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Apple vs PC for Music System

I'm pretty familiar with XP owning both a desktop and laptop. But I want to put together a similar system to the Apple TV Setup featured in the Absolute Sound and PS Audio.

However when looking at PCs at a local store they had a windows media computer that looked really interestesting that I'm considering purchasing for just audio into my Levinson DAC. I was told I could use an iPod Touch to control this system just like I could an Apple TV.
Also this system included a BluRay Disc drive. The setup looked very cool and very hi tech.

So to do this system right, should I stick with Apple only like the Absolute Sound or a combo of Apple w/PC to do the ripping, or all PC with Sata drives like the computer store would customize for me w/I-Tunes/iPod running the show?
128x128sgr
toufu
83 posts
 
I meant elimanate...
audioengr
3,282 posts
 
Toufu - sending data without errors and playing it back real-time with low-jitter are two very different challenges. If it was so easy to eliminate jitter, why would CD's be plagued with this for 20 years?

Steve N.
Empirical Audio
m3pilot
12 posts
 
Audioengr,

Thank you(!) for the clear response. I want to use USB into my DAC and it seems that mandates the use of some type of computer as opposed to an appliance. I'll probably go the Windows route since I have more experience with them and all my other machines are Windows-based.
sgr's avatar
sgr OP
689 posts
 
Right now I'm using an XP PC. Can I use it to rip my discs into Apple ITunes lossless, then transfer everything to an Apple TV, connect it via toslink to a Genesis digital lens, then to my Levinson DAC, and finally use my IPod Touch to run everything? Or have I wasted my time since many insist that the PC will contaminate my files somehow and not sound as good as if I purchased an Apple computer to rip the disks? I really don't want to purchase a new PC if I don't have too.
pmi_guy
72 posts
 
I've been a PC guy forever but I bought a Mac Mini a few weeks ago and I'm hooked. It's so much easier to use. Everything is included (built-in wireless, bluetooth for the wireless keyboard and mouse, digital audio out, remote control, ipod interface, DVI to connect to the HDMI of my TV, etc.). I'm still working on the sound quality but it's pretty good already and I believe that ultimately there is little difference between a Mac and a PC in sound. It's simply a matter of how much effort is required for that sound.

I've worked measuring jitter for several years. (I'm not talking about too much coffee). Think of jitter as noise in the time domain. The DAC relies on the timing of the digital input signal. Timing noise (jitter) causes problems with the DAC timing. The result is audible. I think that virtually any computer output stream needs to be reclocked to get the best audio out. That applies to both Mac and PC. Ultimately, I think that someone will come out with a DAC focused on the PC audio market which will take care of the jitter problem.
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