I'm using the Inguz DSP plugin for the Slimserver (Slimdevices players). http://inguzaudio.com/ So if you have a Squeezebox or a Transporter it can be upgraded to a room correction device as well. Works great, has enough pre-set filters for you to choose which one sounds best to you. Only...

Placebo exists, and in that case it fooled that person with the zip-cord. But give someone a zip-cord to listen for a week, then switch and ask him after another week was there a difference. If the cable was a lot better there won't be any doubt. If it was the same it can go either way. If you...

Joey_V, yes, let me rephrase once more. If a certain power conditioner sounds best to me I would pay whatever the cost if I can afford it without stretching. What is so difficult to understand. Same goes with the power cables, if they change the sound for the better it's still just copper and I...

music_man, Ok, that's true to some extent. But you're missing the obvious point too and that's that Shunyata made one of the best sounding power conditioners / power strips in the world. Who cares how they did it, they did and it works as advertised. Well ok there is DIY then. Now the question...

You all sound oblivious towards power cables market. And if you are not a believer that's another thing. edit: same story: http://www.head-fi.org/forums/showthread.php?t=162114

All that can be said for cables. Don't give me connector price, that's not what they pay when making them or buying couple of thousands of pieces. Also twisted pair or coaxial cables are nothing new. If they stuck a battery on it that doesn't mean they needed 10 000 man hours to plan that...

Well I don't agree that their special formula isn't so valuable. Who cares who invented filters, they modified it for the high-end audio and judging by their success it's well priced. Look at the all those cables and their prices, and they are just wire. These Hydra filters cost more in...

It is an old news. Btw when people hear differences in power cords imagine what wrong part in the filter can do, and all those parts do look alike but who cares, important thing is their exact capacitance or whatever they found in R&D as you put it. With the original you get like a...

mkozlows, indeed the Transporter is like a new Squeezebox sort of speak. It would be good to have something cheaper though. But as they can't even produce these enough (black Transporter orders on delay 3-4 weeks) don't expect them to design something new so soon, especially something more...

Better yet the lately popular Transporter And if you have a mobo with the digital out use that for movies and games connected to this same device (it has digital in). edit: But since you're on a budget their Squeezebox with some external DAC will suffice and fit to your bill. I have E-Mu...

I had both but haven't got the equipment I have today so the difference wasn't that big. I agree that 1212m is cold, or nicely said "analytical". But with computer power supply I don't see how can soundcard sound any different, unless some heavy filters are applied which kill the details. To...

lini, oh right, haven't looked. Then the answer is like others already said, the DAC. Soundcard digital output isn't that different between different models as the DACs are.

BushGuy, been there and it's not worth it. Focus on amplifiers and speakers/headphones, source is always better than you expect it to be. Some will say garbage in-garbage out...yes but first you gotta have near perfect amp/speakers to hear that "garbage" then buy external DAC and connect Juli@...

I had Juli@ and it is nice and simple but when it comes to digital comparison you'll hardly hear any difference no matter which card. To hear something like that you'll have to have top of the line amplifiers and speakers/headphones. (IMHO) Only thing that sounds noticeable to my ears is...

JACK5ON, what are you saying, I am using Foobar2k so that means it's my favorite player slash converter. You missunderstood what I'm saying, and what Foo2k does is just scripted same thing I do manually. I was reffering to other software which is not transparent as F2k. You probably needed...