Ok another craze is using a computer as your source in your HT or 2ch system.
There are many ways to get this done. I'd like to focus on music and wanted to know what everyone was using.
My idea right now is using a Mac Mini with a 7200hd or a solid state , using itunes with some software overtop of it to correct the output issues I have read and learned about , using a external DAC like this Audioquest USB DAC I found which seems to be kinda cool or going with a Peachtree or Cambridige DAC Magic.
Simple effective and clean. No tower , cards , etc . I'm a mac guy but if it's a much better way to go with a Windows based PC for music , I'm all ears.
On a side note , 95% of my music came from ripping CD's into iTunes using .wav or Apple Lossless. I never really heard any difference in them so I stuck with Apple Lossless. I really enjoy iTunes interface and once in a blue moon I'll purchase a song or old album from the iTunes store. I don't like to do that as they only offer 256k right now. I have compared 256k stuff from iTunes to the actual cd playing in my player and the rip in .wav or apple lossless. I prefer the cd and ripped version over the 256k. Shame as it would save a lot of disk space but who cares right? Space is cheap now and getting a 7200rpm 2T drive is very affordable. So space is no concern.
Right now I have 2 Apple Tv's as my main music sources.I have a 160g Apple Tv and a brand new Streamer 1080p. The older Apple TV I use mainly as I have my entire cd collection on it.I use the streamer mainly for movies and Airplay. I do however spin cd's , SACD's and DVD Audio disc's and want to move away from looking through my collection and putting in a single disc.
I would continue to use my Apple TV 160g IF it sounded as good or better then my Cambridge Audio BD560. Wiring wise I'm using both DAC's and prefer the sound of the Cambridge internal DAC's over my AVR's( SC-07 Wolfson 8740's which I'm planning on going back to separates).
Apple TV 160g is using HDMI(Audioquest Cinnamon) , Optical (Audioquest Optilink 1) and analog RCA(Audioquest custom ITA1.1). Apple TV Streamer is also using the same kind of HDMI and Optical cables.
I have them both wired up this way so I can compare HDMI and Optical to hear if one sounds better then the other.Honestly they sound exactly the same.I must not have any jitter issues with either connection. The analog connection was purely for zone 2 and 3 as I have speakers all over the house. I tried listening to the Apple tv 160 using the analog connection and I think it sounds better over digital meaning the internal DAC sounds better in the AVR over the Apple Tv's. I have no idea what Apple is using as a DAC.
I'm considering trying a external DAC with my Apple TV and seeing if I can get it closer to the quality I get from the Cambridge or equal to or even better. This is when I started to really consider getting a brand new Mac mini and going that route. Then I wouldn't need either of these Apple TV's. Maybe keep the streamer for guests and parties with Airplay and such.
Talk to me fellow users.
There are many ways to get this done. I'd like to focus on music and wanted to know what everyone was using.
My idea right now is using a Mac Mini with a 7200hd or a solid state , using itunes with some software overtop of it to correct the output issues I have read and learned about , using a external DAC like this Audioquest USB DAC I found which seems to be kinda cool or going with a Peachtree or Cambridige DAC Magic.
Simple effective and clean. No tower , cards , etc . I'm a mac guy but if it's a much better way to go with a Windows based PC for music , I'm all ears.
On a side note , 95% of my music came from ripping CD's into iTunes using .wav or Apple Lossless. I never really heard any difference in them so I stuck with Apple Lossless. I really enjoy iTunes interface and once in a blue moon I'll purchase a song or old album from the iTunes store. I don't like to do that as they only offer 256k right now. I have compared 256k stuff from iTunes to the actual cd playing in my player and the rip in .wav or apple lossless. I prefer the cd and ripped version over the 256k. Shame as it would save a lot of disk space but who cares right? Space is cheap now and getting a 7200rpm 2T drive is very affordable. So space is no concern.
Right now I have 2 Apple Tv's as my main music sources.I have a 160g Apple Tv and a brand new Streamer 1080p. The older Apple TV I use mainly as I have my entire cd collection on it.I use the streamer mainly for movies and Airplay. I do however spin cd's , SACD's and DVD Audio disc's and want to move away from looking through my collection and putting in a single disc.
I would continue to use my Apple TV 160g IF it sounded as good or better then my Cambridge Audio BD560. Wiring wise I'm using both DAC's and prefer the sound of the Cambridge internal DAC's over my AVR's( SC-07 Wolfson 8740's which I'm planning on going back to separates).
Apple TV 160g is using HDMI(Audioquest Cinnamon) , Optical (Audioquest Optilink 1) and analog RCA(Audioquest custom ITA1.1). Apple TV Streamer is also using the same kind of HDMI and Optical cables.
I have them both wired up this way so I can compare HDMI and Optical to hear if one sounds better then the other.Honestly they sound exactly the same.I must not have any jitter issues with either connection. The analog connection was purely for zone 2 and 3 as I have speakers all over the house. I tried listening to the Apple tv 160 using the analog connection and I think it sounds better over digital meaning the internal DAC sounds better in the AVR over the Apple Tv's. I have no idea what Apple is using as a DAC.
I'm considering trying a external DAC with my Apple TV and seeing if I can get it closer to the quality I get from the Cambridge or equal to or even better. This is when I started to really consider getting a brand new Mac mini and going that route. Then I wouldn't need either of these Apple TV's. Maybe keep the streamer for guests and parties with Airplay and such.
Talk to me fellow users.
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