You're right John, this can be frustrating! What's even more puzzling is the fact that if I don't like the sound I'll reboot my computer and refresh the room correction software and the sound is better. So weird, and almost silly. I typically make that part of the experience: reboot and relaunch correction software each time I engage in a listening session. Better safe than sorry.
In terms of isolating the PC, plugging the power cord into a different circuit is totally necessary. Getting it to run on battery is even better, not very convenient though.
I don't typically buy in to very expensive cables but I did buy a Wireworld Ultraviolet for my usb to Dac connection. I am not spending $1000 for the Light Harmonic USB cable, even if it does make your morning coffee!
I've taken it a few steps further by incorporating a USB to SPDIF converter that supplies power to the converter with a battery. So i've completely isolated the sensitive clocks in the converter from computer noise.
Taken together it sounds great. Now, i mentioned room correction software - i'm using the ARC system 2 - and the difference is astounding. I can't listen anymore unless the software is engaged. Had I known this in the past I would have hung on to my old Adcom amps and most of my other components since the room correction makes the MOST difference I've ever heard in one component. I've verified all this with many test subjects. Nobody can hear a powercord difference, everyone can hear room correction difference. And ARC 2 is cheaper than a single high end powercord - at least it was!
I use Jriver 16 - too scared to update since everything works now, no point in ruining that! But I have the software load 10 seconds of data into RAM - prebuffer - to add stability to the data output. I have no idea what difference this makes to the big picture but prebuffering prevents any issues related to the computer itself taking resources away from streaming that data. Even though I'm using the preferred asynchronous USB protocol it makes sense to prebuffer.
In terms of isolating the PC, plugging the power cord into a different circuit is totally necessary. Getting it to run on battery is even better, not very convenient though.
I don't typically buy in to very expensive cables but I did buy a Wireworld Ultraviolet for my usb to Dac connection. I am not spending $1000 for the Light Harmonic USB cable, even if it does make your morning coffee!
I've taken it a few steps further by incorporating a USB to SPDIF converter that supplies power to the converter with a battery. So i've completely isolated the sensitive clocks in the converter from computer noise.
Taken together it sounds great. Now, i mentioned room correction software - i'm using the ARC system 2 - and the difference is astounding. I can't listen anymore unless the software is engaged. Had I known this in the past I would have hung on to my old Adcom amps and most of my other components since the room correction makes the MOST difference I've ever heard in one component. I've verified all this with many test subjects. Nobody can hear a powercord difference, everyone can hear room correction difference. And ARC 2 is cheaper than a single high end powercord - at least it was!
I use Jriver 16 - too scared to update since everything works now, no point in ruining that! But I have the software load 10 seconds of data into RAM - prebuffer - to add stability to the data output. I have no idea what difference this makes to the big picture but prebuffering prevents any issues related to the computer itself taking resources away from streaming that data. Even though I'm using the preferred asynchronous USB protocol it makes sense to prebuffer.