Hello All, I don't post very often, but have had some good advice in the past when looking to upgrade my system, so I'm hoping that I can pick your collective brains again... I'm looking to rip the majority of my CD collection to a lossless format and am looking for a simple way to connect my laptop to my hifi to make the most of this and the numerous downloads that have until now been confined to my iPod. Quality of sound is of great importance I'm also looking to upgrade my laptop into the bargain. My initial thoughts are to get a Macbook pro with a 750gb hard drive and an Arcam rDac (perhaps with the option of wireless via a dongle). What I would like to know is, will this proposed combination give me a sound roughly equal to my CD player (Yamaha CD-S2000), and are there any other bits of kit that I should be considering for the same money? Currently I have a ageing Toshiba with a knackered disc drive which will soon need replacing. The other end of the system is a Yamaha a-S2000 amp with ATC SCM11 speakers. Any and all advice gratefully accepted, as I find the various possible combinations utterly confusing! Oh, and I would also like to take advantage of high resolution downloads, so any suggestions should be able to handle those too.
Help! Adding a computer based source to my hifi
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I don't know the CD player in question, but generally DAC+Mac gives you the equivalent of some very good CD players indeed - I didn't buy a CD5i for that reason.
I haven't heard the Arcam, but when I was discussing it with the local importer, he thought my V-DAC + PSU upgrade was as good, so that's another option.
I'm not sure of the position re hi-res downloads. Hopefully someone else will jump in and help.
I haven't heard the Arcam, but when I was discussing it with the local importer, he thought my V-DAC + PSU upgrade was as good, so that's another option.
I'm not sure of the position re hi-res downloads. Hopefully someone else will jump in and help.
TBH, trying to get a PC/Mac to be a genuinely high-quality music player is the 2nd best option to a dedicated music streamer. Plus with a streamer you get the convenience factor of radio streaming without need the laptop running, remote, display you can read, no sudden beeps etc. With your kit, the Yamaha NP-S2000 would be the obvious choice.
For storage, a Vortexbox Music Appliance is a good get. It will support the Yamaha, plus with it's own CD you just keep feeding it disks and it'll rip them
For storage, a Vortexbox Music Appliance is a good get. It will support the Yamaha, plus with it's own CD you just keep feeding it disks and it'll rip them
so to semi hi0jack the tread ..... but is the v-dac psu upgrade worth it ? as i was considerign replacing mine with either a rega dac or the audiolab dac when its out
iMark
Well-known member
From personal experience I can say that we are really happy with the combination of Apple Lossless files, an Airport Express and a Cambridge Audio DACMagic. Much better sound than our old CD player. The DACMagic also works really well with our older Pioneer DVD player.
The rest of our equipment is over 10 years old but still good. The new combination was a great and relatively cheap upgrade.
The rest of our equipment is over 10 years old but still good. The new combination was a great and relatively cheap upgrade.
I'd second the idea of using a streamer rather than a pc.
The idea of needing to have a pc on just to stream music/video seems rather "quaint" in this day and age.
The idea of needing to have a pc on just to stream music/video seems rather "quaint" in this day and age.
I am starting to get my head around this now, having known nothing before. But what I am still unsure of is what exactly a streamer does.
at the moment my transport outputs data to my dac, which gets on with it. What's the difference between a had disk and a cd transport? Is it to do with jitter and controlling the data flow?
I have found a product by Audiophilleo. Anyone use this?
at the moment my transport outputs data to my dac, which gets on with it. What's the difference between a had disk and a cd transport? Is it to do with jitter and controlling the data flow?
I have found a product by Audiophilleo. Anyone use this?
Streamers are less about having an internal hard disk and more about being connected across a network to a media server which holds the audio (and video). So you split the function of serving the media, playing (rendering) plus controllering with a remote control/smart phone type device. That for locally held music, but all the streamers can take an internet feed for streamed radio, Listen Again and podcasts.
Of course allowing for the difference in technology in reading a CD vs. taking a data stream off the network, a CD and streamer shares common components of DAC, audio output, S/PDIF in/outs etc.
AFAIK Audiophilleo sell USB/S/PDIF converters, so I'd not call them streamers.
Of course allowing for the difference in technology in reading a CD vs. taking a data stream off the network, a CD and streamer shares common components of DAC, audio output, S/PDIF in/outs etc.
AFAIK Audiophilleo sell USB/S/PDIF converters, so I'd not call them streamers.
Thanks for the replies - I like the idea of using a streamer, but a new laptop will have to come before a NAS
A couple of further questions then - I'm thinking of switching to a Mac but would like to rip my CD collection to FLAC without too much messing about. The Mac would be used as storage until I can afford to add a NAS, and I'm considering a Linn Sneaky used as a source only. Will this combination work for my purposes?Secondly, I'm very keen on downloading some 24/192 or 96 resolution files. I think I'm right in saying that iTunes won't directly support these. Will there be any issues with these files being stored on a Mac and accessed by the Linn for playback at the correct resolution?Final questions (I promise!) - I note that the Linn Sneaky is not a wireless device. My router will be in a different part of the house from my hifi - how do I get round this? And how easy is it to connect the Linn to my existing integrated amplifier?Sorry if these seem like very obvious things to ask - I really am that confused when it comes to things like this!
A couple of further questions then - I'm thinking of switching to a Mac but would like to rip my CD collection to FLAC without too much messing about. The Mac would be used as storage until I can afford to add a NAS, and I'm considering a Linn Sneaky used as a source only. Will this combination work for my purposes?Secondly, I'm very keen on downloading some 24/192 or 96 resolution files. I think I'm right in saying that iTunes won't directly support these. Will there be any issues with these files being stored on a Mac and accessed by the Linn for playback at the correct resolution?Final questions (I promise!) - I note that the Linn Sneaky is not a wireless device. My router will be in a different part of the house from my hifi - how do I get round this? And how easy is it to connect the Linn to my existing integrated amplifier?Sorry if these seem like very obvious things to ask - I really am that confused when it comes to things like this!
If you are looking to rip to flac, and already have 1 flac compatible box (The Linn Sneaky) I feel a windows based system might be more suitable than a mac with Itunes.
The Liin Sneaky is a Upnp media streamer so you could use the money saved by buying a Dell rather than a mac on a NAS.
Then you wont need the laptop to be on to play music on the Linn, and all your kit will flac together nicely.
The Liin Sneaky is a Upnp media streamer so you could use the money saved by buying a Dell rather than a mac on a NAS.
Then you wont need the laptop to be on to play music on the Linn, and all your kit will flac together nicely.
the rdac might gel quite well with the kit you have. the rega dac might fit the bill, too.
you could always use an airport express into a dac if you want to wirelessly send music from a laptop. my own choice is to have a mac mini hooked upto my dac and the tv - although i only use it with the tv for watching iplayer, etc. the rest of the time i use an ipod touch as a remote to browse the minis itunes library, and my macbook with screensharing if i want to do anything else on it.
a seperate dac means you can also connect your sky box etc. to it. if you're going with a mac it's better to rip to alac rather than flac.
itunes can play 24/96 but you need to change a setting to do this, or you can try other software than itunes such as pure music which will automatically adjust sample rate. i'm not sure if you can wirelessly stream 24/96 from a mac to an airport express, think you would have to use the optical out for this.
most modern dacs have very good jitter reduction built in, so in most cases a cdp or hdd as source will sound the same or the hdd might just edge it. there is independent evidence that jitter isn't an audible problem until it's at much higher levels than you are ever likely to encounter from any sort of source, and then the dac reduces it to miniscule levels anyway.
try to get some demos of dacs and go with what is the most convenient, transport wise, imo.
you could always use an airport express into a dac if you want to wirelessly send music from a laptop. my own choice is to have a mac mini hooked upto my dac and the tv - although i only use it with the tv for watching iplayer, etc. the rest of the time i use an ipod touch as a remote to browse the minis itunes library, and my macbook with screensharing if i want to do anything else on it.
a seperate dac means you can also connect your sky box etc. to it. if you're going with a mac it's better to rip to alac rather than flac.
itunes can play 24/96 but you need to change a setting to do this, or you can try other software than itunes such as pure music which will automatically adjust sample rate. i'm not sure if you can wirelessly stream 24/96 from a mac to an airport express, think you would have to use the optical out for this.
most modern dacs have very good jitter reduction built in, so in most cases a cdp or hdd as source will sound the same or the hdd might just edge it. there is independent evidence that jitter isn't an audible problem until it's at much higher levels than you are ever likely to encounter from any sort of source, and then the dac reduces it to miniscule levels anyway.
try to get some demos of dacs and go with what is the most convenient, transport wise, imo.
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