The basics of PC audio


Some questions for you:

Assuming you have the PCU (in my case, a Mac Mini) near the stereo, with a USB DAC coming out of that into the preamp (or do you have it configured some other way?):

a) What does one do with the monitor--perhaps run an extra long cord and put it away from the system to keep the RF from feeding into the audio?

b) Can the CPU be placed far enough from the preamp to where RF from it won't affect the sound of the system?

c) What about using Apple AirPort Express and AirTunes and running a USB DAC out of that into the preamp; are there any advantages/disadvantages to that sonically vs. having the CPU feeding directly into the DAC?

d) Suppose you buy music from the iTunes store in MP3 form. Can it be converted to aiff or some other "lossless" format such that you'll wind up with a high quality file? Or does the fact that it was already converted to MP3 doom it to sonic mediocrity?

e) How quickly are USB DACs improving in quality? I don't want to buy a DAC and have it be obselete the next year.

I appreciate your answers.

Thanks,

Matt
descartes

Showing 2 responses by sfar

I'm using an Airport Express, connected to a Benchmark Audio DAC-1 by the digital/Toslink output from the Express. In theory, at least, the Benchmark eliminates any jitter coming from the Express, though I don't have any way to verify that.

At any rate, the sound of Apple Lossless files is pretty extraordinary, indistinguishable to me from the same files off the CD, and even mp3 files (most of mine are at a 192 kbps sample rate) sound remarkably good. The Benchmark is a moderately expensive DAC but it's incredibly versatile and one of those audio buys I've been happier with the longer I've used it.
Steve
Thanks very much for the detailed information.

I got the Airport Express sort of as an afterthought. I already had the Benchmark DAC and a transport and was very happy with that combination but when I started having trouble with a Netgear wireless access point after a firmware update I decided to switch to the AE because I knew it had a digital output that I could try with the Benchmark.

The only thing I've tried to do to improve the output of the AE is to get a glass Toslink cable to replace the inexpensive plastic fiber one I first bought. I don't have any doubt about the potential superiority of a hard-drive based system and will be anxious to see what happens with modifications to devices like the Airport Express.