How do you deliver digital content to your DAC?

[MiTT]

Recent conversations revolving around DAC's has me interested in how folks are delivering content to their systems. I used to be a dyed in the wool analog guy, but started to see some hope with the advent of SACD, and eventually started getting into utilizing my computer as a source for my digital content. As Hi-Rez files became more available I eventually found that the majority of my music listening was occurring through my computer and I spent a good amount of time finding a DAC that would allow me to take full advantage of the latest and best downloads I could find.

As computer based audio becomes more commonplace I'm interested in knowing how folks here in our community are delivering their content.

 

[Bernard]

Tim, do you think you will abandon analog anytime soon?

 

[User211]

Amanero Async USB. You know it makes sense.

It seems to be very easy to get shaky connections with laptops and DACs, especially using USB->SPDIF converters. Async USB has been the best method so far I have found - from laptop directly to the DAC with nowt inbetween. If your DAC has an Amanero card you're lucky - I reckon it is excellent.

 

[MiTT]

Tim, do you think you will abandon analog anytime soon?

Good heavens no! Even though my turntable is in storage right now I don't have any intention of giving up my vinyl setup. My digital rig is all I have available right now, so that's where my focus has been of late. I have far too many albums that I love to just kiss them goodbye.

 

[bonzo]

Try modded minis, they have their power etc taken out and replaced, internet cards taken out. People who use them claim they work better than very high end cd players, I will be demoing some by july along with aurender.

 

[beanbag]

computer -> toslink spdif -> digital XO -> multiple coax spdif -> multiple DACs

 

[amey01]

SPDIF from Squeezebox.

 

[RUR]

MacMini USB out>Async reclock>Digital AES/EBU>Trinnov (gains/delays/XOs/EQ/DACs x 8)

 

[bsandovalb]

I use:
Mac mini w/audirvana--bel canto reflink--DAC (audioaero capitol cd player mkii or oppo bdp-105d or audiolab mdac)

 

[as350_b3]

Mac Mini -> USB -> M2Tech Evo -> TOSLINK SPDIF -> Esoteric D05 -> XLR -> Krell KCT

 

[InterMechanico]

Buffalo NAS 3TB Hard Drive -> EtherNet -> Router -> EtherNet -> Yamaha NP-S2000 -> XLR -> A-S2000

 

[Bernard]

Try modded minis, they have their power etc taken out and replaced, internet cards taken out. People who use them claim they work better than very high end cd players, I will be demoing some by july along with aurender.

Kedar, try to listen to the Mini with it sitting on the Atomic platform. Some may consider it snake oil, but Tim (MiTT) stated in another thread that he heard distinct improvements with it in place at the last RMAF.

Comparison with Aurender will be interesting.

 

[JonFo]

For ultimate accuracy, my renderer is in the same box as the DAC, fully clock synced. So all-in-one solution is the Denon AVP-A1HDci

But for pure convenience, I typically use the Oppo 103 as my UI and and renderer to LPCM which is then fed via HDMI to the AVP.

The other audio source is my HTPC, where I run Foobar2000 with several plug ins to help deal with interesting formats like Ambisonics (I have a Ambi decoder plug-in), it is also how I play back my DVD-A or BR-Audio rips. So HTPC ->HDMI -> AVP-A1

I really wish this industry could rally around and standardize on a singe clock-synch scheme for HDMI. But alas, not yet ...

 

[Pneumonic]

I am totally discless. I have properly needledropped all of my desired vinyl and ripped and stored all of my CD's and downloaded hi-res files.

I employ multiple setups throughout the house. All controlled via tablets and/or smart phones.

1) FLAC on USB HDD -> Acer Aspire One netbook (running Logitech Media Server) -> Wired Ethernet -> Squeezebox Transporter (setup as slave) -> Lessloss DAC 2004 mkII (setup as master)
2) FLAC on USB HDD -> headless AMD Athlon PC (Vortexbox OS) -> Wired Ethernet -> Squeezebox Touch -> Sonic Frontiers UltraJitterbug -> Roksan DA1 DAC w/ DS4 PSU
3) FLAC on USB Flash Drive -> Squeezebox Touch (Tiny SC) -> Audio gd Ref 5.3 DAC
4) FLAC on USB Flash Drive -> Squeezebox Touch (Tiny SC) -> my custom made DAC
5) Acer Aspire One netbook (running foobar) -> EMU 0404 USB DAC

 

[Wildcat Rudy]

Interesting thread! Quite a mix of systems here.

I do have a separate DAC (a Cambridge Audio DACMagic), but use it only for digital sources on my TV stand. (I have a Pioneer DV-578A, WD TV Live, and a digital out from the TV.) I use coax or Toslink depending on what the source has. The analog out goes over to my main audiophile rig (at least for now).

For the main audio rig, though, I simply use an Oppo BDP-105 as a network music player. CDs, HDTracks, etc. are all ripped to a network drive (hosted on a 4TB drive on a Synology DS214play), as are all the video discs in the house (DVD, BD, ripped to MKV files). Works well enough for me, and the DAC section of the 105 is as good as I'll ever be able to afford. Far as I know, it can also function as a DAC--pretty sure it has an input or two on the back. I use it primarily for stereo music playback, but also run an HDMI to the telly in case I want to watch video and don't want to mess with the WD TV Live.

I split about 60/40 digital/analog listening. Still an avid buyer of vinyl here.

 

[slowGEEZR]

My digital data resides on a 4 terabyte external drive connected to a last generation Mac mini which has Amarra software, sent to asynchronous USB DAC (Ayre QB-9 DSD), then on to the preamp.

 

[Bernard]

My digital data resides on a 4 terabyte external drive connected to a last generation Mac mini which has Amarra software, sent to asynchronous USB DAC (Ayre QB-9 DSD), then on to the preamp.

Steve, is the software in your Mac in SSD, have you made any mods to the Mac (linear power supply + filter), and have you tried the Atomic platform?

 

[roberto]

Hola...macmini USB Mirage cable DHLabs to Bel Canto Reflink, then DHLabs coax digital D-750 to DAC. Happy listening to all!

 

[asindc]

External HDD containing files---> Mac Mini---> USB cable---> Berkeley USB converter---> AES/EBU cable---> DAC.

1) The external HDD has a companion backup drive. I have a 2nd backup that I keep at the office;
2) The Mac Mini has a SDD to run the operating system and playback software, which is Amarra. Amarra doesn't do DSD, but it is the best for PCM;
3) I use the Berkeley USB converter because it is a substantial upgrade over USB straight from Mac Mini to DAC. It is like a major DAC upgrade;
4) I use an AES/EBU cable because it sounds better than the equivalent coaxial cable. My guess from having read user reviews is that it is system-dependent.

 

[slowGEEZR]

Steve, is the software in your Mac in SSD, have you made any mods to the Mac (linear power supply + filter), and have you tried the Atomic platform?

No Bernard. I'm willing to try further isolation, but my current understanding is that noise and such travels on the power supply side of the USB and that is where the problems can come from. Since the Ayre isolates the power coming in and uses its own power, any noise that would have come into the DAC is eliminated. I do understand the many benefits of superior isolation, though. Right now, as I'm listening to Art Blakely Jazz Messengers "Caravan" on 45rpm on my analog rig, it's hard to get worked up about digital. This is so dynamic and real sounding! This turntable is mind blowingly good! On the downside though, it took a lot of playing with setup to achieve this realism, but then again, digital requires some setup, too.