I have tested my Mac Mini music server system (with the latest version of iTunes) and it is BIT PERFECT.
Now having said that... you MUST not have anything in iTunes doing anything to the sound i.e., you can not use iTunes for volume control, you can not use the sound enhance, you can not use the EQ...etc.
It is as good or better than any of my former ref transports including the Wadia 7 and the Levinson 31.5. I use it with a Bidat (with Plus Mod) and the MSB Power DAC and soon to be the MSB Platinum DAC IV.
I download 24/96 from HDTracks and then convert to AIFF using MAX (a free and superb file convert utility) which upon completion automatically adds the content to my iTunes library.
OH... before some smarty pants asks :) How do I know it is bit perfect? Because the MSB Dac allows one to load the DSP based filter with new coefficients via sound .WAV files one can obtain on their site. If your' CD player or music server does not pass a BIT PERFECT signal to the DAC, it will emit a short burst of sound, if it is bit perfect... no sound is emitted and the filter is loaded. I have experimented and found that iTunes will pass BIT PERFECT sound when the above precautions are followed. I will put my mac mini with a glass (real glass) TOS up against ANY transport extant, and I have put it up against some serious hardware, with some gear matching it, but none surpassing it.
The sound is SUBLIME!!! Hope this helps.
Now having said that... you MUST not have anything in iTunes doing anything to the sound i.e., you can not use iTunes for volume control, you can not use the sound enhance, you can not use the EQ...etc.
It is as good or better than any of my former ref transports including the Wadia 7 and the Levinson 31.5. I use it with a Bidat (with Plus Mod) and the MSB Power DAC and soon to be the MSB Platinum DAC IV.
I download 24/96 from HDTracks and then convert to AIFF using MAX (a free and superb file convert utility) which upon completion automatically adds the content to my iTunes library.
OH... before some smarty pants asks :) How do I know it is bit perfect? Because the MSB Dac allows one to load the DSP based filter with new coefficients via sound .WAV files one can obtain on their site. If your' CD player or music server does not pass a BIT PERFECT signal to the DAC, it will emit a short burst of sound, if it is bit perfect... no sound is emitted and the filter is loaded. I have experimented and found that iTunes will pass BIT PERFECT sound when the above precautions are followed. I will put my mac mini with a glass (real glass) TOS up against ANY transport extant, and I have put it up against some serious hardware, with some gear matching it, but none surpassing it.
The sound is SUBLIME!!! Hope this helps.