[mbratrud]

I have been reading posts from a guy on AA who has a high end system.

He runs his computer system from a Waveterminal U24 card via usb to a Genesis lens and onto a dCs Purcel.

Now I had almost settled on a Digi PAD via TOSlink to a Genesis lens and into my Burmester. I want to use iTunes and was under the impression that this would avoid Kmixer and run directly 44.1 native all the way to the Burmester.

But the poster I refer to above seems to like his set up almost as much as his Wadia 270se (which I have heard and if I can get that from a computer cool).

I thought that to run USB meant that the lossless file had been converted to 48 rather than 44.1 thus invloving more artifacts into the sysem.

I am very new at this but I am determined to learn enough to put together a really good computer/(transport).

Please help if you know about this!

Thanks

 

[thomaspf]

Let me try to address at least a few of your questions.

The RME Digi PAD is always bypassing kmixer simply by the way RME decided to implement their sound driver.

The system USB audio driver provided with Windows XP/SP1/SP2 allows you to get bit perfect playback by using th asio4all shim when used with an ASIO compatible player (that means not itunes!). Using USB has absolutely nothing to do with converting PCM audio streams to 48Khz. The Windows system driver will support most native frequencies and it depends on your USB device whether it supports a specific frequency the hardware. An Audiotrak Optoplay for example natively supports 44.1/48/96Khz with the Windows system driver. However the windows system driver does not support AC3/DTS pass through over digital outputs.

I don't know whether the Waveterminal U24 comes with it's own USB audio driver or relies on the system supplied driver in Windows.


In any case, if you stick with your planned RME solution you can use Windows Media player, itunes, JRiver Media center, or any other player and if you manage to avoid all digital attenutation and other effects processing applied by the player itself you should get bit perfect playback.

Cheers

Thomas