Computer based audio...........better??

Page 2 - Seeking answers? Join the What HiFi community: the world's leading independent guide to buying and owning hi-fi and home entertainment products.

John Duncan

Well-known member
Andrew Everard:
JohnDuncan:
Cool. Will you be playing it through your new Beresford - I hear it's fantastic?

Now you're just stirring...

No, I'm actually just disappointed that he's been put off talking about it and am trying to get him to resume doing so, as the only owner on the board. Competition is healthy.
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
Sorry to butt in on this thread but I have a very similar query.

I store my music on a (NAS) Buffalo link station in an uncompressed WAV format. The music is then distributed via a SONOS system. Would the quality improve if I used a DAC? If yes where would you install it? Would you need one for each zone or would you just use one between the NAS and the first sonos zone station.

Would appreciate advice.

Thanks
 

Andrew Everard

New member
May 30, 2007
1,878
2
0
Visit site
JohnDuncan:Andrew Everard:
JohnDuncan:
Cool. Will you be playing it through your new Beresford - I hear it's fantastic?

Now you're just stirring...

No, I'm actually just disappointed that he's been put off talking about it

Absolutely, and I share your disappointment. Have already explained my reasons for " 'avin' a word" earlier - there are some much more blatant pluggers on here being watched at the moment...
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
Beresford seems to cause quite a bit ofÿcontroversy, not sure why? I've seem similar arguments in other places. I'll get mine today so can post a review if you like? I haven't got anything to compare it too so I don't know how helpful it will be other than a before and after test.ÿ
 

John Duncan

Well-known member
Andrew Everard:Have already explained my reasons for " 'avin' a word" earlier

Yeah and they're so unsubtle about it aren't they?

(subliminal message...buy this...subliminal message...buy this...subliminal message...)

305118.jpg
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
chainrock:
I have setup bit-perfect output via USB in all three in Foobar on my PC: WASAPI (Vista only), ASIO and Kernel Streaming - bypassing the soundcard and all Windows software. Let me know if you need help setting these up. I may put a short guide up if I get a chance today or tomorrow.

EDIT: Also, ASIO is easy to setup to use in Winamp.

You say that you use ASIO and Kernel Streaming, I guess this is not in the same media player? Don't they basically do the same thing?
 

chebby

Well-known member
Jun 2, 2008
1,253
26
19,220
Visit site
Tim Holleyman:Beresford seems to cause quite a bit ofÿcontroversy, not sure why? I've seem similar arguments in other places. I'll get mine today so can post a review if you like? I haven't got anything to compare it too so I don't know how helpful it will be other than a before and after test.

I would advise giving it about a week or two of intensive use first (at least a few hours a day). You will probably like it 'out of the box' but patience has rewards in this case.
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
JohnDuncan:Andrew Everard:
JohnDuncan:Cool. Will you be playing it through your new Beresford - I hear it's fantastic?

Now you're just stirring...

No, I'm actually just disappointed that he's been put off talking about it and am trying to get him to resume doing so, as the only owner on the board. Competition is healthy.

ÿBecause of that. I've seen similar things else where. I'm getting the 7520 and I'm looking forward to hearing it, would be nice to be able to read a review, but I've taken a risk based on the reviews of the older version, should be a great bit of kit.ÿ

ÿ
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
You say that you use ASIO and Kernel Streaming, I guess this is not in the same media player? Don't they basically do the same thing?

Well, not at the same time. I have the three I mentioned setup in Foobar, so now I have to select one of the four options (ASIO, Kernel, Wasapi or standard) - I did so to compare which one gives me the better result. I installed them late at night so didn't get to test at moderate volumes (neighbors wouldn't appreciate the (possibly) improved quality!).
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
Here's another link to more hi-def downloads:ÿhttp://www.itrax.com/Pages/PostSignUp.phpÿ

I think on of the advantages of computer audio is going to be its flexibility, once moreÿlabelsÿstart releasing more hi-def stuff there is going to be a lot more choice. I think that can only be a good thing - should prevent redundant kit to a certain extent too as you will always be able to find some software or other that will play the track. I'm really pleased with the switch.
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
I've just bought the Musical Fidelity v-dac. It's a lot cheaper than the Dacmagic which I'd originally intended to buy. The new price of the DM coupled with the indifference of the salesman put me off.
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
Tim Holleyman:
Here's another link to more hi-def downloads:ÿhttp://www.itrax.com/Pages/PostSignUp.phpÿ

I think on of the advantages of computer audio is going to be its flexibility, once moreÿlabelsÿstart releasing more hi-def stuff there is going to be a lot more choice. I think that can only be a good thing - should prevent redundant kit to a certain extent too as you will always be able to find some software or other that will play the track. I'm really pleased with the switch.

The important thing to remember about computers is that the benefits are not limited to music. The home of the future (it's already here for many) will have a TV and computer combined plus sound. This is because of the BBC iPlayer, because many prefer to buy TV programs and watch them when they feel like it without adverts and because they can also rent or buy movies. Also many people take more photographs than they used to, so slide showing them on the TV is a useful addition to a home media system. How many of you discover new music using Youtube too?

Rumours are that Apple may introduce a TV set dedicated to operating this way later in the year and you can rest assured that it will do music as well in non as well as compressed format.

IMO Home Media is undergoing a dramatic and fascinating change and I think it's made hi fi more interesting than it has been for decades.

Ash
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
Excuse me for sounding like a complete novice, but what pieces of equipment do you require to play 'computer based music'.
I have amp
I have P.C
I have 500GB external hard drive
I have speakers.
What is a DAC, how do you connect the dac to the amp/pc?

The reason, why i ask, is that now new tv is on it's way, the wife wants to know when we can get those cd's out of the room?

I have a large collection.
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
Sorry, just realised there is a section especially for this subject.
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
JohnDuncan:Firstly, is the Yamaha the amp you speak of in the post? Secondly, how big is 'big'?

Yes the amp is the one in my sig.
CD collection - approx 2000
 

John Duncan

Well-known member
Right. In which case, you've got a few options. If your PC has an optical out, you can take that directly to an optical in on the Yamaha. If however, as is more likely, the PC is in a different room, you can use something like an Apple Airport Express to stream from your PC to it - it has an optical digital out and that can feed the optical in on the Yamaha. At a later date, if you felt the need, you could upgrade the DAC, but to be honest I think you'd find the one in the Yamaha perfectly adequate. There are some more sophisticated options like a Squeezebox which add a display and support streaming from more media players, but they're concomitantly more expensive.

Next you need to load your CDs on your computer - you're going to want more hard disk storage if you want to get all 2,000 of those CDs on there (they could take up to 1TB in all, give or take), but it'll take a while to rip them all anyway so that can come later. There are a number of media players freely available - iTunes, Windows Media Player and Foobar to name a few. Each of these has the option to load CDs in a lossless format such as apple lossless, wma lossless or FLAC, all of which give CD-equivalent sound whilst saving up to about 50% disk space on a normal CD.

Note that Airport Express requires you to use iTunes, though you can circumvent this by for using rogueamoeba's Airfoil, which is about $25, in which case you can play your music in anything you like. I'm a big fan of iTunes though, it does what it says on the tin and have never really understood its detractors. YMMV.

Lastly, you might want to consider an Apple TV, which works in the same sort of way as airport express, but adds a modicum of local storage (which allows you to play music without your PC being on), but also adds video support and has a gorgeous 'Front Row'-style interface when you plug it into your TV.
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
iTunes on a Mac is great, iTunes on a PC is not. On a PC it uses Quicktime which is far from optimal.
 

chebby

Well-known member
Jun 2, 2008
1,253
26
19,220
Visit site
chainrock:iTunes on a Mac is great, iTunes on a PC is not. On a PC it uses Quicktime which is far from optimal.

Having tried both (I have both iMac and PC laptops and both with iTunes in the same room) I can find no difference assuming care has been taken on both platforms to optimise iTunes/OS/Quicktime settings.
 

John Duncan

Well-known member
chainrock:iTunes on a Mac is great, iTunes on a PC is not. On a PC it uses Quicktime which is far from optimal.

Agreed, but for different reasons - iTunes on a PC is a bit slow. They both use quicktime......
 

chebby

Well-known member
Jun 2, 2008
1,253
26
19,220
Visit site
JohnDuncan:chainrock:iTunes on a Mac is great, iTunes on a PC is not. On a PC it uses Quicktime which is far from optimal.

Agreed, but for different reasons - iTunes on a PC is a bit slow.

Music goes at the same speed on both as far as I can tell.

I think....?

Maybe I should measure this.
 

Alec

Well-known member
Oct 8, 2007
478
0
18,890
Visit site
chebby:JohnDuncan:chainrock:iTunes on a Mac is great, iTunes on a PC is not. On a PC it uses Quicktime which is far from optimal. Agreed, but for different reasons - iTunes on a PC is a bit slow. Music goes at the same speed on both as far as I can tell. I think....? Maybe I should measure this.

Maybe.
emotion-17.gif
Twas even funnier the second time round, btw.
 

TRENDING THREADS

Latest posts