Can I Improve Sound--Macbook Pro as Music Server?

No, I haven't tried Audivarna. I'll try it.

Put your music files on a separate drive and use a firewire connection. (It's important to use a different bus connection than what your music drive uses). Max out you memory, 4Gb at a minimum. Only use non-data compressed files. Try Pure Music again and set it up for memory play with factor of 2 upsampling.

Onhwy61, thanks for the post/ I should have mentioned that I'm still trying to sort out CA and what you just said in your post is mostly a foreign language to me.

Optimize your Mac OS for music server

Reinstall the OS on a clean new partition preferably on an SSD

(this may not be applicable if you run the MBP as a multi purpose machine)
- disable spotlight
- disable IR
- disable Dashboard
- disable Spaces
- disable Energy Saving
- disable BT (and WiFi if you aren't using it)
- disable Time Machine

Use Audirvana Plus
- use A+'s System Optimizer
- enable Direct and Integer mode in A+ (should be supported by the USB-SPDIF device

If you are using a USB-SPDIF device like the Audiophileo, store the music on Network Server with a wired connection or use a Firewire/Thunderbolt external HDD (not USB).

Thanks Doggiehowser,

Reinstall the OS on a clean new partition preferably on an SSD 04-09-13: Doggiehowser

I know SSD is Solid State Drive. What's a clean new partition?

If you are using a USB-SPDIF device like the Audiophileo, store the music on Network Server with a wired connection or use a Firewire/Thunderbolt external HDD (not USB).

I use the Audiophilleo2. What's a Network Server? Which ones are good? I think I've seen a Thunderbolt (do you mean, don't get a Thunderbolt with USB capability?

Are you saying ethernet? I use WiFi now but have considered running an ehthernet cable into the room where the Macbook Pro is located. You're saying to run ethernet to the Network Server rather than the Macbook?

Obviously I don't know the meaning of some of the jargon.