Ultimate Audiophile PC Setup!!!

[K2Grey]

Well, with headphones I'm not sure if it's specifically necessary for the computer to be quiet. I think that while music is playing, even if the playing is very quiet, the computer noise will be inaudible, so there is no need to start modding etc.

Still, one might as well act accordingly, and buy as many passively cooled components as possible (if the computer is to be used only for audio; but you can as easily take say a gaming computer and have it quiet enough for audio purposes).

 

[CSMR]

Quote:

Originally Posted by K2Grey Well, with headphones I'm not sure if it's specifically necessary for the computer to be quiet. I think that while music is playing, even if the playing is very quiet, the computer noise will be inaudible, so there is no need to start modding etc.

Depends how quiet. Some music goes in and out of silence. Not so good if it goes in and out of computer background noise instead.

 

[audioengr]

If you are talking ultimate, then sound cards are out. USB or WiFi converters is what you should be considering. I've modded most of these sound cards including the 1010 and they are no match for an outboard converter or USB DAC.

 

[Kirium]

Another setup to consider could be an Apple Mac mini (with external FW drive) or MacBook Pro if you wanted portable.

Encode everything in Apple lossless and use the optical out into a decent DAC and amp of your choosing, and a few pairs of cans...

After being a PC user all my life, I gave the new intel macs a go and can tell you it's like they were built to be used as high quality sources. everyone says they're bit perfect, and i'm not sure how true that is, but it's so much easier to get equal sound quality out of a Mac than a PC with a number of codecs and what-not installed to get decent audio out of it.

 

[germanium]

Quote:

Originally Posted by polvodediamante Oh, I see. I was only asking that because I was looking into the Sound Blaster X-Fi which "uses the X-Fi 24-bit Crystalizer and X-Fi CMSS-3D features to "SuperRip" CD's to Xtreme Fidelity quality." (taken directly from website) So I was wondering if there was any way to get "superRip" for cheaper...

Forget Super Rip!! It just makes a huge file with no benefits unless you like the distortion of the so called 24 bit Chrystalyzer. It artificially boosts transients to make music sound more lively but at the expense of distortion.