"Synthfreek
Why the implication that Apple Lossless is anything less than aiff or wav?"
I've heard it said that the sound quality of Apple Lossless can vary based on system loading. So while it should in theory be identical to an uncompressed file, a Lossless file which might sound great on a lightly taxed system could be degraded if decoded by a heavily loaded system. The computer I use for work is also used for music playback. Disc space is cheap, so I decided to give it the benefit of the doubt and go with AIFF.
Robin, Once you get your DAC sorted out, I recommend you experiment with Amarra and Pure Music programs. I noticed an immediate difference in my systems, to the point where I have a hard time listening to iTunes with out PM running.
Why the implication that Apple Lossless is anything less than aiff or wav?"
I've heard it said that the sound quality of Apple Lossless can vary based on system loading. So while it should in theory be identical to an uncompressed file, a Lossless file which might sound great on a lightly taxed system could be degraded if decoded by a heavily loaded system. The computer I use for work is also used for music playback. Disc space is cheap, so I decided to give it the benefit of the doubt and go with AIFF.
Robin, Once you get your DAC sorted out, I recommend you experiment with Amarra and Pure Music programs. I noticed an immediate difference in my systems, to the point where I have a hard time listening to iTunes with out PM running.