Quote: I'm using Window MP for ripping. I tend to agree, the DVD tray probably generates more noise that gets into, ultimately my headphone amp, than the HDD.

Do you have a thread reviewing the uDAC-2SE you mentioned you had in the beginning? Or more specifically comparing the 2SE to the D1? I have both the D1 and 2SE now and am in the processing of testing them, reviewing them, and within about 10 days I'll have to pick one to keep and one to return...

Dare I put my toes into the water? I'm a physicist and audiophile (establish credibility!). I've been into living room system audiophilia for 20 years. This pc-audio is new to me and I'm just starting up. Now, about USB cables: I can hear a small difference between cables. If we assume the bits...

The only thing might be that on my particular laptop, a little more electromagnetic noise might get through to the uDAC-2SE headphone amp from the DVD spinning than the HDD. Can't think of anything else.

Quote:   That's funny, ripping is really ripping, isn't it? It's not Ripping Installing and Playing .. I've been playing with this all evening. Playing from the HDD sounds better to me than spinning the DVD tray. Not much, but the midrange is more "light", less engaging, less emotional...

Quote:   I'm using the DVD player that's built into my laptop, you know, that little slot tray that slides in and out. So, my laptop is my transport. YouTube is all mp3, right?   Comparing the exact same track from a CD and a good YouTube upload, the CD sounds dry and two dimensional...

Hello Head-Fi, I've got a question for more experienced members. I have lots of experience with audiophilia in my living room system, but just starting with the computer audio.   I've got a Dell Latitude E6502/Windows 7-64 with the NuForce uDAC-2SE and Sony MDR-7509HD phones. I've noticed...