Which OS for sound quality

[fatboyslimfast]

Righty ho, I'm trying to decide which OS to use as a media-based computer, to go into my beresford.

So (and no ASIO/Kmixer mucking around trying to get things working - I can't be doing with all that) which is the best OS.

XP Pro / Vista / OSX Leopard / Linux?

For XP/V/Linux, I will have a AMD based machine with a soundcard that has optical out.

For OSX, it will probably be a mac mini.

Or should I just hang it all and use an airport.

 

[John Duncan]

Well you know what I'm going to say......

 

[Anonymous]

Well, I became a Mac guy about 3 years ago and haven't looked back so my first choice would be something like the mini. Truth be told though, a Windows computer will do just fine too so long as you piece it together appropriately. If you decide to go the Windows route, the only word of warning I'd add is that I'd use Vista, not XP in this case (I know Vista has been derided for other things). The reason I say that is because of this from a Stereophile article

"..these days, most PCs come with a motherboard that handles audio, doing away with the need for an internal or external soundcard. But my experience has been that the analog audio output of these boards is not really of high-end sound quality, the PC's internal environment being electrically very noisy. In addition, PCs older than 18 months or so use the Windows AC97 codec, which doesn't handle high-resolution audio formats optimally. The CoreAudio codec used by Macintoshes running OSX does handle hi-rez music data correctly, however, as does the codec that comes with modern PCs running Windows Vista."

I would go the Mac mini route personally though, not only because of the excellent OS X but also it makes a great media server as it has all the important ports built-in and is very small and perhaps most importantly, its fan rarely comes on so its quiet which can be beneficial if its going to be in the same room where you are listening to music. ÿÿ

 

[PJPro]

fatboyslimfast:Righty ho, I'm trying to decide which OS to use as a media-based computer, to go into my beresford.

So (and no ASIO/Kmixer mucking around trying to get things working - I can't be doing with all that) which is the best OS......[snip]

I don't know the answer to your question, but I do take exception to your comment about ASIO/KMixer mucking around.

For example, if you're using Vista, Foobar2000 and a Xfi sound card, this is incredibly simple to setup. I have provided instructions to do this here. There are relatively few steps and I reckon (including download times) it'll take you no more than a few minutes to complete.

 

[fatboyslimfast]

Sorry PJ - didn't mean to offend. I did look at the instructions and thought that it was a lot of effort (I don't know what sort of sound card my PC has TBH - just that it has an optical out), hence my comment. I also use iTunes as my main program which I believe has it's own issues?

Can I ask one big Q - did doing the ASIO stuff actually make a big difference?

My OP could have been worded better, I'll admit. Apologies for that.

I think I might just relocate the PC somewhere in the study and then use AE...just seems less hassle.

 

[PJPro]

Now I need to apologise....it didn't bother me that much. Honest. But I'm grateful for your concern.

I didn't actually use the ASIO approach. I use WASAPI. Only available on Vista and then only if your media player and soundcard support it. Fortunately mine do.

Have to say that using WASAPI (as in the thread I identified abopve) blew my socks off. Not sure if was wholely due to WASAPI or if by using WASAPI I am now getting the full benefit from my Beresford DAC (a double whammy in effect).

Anyway, I'm very pleased with my setup at the moment. I sit at my PC using the Beresford headphone amp (built into the DAC) and Grado SR80s and listen to music while posting/reading on here. It's where I do most of my listening nowadays.

I often catch myself drifting off while listening to a track that I'm very familiar with but haven't heard using my latest setup (I use random play within Foobar2000). I can hear things I just didn't know were there. And it's not just detail....everything is so, so, so musical.

The best news is that there is room for significant improvement: the DAC; the headphone amp; the headphones.

 

[fatboyslimfast]

Well, it looks like my mind has been made up for me. My good lady has just bought me an AE for crimbo, so Natch I will have to "test" it to make sure it works when it arrives...

 

[John Duncan]

(dons hard hat)

 

[fatboyslimfast]

Ok, all protective equipement donned - the Airport has arrived...

And...

Wow.

Seriously. I was expecting it to be "ok", and do the job for streaming music, rather than using physical media. But I wasn't expecting a £70 gadget to be a major upgrade.

Now, I started off using it connected into my Naims/RS6s via a 3.5mm to RCA, and the impression I got was that there was more detail and "naturalness" than via the Arcam 6 and PC through the Beresford, but that the sound was a little muffled - like there was a thin curtain over the speakers.

So I did what I intended to do all along and plugged it into the beresford using optical.

Now we're talking. Every album I have put on just sounds perfect. I'm noticing things that weren't there before (little guitar picks during the brass section of the 1st track of Badly Drawn Boy's debut), and everything just sounds right.

Emiliana Torrini is here in the room, playing her acoustic guitar as I write this. Better offer her a cuppa...

Seriously, if anyone uses iTunes and wants to upgrade their hifi, I'm more than confident that the £180 of an airport express and Beresford combined will easily outperform a £500 CD player. It is that good.

I can't speak for the CD6SE, as I haven't heard one, but we are talking over 3 times the price.

If you are in the market for this sort of thing, please give it a whirl - you won't be disappointed (and both items seem to have very good resale values if you aren't).

Now Ash, how about plugging an AE into the ADMs...

*EDIT* Bootnote - Installing it using WEP was a non-starter. Re-configured my wireless to WPA and all went smoothly, and was up and running in less than 3 mins (XP Pro as host).

 

[John Duncan]

(buys more apple stocks)

 

[fatboyslimfast]

I try, Steve...sorry, John...

 

[John Duncan]

"the iRack is unstable"

 

[Alec]

JohnDuncan:"the iRack is unstable"

Maybe so, but we really should be concentrating on their new product...