Is computer audio a bust?

Computer audio is a passing fad, just like sex and marijuana (not necessarily together, but not necessarily not together). You wait - in 5 years, nobody will want any of the three. You heard it here first.

Anyone who thinks USB can't be done right has never spent time with Peachtree's XMOS-chip based asynch implementation in their X-1 Grand Integrated. My system could not be much simpler...an off-the-shelf HP computer from Costco, playing songs ripped in AIFF format through JRiver, over a $12 Belkin USB cord directly into the Peachtree Grand X-1, then out to a pair of Wilson Benesch Arcs. That's it - 3 components, computer to Peachtree to speakers. As far as difficulty making it work - trust me, I may be the least technically-inclined person in this entire thread. I'm one step ahead of being mechanically clueless - some of you have hamsters who can explain what a DAC does better than I can. And my system sounds absolutely fantastic. If I can make it work, anyone can.

Now, would it sound better if I substituted an ARC Reference 9 CD player in for my computer? Maybe it would. But if you could hear what I'm hearing already, you wouldn't be rushing me out the door to go drop $13K on a high-end CDP. But that's missing the bigger point - I don't need my system to sound as good as an ARC CD9 or a Meridian CDP, I just need it to sound superb. I've listened to some of those high-end vinyl & CDP systems, I know the sound that we're chasing. Even if I'm not quite there, I may be a lot closer than some naysayers can appreciate. Except that I have an entire music library at my fingertips - I can go from Journey to Isobel Campbell to Charlie Haden instantly, no stacks of discs, no getting up to change CDs. Superb sound with so few components, and that level of convenience, how could that be a bust?

Joecasey - you did realize I was joking about computer audio, sex and marijuana all being obsolete in 5 years, right? :-)

See my follow-up post and you'll see that I consider computer-based audio to not only have a future, but a great future - my setup is an example of how easy and enjoyable it can be.

Audiolabyrinth, why dont you head on over to the Tesla forums and try to convince them that electric automobiles are a bust. You may have better luck there - too many of us are enjoying the music here.

Oh, it's not only a bust, but a "fricken" bust? Well, when you put it THAT way I think we have no choice but to acquiesce.

I've petitioned congress to create national "Computer Audio is Dead!" and "USB cables should not be used for anything except tying shoes!" days for Audiolabyrinth and Cerrot, respectively. I admire Agear and others for attempting honest, rational discourse, but I'm quite certain that Audiolabyrinth and Cerrot are as interested in discussing both sides of the issue as John Corzine is in talking about where the missing MF Global money went. You guys can keep trying, but you'll probably have better luck getting the neighbor's dog to explain why he picked the last place he excreted his breakfast.

I'm with you Mapman, but I think you're beating your head against the wall, unfortunately.

"You don't use USB for audio"

"USB is too polluted"

"There is no proper way of using USB"

Cerrot isn't talking in terms of potential, or possibilities, or advancing technology, or implementations. He talks in absolutes - USB is unusable for audio in his mind. To him, there is no other answer, end of discussion, don't bother with further examination.

We've had this discussion with him in another thread, explaining that I'm getting great audio quality over USB, and to him this is all a fig newton of my imagination. He doesn't care if aliens from 5000 years into the future show up with some nanoo-nanoo technology that makes USB sound like angels caroling in your ears - he'll tell the aliens the same thing, "you aliens need to use SPDIF". The fact that, just for example, the Oppo BDP-105 (which I don't own, but may buy for a 2nd system) is getting rave upon rave reviews, including for its sound quality over USB (it has XMOS chip + asynch USB), has no bearing in Cerrot's thinking. To him, all those reviews are a USB conspiracy, not unlike the Loch Ness conspiracy. The ONLY thing USB should be used for, other than computer mice, is to put some marinara sauce on top and to be enjoyed with a nice Chianti.

And with that, I'm going to go listen to my Coby $10 walkman-clone playing a heat-damaged Debbie Gibson CD through an 89 cent USB cable into a pair of speakers I made from Adidas shoeboxes and drivers pulled from the doors of a '71 Plymouth station wagon. That's not actually my system, but that's the system that Cerrot will tell you is the only system that should consider USB.

You're a good egg Mapman. Wish I could talk more, but I have to get back to the kitchen...I'm very carefully unwrapping the outer sleeve of a salami in one long 1/8" strip - I plan to use it to replace my USB cable.

Cerrot, are you trying to say that for moving audio bits from a computer to a DAC, USB 3.0 will give better sound quality than USB 2.0? I already know the answer to the question, I just want to understand if that's what you're trying to say.