Source component for a one room system

[admin_exported]

I am looking to buy a one room audiophile music system and this seems to be a good place to get advice. My questions relates to the source components.

I was thinking of getting a Notebook and connecting it to a DAC via USB that clock-locks to the DAC the output of the Notebook. The advantage of this to me is that I can put a CD in the tray of the Notebook and get audiophile performance from the CD. My understanding is that clock locking by the DAC (meaning the clock n the DAC is in control rather than the one in the Notebook) will eliminate the jitter caused by using a CD tray in a Notebook so I don't need an audiophile grade CD transport.

Using a Notebook I can also use Spotify etc, internet radio (including play again functions), streaming, a hard disc drive for storage of my CDs (from which I can play directly) and I can always add additional hard drive capacity via an external hard drive. I will also need a digital iPOD dock.

I would be looking for a quiet Notebook, someone has suggested Solid State storage for quietness.

As the Notebook is relatively cheap I wouldn't use it outside the confines of the system and I would remove all unnecessary software to make it run as effeciently and quietly as possible. I would use Foobar with ASIO4ALL for playback. To me it seems largely future proof, and I have no interest in controlling things from my mobile phone.

It all seems straightforward. So much so that I think I must have got something wrong.

My questions are would I be able to get audiophile quality from such a system, and what would be the advantages of doing it in any other way?

I am not looking to specify individual components at this stage.

Thanks in advance.

Fred

 

[Anonymous]

using a DAC and net book is a good idea. I use one with a Beresford DAC and it works very well. From your post I wouldn't bother running the cd from the net book but rather burn the cd's onto the hard drive in a lossless format. Computer cd drives tend to make a lot of noise and produce loads of heat.

In lossless format your music will sound very good when played through a DAC into an amplifier and speakers. Spotify premium also sound great through a DAC. Just listening to Leonard Cohen live in London and really it's incredible.

 

[Anonymous]

p.s I use a Samsung net book NC10. Its running very few programs as it's only function is music. Now I have the Marantz( see below) it's only job is Spotify and lossless files but no longer radio. However radio does sound good streamed from it as well.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks brittondave for your replies. I am now on the look out for an appropriate DAC at £400 ish, preferably with a built in iPod dock.

Fred