Computer Hifi - too many options - simplify please

[Mr Compo]

I've recently entered the world of hi-fi(ish) - Leema Stream and Pulse and Spendor A5s. As I type I'm revelling in all the nuances that I'd previously missed in Bjorks Behaviour. I don’t even like Bjork that much – brilliant now!

I want to move into music streaming but there are so many options I'm a bit confused as to the best route.

Route 1 - MAC mini, optical out, new DAC all controlled through and IPhone – somehow.

This option seems the most upgradeable, in some ways the simplest, and most robust. But given I use an IPod and want to keep compressed files for this how can I have compressed files for the IPod and flac / lossless for the hi-fi. Can any programs rip both at once - I know there are some expensive NAS drives with cd ripping that can, however I want to avoid these as I can foresee issues with tags. Plus the additional expense.

How exactly do I control a MAC mini through an IPod - I'm aware it can be done?

Route 2 - Music streamer + external NAS hooked up to computer. Linn Sneaky DS. What is the clear advantage here over the set up described above? What are the potential pitfalls.

Can anyone provide feedback on DACs - I suspect this element will be difficult to demo. Thinking HRT, Musical Fidelity M1, Stello, Chordette (new on maybe). I'll need to get a sound comparable to my existing set up in quality. Exactly the same flavour isn't necessary essential. Musicality verve, grip and drive. I'll be using the whole lot primarily for electronic music. Rock lends itself best to Albums so CD hopefully will remain my 1st port of call.

Either option must offer internet radio and listen again services.

Hope you guys and girls can help.

 

[ID.]

I can't answer most of your questions, but I think there is a setting for the iPod to choose to import at 128 when you connect it up to iTunes.

Unfortunately it didn't seem to have other options for slightly less compressed files (I wanted to have the files at 256 on my iPod...)

 

[Dan Turner]

Mr Compo:

Route 1 - MAC mini, optical out, new DAC all controlled through and IPhone - somehow.

This option seems the most upgradeable, in some ways the simplest, and most robust. But given I use an IPod and want to keep compressed files for this how can I have compressed files for the IPod and flac / lossless for the hi-fi. Can any programs rip both at once - I know there are some expensive NAS drives with cd ripping that can, however I want to avoid these as I can foresee issues with tags. Plus the additional expense.

How exactly do I control a MAC mini through an IPod - I'm aware it can be done?

I used to have pretty much this set-up (macBook Pro instead of mini), but you still need the external DAC. If you re-imported all your CDs as lossless or uncompressed, then there is an option when syncing the ipod to automatically convert everything to 128kbps AAC when it's copied to the ipod. You'd need an ipod touch, iphone or ipad, and there is a free app called 'remote' which uses your wireless network to send remote control signals to the mac to control itunes.

One of the disadvantages of iTunes is that it can't automatically switch sample rates, so if you ever get into hi-res music then it can be a bit of a faff (you have to close iTunes, adjust the sample rate with the audio midi utility then re-launch itunes each time you switch between tracks of different sample rates). There are alternative bits of software which piggy back on itunes so that they handle playback whilst still using iTunes as the library and navigation tool, and these handle sample rate switching automatically and (apparently) offer higher quality playback than iTunes. I tried the Pure Music software in a free trial and although it wasn't conclusive I thought it did sound a bit better than iTunes alone.

There are also those who say that the optical output on a Mac is prone to jitter (timing errors in the digital data which impairs quality) and there are alternative USB (Hi-Face) and Firewire (Weiss) to 'SPDIF' (normal audio digital out) converters that apparently give better quality - I never tried any of that and I thought that the output of my Mac into a decent DAC (CA DacMagic at the time) was at least the equal of the Arcam CD37 CDP I had when I first got in to computer based music.

Anyway sorry to overcomplicate things for you but I thought it best you were aware of everything up front. You could basically ignore the last 2 paragraphs and probably be perfectly happy with this solution as long as you get a decent DAC to go with it.

Mr Compo:

Route 2 - Music streamer + external NAS hooked up to computer. Linn Sneaky DS. What is the clear advantage here over the set up described above? What are the potential pitfalls.

Can anyone provide feedback on DACs - I suspect this element will be difficult to demo. Thinking HRT, Musical Fidelity M1, Stello, Chordette (new on maybe). I'll need to get a sound comparable to my existing set up in quality. Exactly the same flavour isn't necessary essential. Musicality verve, grip and drive. I'll be using the whole lot primarily for electronic music. Rock lends itself best to Albums so CD hopefully will remain my 1st port of call.

Either option must offer internet radio and listen again services.

Hope you guys and girls can help.

This is probably going to give you better sound quality, and if you went for a Linn DS then you actually wouldn't necessarily need a DAC because the Linns have good DACs and analogue stages built into them - probably at least equal to that in your CDP. So you'd just need the DS and a NAS drive.

I switched to this kind of set-up recently, but not quite as high-end as a Linn. I've got a Sonos ZP90 zone player which is basically just a streamer, streaming off a NAS and connected digitally to my Naim amp (which has a built-in DAC). The Sonos is limited to CD quality files, but if that was not a concern for you then a ZP90 + DAC (the analogue stage in the Sonos is probably not good enough) and a NAS would be your cheapest route. Sonos does have internet radio.

I'm getting noticably better sound quality playing the same files back via the Sonos than with my MacBook.

Afraid I can't comment on the DAC as I've not tried them. CA DacMagic is excellent and amazing value though.

Good luck!