Opus 21 CD vs Mac Mini... Opus wins


Resolution Audio Opus 21 with Great Northern reference upgrade beats Mac Mini (CDs ripped into AIFF files. Exported via firewire into M-Audio Firewire Solo into Opus 21 DAC with SPDIF cable.)
Am I missing something or am I just a victim of the PC audio hype? The Opus 21 is better... soundstage, articulation, rhythm, drive, clarity.
Is it the digital cabling? A.C. issue for the Mac? From what I've been reading the computer should be at least the equal of the CD player. Thoughts?
bwyoung
You are a victim for sure. Stay away from PC Audio, it is bad for your system.
Well, you've introduced two extra cables--the FireWire and the S/PDIF--into the chain, plus the M-Audio converter box. Any one or all of these could be degrading the signal.

If you could put FireWire or USB directly into the converter, that would eliminate some of the possible problems.
I too have a Mac Mini and a Wavelength Brick. The sound is superb enough for me to sell off my Accustic Arts transport and soon I'll be listing my Audiomeca Enkianthus DAC. I'm looking to upgrade to the Wavelength Cosecant next (the Crimson is big money).

I must admit that I'm still keeping my Audio Aero Capitole for awhile and I do have an old Rega P3 that sounds even better than the Mac Mini and the Capitole, but then I'm bias since I come from the vinyl era.
Very interesting. The comment that I have introduced three links in the chain is true and may be a contributing factor to degrading the sound (M-Audio unit, Digital SPDIF cable - Canare Digiflex Gold, and the 'out of the box' Firewire cable). Three out of six comments so far seem to indicate that the problem is not the computer storage itself, but what is downstream in the chain. Thank you for your contributions.
Bwyoung, hi. I'm not aware of any premium FireWire cables but they are sure to be around somewhere. S/PDIF cables abound of course, and I've tried several, from Canare Digiflex (your current cable and a terrific value) up in order of price through Apogee Wyde Eye to VH Audio cryo Pulsar, Zu Ash, Wireworld Gold Starlight and the Atlas Opus I own now.

I've found that the S/PDIF cable's quality makes a big difference but even more important is cable length. In my setup a 1.5m length of Apogee Wyde Rye beat a 1m length of it for coherence and clarity. Others have found the same, including UHF Magazine and its Audiophile Store.

The M-Audio FireWire-to-S/PDIF converter is another key element. I don't know yours but I use a M-Audio Audiophile USB from time to time, to change USB to S/PDIF. It is dated now and a 60-dollar Valab converter box from eBay does the job better, especially in the highs.

Just as a rule of thumb, I would have thought a fair budget for the outboard gear, when you compared, would be the price of the CD player minus the price of its DAC (which you are of course using in the comparison). Hard to put a dollar value on just part of the unit, of course.