If you are sticking with iTunes then you have a couple of choices to achieve a high-quality result:
1) Use a MAC and USB converter such as the Off-Ramp, HAGUSB or Trends UD-10 (avoid USB with iTunes on a PC)
2) Use a PC or MAC and the AirPort Express driving a Pace-Car reclocker to get low-jitter
Avoid using the direct S/PDIF outputs from the laptop.
Both of these require an outboard DAC. A standard DAC with S/PDIF input will work, but a DAC with I2S input will work better. Depends on your budget and how good you want this to be. If you want it to rival Vinyl, then the I2S interface and a really good DAC are necessary.
Steve N.
Empirical Audio |
Eandylee - iTunes should not be used with USB on a PC. Results are not great. Prefer MAC. |
If you are using Windows XP, then dont use iTunes, unless wireless to a AirPort Express or Apple-TV. Then in order to get decent quality you need a glass Toslink cable. Superb quality is possible with a reclocker.
For non-networked playback, such as S/PDIF or USB, iTunes is good with MAC.
Steve N.
Empirical Audio |
No, not WMP. With a PC, either use Foobar2000 0.8.3 or Jriver. These deliver the best sound quality.
Steve N.
Empirical Audio |
Thesauce - USB 1.1 supports streaming audio, but most USB 1.1 interface chips (in the computer) will probably create more latency than USB 2.0 chips, so eliminating pops and ticks may be more difficult with USB 1.1.
Steve N.
Empirical Audio |
Inwanw - why not use the USB outputs for audio? With a converter or USB DAC based on the TAS1020 the sound quality can be excellent.
Steve N.
Empirical Audio |
Gmahler wrote:
"quite hard concepts to swallow"
Well, read this carefully and maybe you will learn something:
http://www.avguide.com/review/peachtree-audio-idac-tas-214?page=1
Steve N.
Empirical Audio |
"you don't NEED an Offramp if you go USB"
True, but the sound quality will be improved a lot if you do, even with a USB DAC. Lots of customers are doing this.
Steve N.
Empirical Audio |
Neal - nice Advertisement. Maybe I should do one too. Better yet, I'll just post all of my awards and reviews:
http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=95464#msg960567
http://www.dagogo.com/View-Article.asp?hArticle=860
http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?icomp&1301776154&&&/Empirical-Audio-Overdrive-DAC:-King-of-t
http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?icomp&1301776154&&&/Empirical-Audio-Overdrive-DAC:-King-of-t
http://www.avguide.com/review/empirical-audio-ramp-3-and-overdrive-usb-dac-tas-200
http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=97269.0
http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?ddgtl&1320430393&openflup&74&4#74
http://www.computeraudiophile.com/content/USB-SPDIF-converters-0#comment-123548
http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=101877.msg1031321#msg1031321
http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=89181.msg904966#msg904966
http://www.stereophile.com/content/empirical-audio-ramp-4-usb-format-converter
We dont sell through dealers, so we give you more for your money.
Steve N.
Empirical Audio |
The explanation is lower jitter. The more you spend on the USB converter, the better the SQ.
Read the reviews.
The jitter of the clock in all digital systems is the most important thing to optimize. Dont scrimp on this because there is nothing downstream that will fix it. Not even reclocking in the DAC.
Steve N.
Empirical Audio |
Lupin - Async USB works great, and furthermore beats Firewire.
Read this:
....http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=105049.msg1159717#msg1159717...........
Firewire is dead!!
Async USB also beats Sonos, Squeezebox Touch, Soolos and other servers. Some servers now allow for async USB converters to be used with them, so this is a good development.
Steve N.
Empirical Audio |
Richard - the Firewire that is available is outperformed by the best USB interfaces available. I'm not saying that it is not possible to build a Firewire just as good. It just does not exist.
I base my claim entirely on feedbacks from my customers, just look the post above. This customer was using my older Pace-Car technology USB interface instead of the Firewire input on his Weiss 202. Even Weiss went to a USB interface on their latest DAC.
There is somehow a perception that Firewire is superior and achieves better SQ. Simply not true.
If you have not heard a better USB interface than your Firewire, you have not heard the best USB interfaces.
Have you heard the latest Empirical Audio Off-Ramp 5, the Synergistic Research or the Diverter HR?
Steve N.
Empirical Audio |
Don't believe everything you read. USB is great if you select the RIGHT USB interface. Beats 99% of transports at any price. Just get an Off-Ramp 5 and Dynamo power supply. It blows away everything, including the very best PCI cards and Firewire interfaces.
PCI cards suck, plain and simple. I have had most of them, including the $2K Lynx and RME cards. Most of them have PLLs for the Master Clock allowing them to sync to an external word-clock. Really bad idea. Only a free-running Master Clock oscillator is capable of low jitter. My customers send these PCI cards to me to test with my reclockers because they have such high jitter.
Here are some customer reviews of good USB interfaces:
http://www.empiricalaudio.com/news-and-reviews/off-ramp-converter
http://www.empiricalaudio.com/news-and-reviews/overdrive-dac
Steve N.
Empirical Audio |
"If there were one type of any audio output source or method that was better than all of the others, this hobby would be much easier to master"
If all designers were equally skilled and all systems were up to snuff, the decision making process would much easier and there would not be so much bickering about which source is better. Everyones experience is based upon different designs and different systems. There is literally no way that a typical audiophile can say that one thing is definitively better than another, except in the context of his system.
It's like doctors or lawyers. There a really good ones, but they are the exception, not the norm.
On the other hand, manufacturers, reviewers and modders get to experiment with lots of different speakers, amps and sources, particularly at trade shows. They have much more experience evaluating one component or speaker in many different systems and comparing different components in the same system. At least they have a CHANCE at making a good recommendation that is somewhat system-independent.
Yet another reason why it is risky to purchase something entirely based on an individuals feedback based on performance in his/her system, particularly when you have never heard this persons system yourself. Even risky with reviewers. Know your reviewer. Many of their systems are not great either.
Steve N.
Empirical Audio |
