To Wavelngth USB DAC users: Best ripping/playback?

I personally could not hear the difference between FLAC and ALAC in my tests..But each is different.

One thing is for sure, there is no comparison between MAC and a windows machine for sound. MAC wins hands down. MAC drivers are written so well, and assert much better control over the hardware than any windows version could hope to. I didn't believe it till I heard it myself, side by side with a properly configured ASIO. MAC killed it. Quiet as a mouse, better software, better machine.

steve at empirical audio has a/b'd windows and mac. he's got some info on his site about it.

All I can tell you is that I am using Windows Media Player and use Exact Audio Copy to rip my CD's to the hard drive. I gave my son an Apple I Mac for his birthday a few weeks ago. He insatlled the I Mac on my system and called me to proclaim how great it sounded. He had ripped much of his music to the hard drive already. I don't use a Wavelength DAC however,the DAC is a Burwen using a software plug-in called the Bobcat.

I came home and listened to the CD player in the I Mac going into the DAC in my system. I was unimpressed. He then urged me to rip the selections onto the I Mac's hard drive because it sounded so much better. I came back a few days later and did just that. When I fired up the system, I had the left channel with no sound due to a bad connection on the speaker lugs. I could tell even with the left channel out that it was seemimgly more vivid. I can't tell you what his settings were in the Apple, but what I heard was more density to the music that made imaging more palpable once the left channel was restored. The highs were a smidge more pleasing to me using my Windows-based system but it also had a sound that was a little more thin than that of the I Mac. I also think the sound on my friend's system is pretty special and he uses a Mac Mini.

Based upon my observations using the same DAC with both OS, my nod goes to the Apple.

i have made that comparison. as between Apple Lossless and FLAC (using EAC), i found a slight edge to FLAC (in terms of resolution) -- but only when using a PC. When usuing a Mac (as i now do), the winner is Apple Lossless hands down. Don't ask me why there is a difference; imho, there just is. of course, Itunes beats the hell out of most everything else, including foobar, in terms of ease of use/interface.

The ripping procedure you use is not the problem. I have both a MAC and PC and listen to Apple Lossless and WMA Lossless. Both formats work very well with my Crimson.

I have not heard the AMR CD player, but if you are looking for something to be SOTA, look at Gordon's Crimson. The Cosecant is a wonderful DAC, but there is better.

It's my impression that Gordon likes Apple because it's the path of least resistance.

Have you actually heard an AMR CD player to compare it to the Wavelength? I'm asking since that is a comparison that I am very interested in. Unfortunately, in Chicago, I can't hear either. The local Wavelength dealer is just now getting a Cosecant in as a demo, and the local AMR dealer won't have a demo unit for a few weeks. I'm particularly interested in the comparison of the 2 units as USB DAC's, as well as comparing the AMR as a player, compared to the Wavelength combo.

David

http://www.wavelengthaudio.com/usbdac.html

Gordon has a lot of information on his USB DAC page. I would go through the entire contents of his web page first. If you don't find what you need, follow his last instuction, "If you have more questions, give me a call or e-mail"...

Enjoy,

TIC