CAJames
500+ Head-Fier
I guess it is the age old story: got some money, spent it on my system, system sounds better and now I'm not happy.
This is what happened. I mostly listen to CDs but have been listening to more and more files (downloads and rips). I don't stream and I'm not interested in it (long story, don't ask). I just got done upgrading the CD side to a Jay's transport and Synergistic Research AES/EBU cable, and it sounds fantastic. It makes the files sound, well, not as engaging in comparison even though I was perfectly happy with them earlier. So, the question is what is the upgrade path for playing files. Files range for 16/44 FLAC to DSD256 on an attached SSD and DAC is Denafrips Terminator 2 and Gaia FWIW.
I'm playing files with Foobar2000 on a Windows 10 laptop. I've tweaked the OS to turn off a bunch of unnecessary stuff, use a linear power supply instead of the wall-wart and I have a Tabulus Argentus USB cable. The laptop has a network connection so I can control Foobar from my phone but it isn't on the "internet." Do I:
Need a better player? There are nice streamers out there that play files but they seem mostly optimized for streaming. And they are basically laptops under the hood, as far as I can tell. I don't love Windows but I really like Foobar, for a lot of reasons, one of which is it makes it really easy to organize my files. I listen to a lot of classical, and since most software has no clue about symphonies with movements, conductors and orchestras I organize my files in a directory structure, like I organize CD's on my shelves. I absolutely positively need software that will allow me to access tracks via the filesystem, not a database.
Need a better USB cable? The Tabulus Argentus was a big upgrade over the cheap cable I started with, but I don't think it is an endgame cable. What would be an upgrade?
Is there anything else I can do to the laptop? I've considered e.g. a NUC but don't see what that buys me either.
TIA.
This is what happened. I mostly listen to CDs but have been listening to more and more files (downloads and rips). I don't stream and I'm not interested in it (long story, don't ask). I just got done upgrading the CD side to a Jay's transport and Synergistic Research AES/EBU cable, and it sounds fantastic. It makes the files sound, well, not as engaging in comparison even though I was perfectly happy with them earlier. So, the question is what is the upgrade path for playing files. Files range for 16/44 FLAC to DSD256 on an attached SSD and DAC is Denafrips Terminator 2 and Gaia FWIW.
I'm playing files with Foobar2000 on a Windows 10 laptop. I've tweaked the OS to turn off a bunch of unnecessary stuff, use a linear power supply instead of the wall-wart and I have a Tabulus Argentus USB cable. The laptop has a network connection so I can control Foobar from my phone but it isn't on the "internet." Do I:
Need a better player? There are nice streamers out there that play files but they seem mostly optimized for streaming. And they are basically laptops under the hood, as far as I can tell. I don't love Windows but I really like Foobar, for a lot of reasons, one of which is it makes it really easy to organize my files. I listen to a lot of classical, and since most software has no clue about symphonies with movements, conductors and orchestras I organize my files in a directory structure, like I organize CD's on my shelves. I absolutely positively need software that will allow me to access tracks via the filesystem, not a database.
Need a better USB cable? The Tabulus Argentus was a big upgrade over the cheap cable I started with, but I don't think it is an endgame cable. What would be an upgrade?
Is there anything else I can do to the laptop? I've considered e.g. a NUC but don't see what that buys me either.
TIA.
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