but there is plenty room for DIYers to mod their SqueezeBox for similar results.

Ops! typo on my part ment "on" and not "con"

-David

 

[fruity]

Apollo 37 player "Sound quality is not skinnable".

http://koti.welho.com/hylinen/apollo (download).

About Apollo: http://wiki.themixingbowl.org/Apollo

 

[ptwining]

Just a quick note...

Check out the Onkyo SE200-PCI

http://www.geekstuff4u.com/product_info.php?manufacturers_id=&products_id=796

I run a company called Advanced Digital Devices that builds custom PC based wireless digital music devices and I went thru all the gyrations around all these USB and PCI DACs a hundred times.

I've been using these in integrated PC based amps with the Hypex 400HG and a coldamp SPS80 for a couple of years now - flawless as far as I am concerned.

Better than the rest by far and incredibly reliable and noise free. Well worthy of powering Bruno's amps.

Best money spent to achieve the highest quality compromise that PC based audio represents.

IMHO - If you want to create an off-the-shelf audiophile music box this is the only way to go.

It ain't easy to get the grounding and power schemes right but it can be done...

I'll post a few pix soon and show you what I mean...

BTW - screwing around with Foobar and other players is all well and good but if your hardware is sorted out the gains that these things deliver is miniscule compared to the gains in quality your hardware represents.

Just my 2 cents,
Tom

 

[FastEddy]

" ... It ain't easy to get the grounding and power schemes right but it can be done... "

Mmmmm ... that's why I recommend that all "sound card" devices be external ... so's you can tweak the power and cut the crapola from the host computer switching power supply.