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Is PC the best sound source?

post #1 of 120
8/3/05 at 7:57pm
Thread Starter 
Is a PC the best sound soruce? And if not why isn't it?

I am a newbie when it comes to audio I need to learn more.
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post #2 of 120
8/3/05 at 8:07pm
Well yes and no....

In terms of pure sound quality, many will argue that stand alone equipment is far superior. This doesn't necessarily hold true for hybrid equipment though. If used in combination with a high quality DAC, the PC is a very capable source. On their own, they are able to compete into the $1000 range of stand alone CDPs.

But that leaves aside the convenience of a computer source. The ability to make playlists and query a large library is something that a stand alone source cannot touch. You also never have to get up to change the CD. You rip it once and you're done! If you've stored it lossless, you can cross convert into other formats such as MP3. You can burn new copies for use in your car and put together unique mixes that you may enjoy more than whole albums. Your whole library can be easily backed up and stored off site if you have precious recordings that you'd be devistated to lose. The list goes on...

Personally, I can't see myself ever returning to a standalone source as my primary music device, it's just too cumbersome.
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post #3 of 120
8/3/05 at 8:49pm
A modded EMU 0404 or 1212M can compete very well with many of the ~$2000 cdps that I have heard. My modded 0404 (AD8620s and bypassed caps) was nearly as good as the Wadia I heard at the NC Headroom meet.

IMO.
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post #4 of 120
8/3/05 at 8:54pm
There is absolutely nothing cumbersome about a standalone source... it all boils down to how you listen to music. Some people like to 'party shuffle', but personally I prefer to listen to an entire CD. If random play is what you like computer as source is the way to go, otherwise I think a stand alone setup is much preferable for the gains you get in sound quality. Besides, I would much rather browse through my CD binder looking at the CD's and the inserts and picking my next album than clicking through boring directory structures.

Saturnine - Your modded 0404 was as good as the Wadia? I'd like to hear that.
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post #5 of 120
8/3/05 at 9:01pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by philodox
Saturnine - Your modded 0404 was as good as the Wadia? I'd like to hear that.
I never said it was as good as the Wadia, I said it was close, which is good enough for my tastes and income This is IMO of course. I dont care to hear every little detail of the music, what I want is a good musical sound. And my 0404 delivers that.
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post #6 of 120
8/3/05 at 9:09pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by saturnine
I never said it was as good as the Wadia, I said it was close.
Still, I would like to hear it even if it was close... regardless of my personal preference for stand alone components, that would be an amazing deal. That said, my Eastsound CD-E5 comes pretty close to the Wadia and it is a heck of a lot cheaper... how much did the 0404 run you with mods?
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post #7 of 120
8/3/05 at 9:15pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by philodox
how much did the 0404 run you with mods?
$170 total, with shipping included. I am using the stock breakout cable hooked up to a pair of cables made by MisterX. They are Cardas connectors with good quality copper wire. Motherboard is an ABIT IC7-G and Powersupply is a PC Power and Cooling 510 deluxe.

I do plan to upgrade the breakout cable soon
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post #8 of 120
8/3/05 at 11:31pm
Thread Starter 
Great now I am convinced that a PC is a good source. I have a AV-710 and s2.1ds. It sounds pretty good. I just need to figure out one thing first. Well I just upgraded from a 2 Zs and x-530s to this set up. Should I start buying all my music in DVD-As or save up more and upgrade then get DVD-As?

Also where do you buy DVD-As? I have the Eagles Farewell 1 tour DVD my dad bought that has audio and video. Is that a DVD-a? What excatly am I supposted to buy and where do I buy it?
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post #9 of 120
8/3/05 at 11:33pm
The PC is the best data source.

The best sound is from an external DAC.
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post #10 of 120
8/4/05 at 2:07am
Couldn't say it better Scrith,
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post #11 of 120
8/4/05 at 2:13am
PC source with external DAC is the best of both worlds, super easy and fun to use, and as good of sound as one could desire.
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post #12 of 120
8/4/05 at 3:50am
I enjoy my PC as sound source. Like someone mentioned you have your entire music collection just clicks away. However the down side is that it can be big and take up a lot of space (unless you specifically aim to build a smaller form factor computer), also there is the issue of noise. Most computers have fans in them whereas stand alone gear runs silent. www.silentpcreview.com is a great site for stuff you can do to quiet your PC.

I love my computer source so much that when I move into a bigger apartment I'm specifically going to build a PC just for music listening (small+quiet, with small LCD screen).
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post #13 of 120
8/4/05 at 4:01pm
Thread Starter 
I just need to finish my wood case in Tech Ed (Huge and oversized to fit my water cooling set up) and install ym watercooling set up. I am also going to eventually build a sepetate computer for audio. But I will try to have everything passive cooled. Well with one case fan. And I am going to have a MATX set up and mod it into a VCR. And have the buttons press buttons on another remote and actually program them. It will be sweet. But...
Where do I buy DVD-As?
How do I know if it is a DVD-A?
Where can I find them in Canada?
How much are they?
What is the difference between DVDs and CDs?
Are there and good FAQs on DVD-As?

Also does it make a difference if I ripped the DTS 5.1 of The Eagles DVD and play it on a 2.1 set up? Should I re-rip it in 2.1?
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post #14 of 120
8/4/05 at 4:16pm
I use my computer for a lot of stuff. Gaming, Music, Sometimes movies. It really boils down to your setup. Your Soundcard. Right now I have just the Audigy 2 ZS platinum, with Senn HD600's I plan on buying the AV-710 which has a bit perfect digital out, (unlike the Audigy's) and going from digital out to a digital reciever and using that to drive both headphones or speakers. My Audio collection is over 20Gb, so...don't expect me to think as CD's as a good method.
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post #15 of 120
8/4/05 at 4:26pm
As has been mentioned already, a PC gives you superior access to your music. Depending on the external DAC, you should theoretically compete very well with any standalone system.

Noise is definitely a big issue, which is why I went with the Airport Express. Bit-perfect output, with absolutely no noise. My iBook is also fanless, as is the external hard drive enclosure. In fact, the noisiest part of the system is the hard drive motor, which is pretty quiet.

One of these days, I'll upgrade the DAC, but for now, I don't think my ears are refined enough to make it worthwhile
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