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MBA project - audiophile computer transport

Folks,

I am taking a class in new venture creation next semester and I am an audiophile.

With the increased popularity of computer based audio I surmised that there might be a market for an audiophile grade computer designed to work with a USB DAC. In other words is everyone perfectly satisfied with a Mac Mini? Or would you be interested in any of the following:

- IEC connector and built in power supply
- front panel display with artist, track or cover flow
- solid state drive
- upgraded power supply
- noise suppresion
- 19 x 2 with face plate form factor
- PCI cards for adding TV tuners
- dedicated video card superior to that of a Mac Mini
- front panel controls to play, pause, skip, access playlist menu.
- blue ray player
- upgraded USB output(not sure what could be done here)

It would probably have to run Windows unless I could convince Apple to let me OEM OS X. I am a huge Mac person but I would not be optimistic.

Could I make money building such a box or is the Mac Mini all anyone needs?

Amit
defender1844

Showing 3 responses by audioengr

audioengr
3,282 posts
 
Turn-key servers like this are really only for the computer illiterate IMO. For most of us that have WiFi networks and can find our way around a computer, the ticket is iTunes and AppleTV controlled by an iPhone or a Sonos system. You dont need a computer even in the room, and a laptop can suffice.

If we want hi-res, then a USB or firewire DAC fills the need.

Steve N.
Empirical Audio
audioengr
3,282 posts
 
Rives - you are comparing apples and oranges IMO. Now if you had a low jitter bit-perfect digital computer source and compared it to the same track playing on a Transport, not a CD player, then you would have a valid comparison. Digital Lens is old technology BTW. There are much better clocks now. You also need an excellent DAC and preamp to hear the differences. The computer should trounce your Transport.

As for a S/PDIF out of your laptop to a DAC, a modern reclocker can make it as good as a transport, even better. See this review:
http://www.positive-feedback.com/Issue39/ramblings_computer.htm

Steve N.
Empirical Audio
audioengr
3,282 posts
 
"The equipment is pretty good--I'm a vinyl person, so my DAC is not the best. It's a Levinson 360S. The transport that I compare to is the Levinson 37. Actually--it's quite good for redbook."

I have to be skeptical here because I've modded a bit of Levinson gear over the years. Very dark-sounding and lacking in extension is the commong thread. The 37 I have modded and installed a Superclock4. This is really stellar with these mods, but not that great without. ALL of my Computer audio devices beat this transport, even with the mods.

"The difference I currently hear between the CD going into that DAC, and the wmv files going into the same DAC are pretty huge. The wmv files have a tremendous loss of dynamics, both micro and macro."

The first problem you have is wmv files. I would use AIFF or .wav only.

Second thing is your S/W player. If you are using a PC, then the only players are Foobar2000 or Jriver. Nothing else comes close IMO.

Third thing is insuring that you are bypassing KMIXER if you are operating on an XP platform. The best way to do this is to unmap the device in control panel-system-devices. I can give you instructions for this if you email me.

Finally, if you are using Vista, then it is critical that you have 24-bit data to get bit-perfect playback, not 16/44.1, but 24/44.1. Only certain devices can deliver this. You must also be sure that the volumes are set at maximum on any player you use and that the sample rate matches between the player, the file and the Vista settings.

There are a lot of pitfalls to getting good sound from a PC, but its certainly possible. No transports (even modded) match the computer audio interfaces that I use.

Steve N.
Empirical Audio
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