[earwicker7]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sherwood /img/forum/go_quote.gif This statement is a lot more sensible than your previous one. I agree that many computer setups are inferior to a good standalone, but in the upper echelons (and even some lower echelons) computers have the potential to be even better than CDPs, especially considering the trend toward high-quality outboard DACs.

Again, to me, it's just an issue of how often a computer that is dedicated to multi-tasking is going to hiccup. I own a very high-end computer (Voodoo PC) and there are times when I'm playing a CD/DVD that it will have a slight stutter due to some issue going on in the background. I guess I could go in and spend an hour or so a month optimizing the system by removing every remnant of anything that has the possibility of depositing itself into the memory (I know how to do this) but it's just not how I choose to spend my time.

 

[ghostmusic]

I think if you're spinning physical discs on the computer, it kind of defeats using computer as transport. The whole point of using the PC as transport is to reduce the errors, or (I'm going to borrow your metaphor) the hiccups that are induced as the laser reads the discs; when the disc is ripped to hard disk, it definitely reduces the jitter potential/reading error caused by the CDP's reading mechanism.

But you do make a good point in that there are hosts of other issues. Optimizing a computer is an issue, but I'll argue it's no rocket science to do so. A thornier issue is that no matter how well the music is ripped and the PC has the ability to play the music more securely, the way that digital info is relayed to the analog stage, to the DAC, is still a rough hand-off, without proper care & set-up. That's why I've heard so many people use expensive DACs with ill-configured PCs, and obviously: terrible sound. But a lot of people use Lynx or RME cards to interface with DAC, and this will help with the issue. computeraudiophile.com has practical advices on this matter.

And still more, there are DACs that reclock the digital info once it enters DAC stage; Bryston's new BDA-1 is one. There is also Wavelength Cosecant, a beautiful tubed unit which uses USB input, but because of the asynchronous topology, controls the digital information. This is the unit that John Atkinson at Stereophile used to demonstrate about hi-rez, and he marveled at the SSD equipped Macbook feeding the Wavelength Cosecant. I think the review will come out in March or something. Wavelength's Gordon Rankin, of course, is one of the legends and pioneers of single ended triode resurgence in the U.S. back in the day, and he knows a thing or two about great analogue sound... I still lust after his 300B amps, and would LOVE to hear my Platine Verdier with one of Rankin's amps... anyway, he believes that his Macbook configured with SSD and 4GB of RAM (which he modded himself with eBay parts) is the best digital transport he's ever used. And he's hardly the only person to think so. The general hi-fi crowd & aficionados are trending away from traditional CDPs for servers & PC-based digital solutions.

 

[greggf]

Ghostmusic's - I love the name, by the way - post points out the current trouble with using computers as high-end sources: I don't understand a word of his post. Or not much of it.

I love music. However, I barely tolerate technology.

Fooling around with computers is like going to the dentist.

I understand CDPs and CDs. Slip in disc, press play. Pretty much like a toaster oven.

Until computers are like toaster ovens - or CDPs - they are not for music lovers. They are for people with lots of time to download, and download, and download, and mess around, mess around, and mess around with gear.

That's okay, and god bless the pioneers in any activity, but look around you at your fellow human beings. Most of them can't balance their own checkbooks or change the oil in their lawnmowers. Optimizing a computer for any kind of music, let alone high-end, makes about as much sense to them as optimizing their vacuum cleaner as a high-end sexual aid.

 

[Audio-Omega]

So a well configured pc is better than most cd players ?

 

[Kees]

Quote:

Originally Posted by greggf /img/forum/go_quote.gif That's okay, and god bless the pioneers in any activity, but look around you at your fellow human beings. Most of them can't balance their own checkbooks or change the oil in their lawnmowers. Optimizing a computer for any kind of music, let alone high-end, makes about as much sense to them as optimizing their vacuum cleaner as a high-end sexual aid.

Computers suck.

 

[greggf]

My brother is a professional musician in Florida. He called the other day to tell me that he literally threw his computer out the window.

So computers not only suck, they take flying leaps!

 

[Kees]

Quote:

Originally Posted by greggf /img/forum/go_quote.gif My brother is a professional musician in Florida. He called the other day to tell me that he literally threw his computer out the window. So computers not only suck, they take flying leaps!

They're so inadequate, you have to throw them out of windows to show them how to make a dump.
The old monitors sounded better when they hit the pavement.

 

[mark_h]

Quote:

Originally Posted by greggf /img/forum/go_quote.gif My brother is a professional musician in Florida. He called the other day to tell me that he literally threw his computer out the window. So computers not only suck, they take flying leaps!

Fantastic! He didn't happen to hit Mr Gates with it did he?

 

[ghostmusic]

Quote:

Originally Posted by greggf /img/forum/go_quote.gif Ghostmusic's - I love the name, by the way - post points out the current trouble with using computers as high-end sources: I don't understand a word of his post. Or not much of it. I love music. However, I barely tolerate technology. Fooling around with computers is like going to the dentist. I understand CDPs and CDs. Slip in disc, press play. Pretty much like a toaster oven. Until computers are like toaster ovens - or CDPs - they are not for music lovers.

I agree with the sentiment, but can't help but notice the flawed logic here. Setting up a turntable, tonearm & cartridge properly, with VTA and anti-skating, ain't no toaster oven-easy, either. I'm sure for some digital music-only listeners, their eyes glaze over when reading about azimuth or vertical tracking, etc.

But many would still say that vinyl is for ultimate music lovers. However, if you can't tolerate the kind of mechanical precision required to play an LP right, you just won't get the music. By extension, the kind of technical know-how to get the music right - even if complicated for some - is pretty crucial to using the PC as a music source right. Declaring that some musical source won't be for music lovers until they're like 'toaster ovens' is way too simplistic and is too much of a blanket statement to mean anything. Cuz, umm, it ain't true. Now, that wasn't so hard to read, was it?

 

[Sherwood]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ghostmusic /img/forum/go_quote.gif By extension, the kind of technical know-how to get the music right - even if complicated for some - is pretty crucial to using the PC as a music source right.

Wonderfully said.

I grew up around computers, and use them all day. Using a computer for music makes perfect sense to me, and "optimizing" it was really a very simple process.

I think, Gregg, that it is a gross oversimplification to say that computers aren't for music lovers. Having set this system up, it will play music for months straight. No changing discs, no flipping sides, no cleaning lasers, no jewel cases, just music. Music is what I love, and a computer gets me as close to it as I've ever been. I keep a CD player and a turntable around because, in addition to music, I also enjoy playback, and I like the tactile feel every now and again.

 

[greggf]

"No cleaning lasers."

Lasers? What does a laser have to do with a cd player?

Just joking .......

Good points, though, both you guys.

But I'm not buying it, at least not yet!

 

[Sherwood]

Quote:

Originally Posted by greggf /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'm not buying it, at least not yet!

Well luckily, I'm no longer selling it

You just go on enjoying your music, Gregg. I'll do the same. Should you ever get tired of sorting through boxes, shoot me a PM and I'll get you sorted out.

 

[milkweg]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Duggeh /img/forum/go_quote.gif They not have any concept of sounding rude and crass in that alternate reality you live in?

Your definition of rude and crass is most certainly different from mine.

 

[milkweg]

Quote:

Originally Posted by earwicker7 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I understand your signature now, because you're obviously taking huge amounts of drugs if you think this way . Unless you're talking about the Sooloos, a computer is not an audiophile source.

If you set them up right they are. I can point you to articles that state the same and why but I have the flu tonight so am not up to it. There is a wealth of info via google on the subject if you care to look it up though.

And I am not talking about using a soundblaster directly to your amp. Although, the soundblaster will work fine as a digital transport to a good quality external DAC via optical or coax.

Was I rude and crass again?

 

[Nocturnal310]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sherwood /img/forum/go_quote.gif Well luckily, I'm no longer selling it You just go on enjoying your music, Gregg. I'll do the same. Should you ever get tired of sorting through boxes, shoot me a PM and I'll get you sorted out.

So how to get a better sound out of a computer?

any recommended equipment and software setup?

last time i checked..all the studio people were also giving a go for computers as main source...but Mac..because on PC..the apps like "Reason" crash when under load.