What is the best transport?

I've been using a computer based system since 2007 and from my experience, it has fully arrived. All music ripped to a laptop running SB server talking via wireless network to MW Transporter and using my iPhone to control tbe player.

Also with computer based system, internet radio is fabulous with so many choices and excellent sound quality. I find myself playing internet radio 50+% of the time and discovered so much new music.

I have a TRL Sony SACD player but my MW Transporter is much superior so only seldom use for SACDs.

The ultimate solution is preload the data in memory and the processing possibilities are endless. Before a dac/computer can process the data, it has to be loaded into memory so IMO, transport is probably the worst reliable way. Once in memory, data can be pre-process before use if desire, dynamically accessible instantiously ...

On Lukasz Fikus of LAMPIZATOR website, he has statistics in various methods to reading data and the worst by far in terms of speed and reliability is from a cd transport and reason he builds a memory transport.

Just my .02

I`m sure computer audio based systems can sound excellent,at this stage many CD users just are`nt 'compelled' to change just yet.I `m certain at some point in the future many will make that transition but there`s no great sense of urgency.
Charles1dad (System | Threads | Answers | This Thread)

Of course it's a personal decision and just responding to the question that music server has ARRIVED years ago.

Once it's setup, you will never go back to spinning the silver disk. Having a juke box at my finger tips and the ability to rediscover my music collection again.

My Transporter is both a receiver and dac so save the hassle in an extra PC and digital cable. When I demo the Lamp L4, it took 4 different PCs and 2 digital cables before finding the best combo. So depending on your setup, might require some work to get the best sound.

Anyone using computer based system, BACK UP your music. Several years ago my external USB drive died and thank GOD it was backed up.

01-27-12: Branislav
I wonder what the advantages of PS Audio PWT transport is compared to just saving your cds in your computer...
Branislav (Threads | Answers | This Thread)

I think the advantage is with PWT, data is stored in SS memory so it avoids reading data from the hard drive into memory before transmission.

LAMPIZATOR has a wifi memory transport that I'm going to demo once my dealer gets one in.

What is a digital file? A file n bytes long. A byte is 8 bits. A bit can be a 0 or 1. So you basically have a file of 0 and 1. The only requirement is this file needs to be loaded into memory before it can be processed and doesn't care how.

What is one of the most expensive operation for a computer? Interfacing with an external peripheral such as a hard drive or worst a CD drive. So the logical implementation is preload the data into memory before processing. This will eliminate the engineering required to sychronize the data transmission and cost ... loading a file into memory is a trivial task. Don't need the over priced transports, clocks ... this means less profits for the companies.

I think in the future, our music collection will be stored in a Cloud and could be access from anywhere with internet. But with ULTRA LOW demand for audiophile grade audio, it doesn't attract the $$, best and brightest so advances will be SLOW compare to video.