[iriverdude]

Quote:

I guess you are right..there is no need in too much power for audio. but i just though that like digital cables, the information have to get from the motherboard to the usb port somehow..probably by sort of cable or something...and i just thought that maybe i can improve on that.

Nope it goes via PCI and USB bus, if data is getting corrupted or lost, then USB hard drives will fail also.

 

[plonter]

thanks. so if i had any thought of upgrading my computer, i don't have them anymore. you just saved me some money.

 

[krmathis]

I would just get a MacBook (Pro) and be over with it...

 

[expxe]

Quote:

Originally Posted by estreeter /img/forum/go_quote.gif Is it possible that we might give the OP something a little more concrete than 'Macs R weak' and 'Squeezebox' ?? My personal view is that there is a lot of emphasis placed on which OS and media player people are using, while the focus for me is on how I can best transfer the (lossless audio) bitstream into my DAC. I've had good results from a desktop running Windows, a netbook running Linux and Macbook Pro running OS X - as long as the OS recognizes my Topaz, its all good from there. My personal preference is for Toslink over USB, but I dont want to start a war - use whatever works and good luck. The other tip is that a laptop running off battery power produces significantly less jitter on both USB and SPDIF connections - whether your DAC can handle that or not is a question for the techies.

is jitter for real or are your ears just cursed?

 

[Stoin]

Perfect music computer:

Firstly if it's going to be in the same room as you are listening then it has to be silent - fanless Intel atom (or similar); SSD for the OS and a NAS for the actual media storage.

Secondly you want different control methods for some activites so I'd go for a touchscreen (for selecting albums/playlists and for parties); keyboard and mouse for general set-up and making playlists; and a remote for when you're in your favourite seat (Logitech Harmony with IR receiver).

And you'll need a good screen for displaying everything you need to and it has to be large enough to see from wherever you are sitting in the room. An optical drive for ripping and you're all set to go.

Obviously a small screen and no remote are fine if you're just sitting at a desk with the computer. This sort of system should be pretty cheap - buy a touchscreen nvidia ion nettop, install an SSD, get a NAS, and plug the HDMI out into your telly. Sorted. Of course if life was that simple then this is what I'd be using, but I'm not, so that must tell you something.

 

[craiglester]

I'd go for a Squeezebox Touch and a good sized USB Drive.. Simple, quiet and no OS worries.

 

[Bredin]

A computer that's as quiet as possible, fanless and ssd drive then a NAS or a other computer for storing the music. I'd go for vista or 7 as OS as I like them the most and foobar is a really good player. Then just use the solution that gives the best sound on your dac. In my case my DAC was better using the stock usb-cable and using the wasapi-plugin in foobar than spdif with 500$ coax-cable, 150$ sound-card with full ASIO support :3

Hard-drives are very loud, my music-storage raid with 2 Western Digital Green Power (considered to be quiet) mounted with anti-vibrating pads are actually louder than the rest of my computer using SSD as OS-disk, 5x120mm 500-600rpm fans for cooling and a 120mm fan in the power-supply.

 

[wekania]

I echo the SqueezeBox suggestions. My home setup is a SqueezeBox networked to a Windows Home Server. Keeps the noisy components in the basement.

More directly to your question, I would recommend a solid state drive. This significantly lowered the noise of my desktop, which improves my open headphone listening experience.

 

[audioengr]

The perfect computer server for audio has only these requirements:

• Sufficient storage for lots of music files
• A good Audio interface for streaming data without error (dont care about jitter on this)
• Software capability for a good music player and ripper/downloader (GUI)
• Low latency for delivering the data without dropouts

Move the jitter problem external by using an external interface that can reduce the jitter close to inaudibility.

Why do this? Because you will never solve the jitter problem in the computer environment, no matter how much you spend on power supplies, PCI cards or power conditioning etc..

The external interface can be:

• USB converter or DAC interface with a good clock and separate power suuply
• Firewire converter or DAC interface with a good clock and separate power suuply
• WiFi interface with a good clock and good power supply
• Reclocker with good clock and good power supply

Steve N.
Empirical Audio

 

[thoppa]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bredin /img/forum/go_quote.gif A computer that's as quiet as possible, fanless and ssd drive then a NAS or a other computer for storing the music. I'd go for vista or 7 as OS as I like them the most and foobar is a really good player. Then just use the solution that gives the best sound on your dac. In my case my DAC was better using the stock usb-cable and using the wasapi-plugin in foobar than spdif with 500$ coax-cable, 150$ sound-card with full ASIO support :3 Hard-drives are very loud, my music-storage raid with 2 Western Digital Green Power (considered to be quiet) mounted with anti-vibrating pads are actually louder than the rest of my computer using SSD as OS-disk, 5x120mm 500-600rpm fans for cooling and a 120mm fan in the power-supply.

I completely agree with the above and I'm doing the same thing myself.

If you don't mind building a computer just for music, get a silent mobo and build/buy a linear (not ATX / SMPS ) power supply for it. For example :

Intel® Desktop Board D945GSEJT - Overview - on my shopping list !

http://www.amb.org/audio/sigma11/ + some extra heatsinks so it can handle the mobo fully loaded - Intel specify the maximum load as 12v and 3.505amps. See page 56.

http://downloadmirror.intel.com/1759...chProdSpec.pdf

I'd choose a PCI sound card like Onkyo SE-200PCI (also Linux compatible). I've tried the Asus STX and ST but neither are as sweet straight out of the box as the Onkyo, and even modified they still sound a little aggressive to me.

SSD not HDD. Physical and electrical noise disappear.

1TB Buffalo Wireless storage plugged into a router in another room to keep files on.

Minimal software set-up for HTPC - Linux, or Windows with appropriate ASIO/Wasapi/KS drivers. Foobar can play files from the Buffalo's address. Windows is easier to set up for remote control.

I'd use this gear to output bit-perfect SPDIF, but the Onkyo has very good analogue output too, which I use for a headphone amp into HD650.

I'd feed the SPDIF to an upsampling de-jitter chip like Ti's SRC4392 (just got one but I don't know I2C code so I'm having issues !)

Then into a DAC ( I have a modified Musiland MD-10 ).

Just imho, and what I'm working on