Suppose you're not trying to get the absolute best quality sound, but only strive for really good sound quality. Let's say you're the equivalent of someone who doesn't adjust VTA/VTF for each record or doesn't label each album for absolute polarity. Clearly that person is not maximizing the fidelity of his system. In that light having a computerized music server is no big deal. It actually might not be the best quality source, but it certainly can sound extremely good and the convenience factor is off the charts.
What is the best transport?
I want to upgrade my transport. I am using the Audio Note CDT 2. My dac is the Audio Note 2.1x sig. I have not yet auditioned any new transports, but have read up on the Audio Note CDT 4 and the Esoteric P-03.
Both of these are in the 16-18k price range. My budget can go that high. Will my dac be good enough or be overpowered?
What else is available which should be considered?
Both of these are in the 16-18k price range. My budget can go that high. Will my dac be good enough or be overpowered?
What else is available which should be considered?
- ...
- 83 posts total
Thanks to Hew, I have installed Win Server 2012 R2 and also the Audiophile Optimizer. Just installing the 2012 R2 made a nice difference in sound compared to Win 8, but the result of running the Server 2012 in core mode with the AO is the absolute best possible sound I've ever heard from a computer - "digititis" is gone and I hear pure analog-like music. Simply amazing and highly recommended - a real hope for computer based audio. Will follow up with shootout results against my DTR-M digital transport and the Kuzma/Dynavector table in a couple of days. Bottom line, since I have both Apple and the Server 2012 based commuters, you really need the above mentioned setup to really hear what is possible. Thanks again Hew for the info! Best wishes, Alex Peychev APL Hi-Fi |
It actually might not be the best quality source, but it certainly can sound extremely good and the convenience factor is off the charts. Given that digital is my third string quarterback behind analog tape and vinyl I find myself feeling the same way about computer audio. Having just set up a wired Ethernet network for playback I can say that it bested my previous USB converter setup and comes pretty close to my former reference which was a CEC transport slaved to my Lessloss DAC. The convenience factor is definitely a plus. I had a chance to meet the Lampizator folks at Newport and I have to,say their transport is enticing, but given how my digital setup,sounds now I may just leave well enough alone. |
Hew, I cannot agree more with you about Phil and the AO! Preliminary results against my DTR-M digital transport show significant improvement of the computer. The difference is now almost negligible, but I feel there is a tad more needed from the computer. I'd really appreciate your input about any further possible improvements. You are also welcome to email me if you'd like. Thanks much! Alex Peychev APL Hi-Fi |
- 83 posts total