MacBook used in a Digital system

[Jimbo]

Agreed it is relatively expensive. I got lucky and dropped on an ex demo unit that was significantly cheaper than the rrp. Good luck with your search.

Thanks Dave, I am lucky enough to have heard a lot of equipment in the last few years and lots of configurations using DACs, servers and NAS. I know some folk run MacBooks with Audirvana into DACs and get very good results and would like to compare this set up against a dedicated music server and see if there is a big difference.

I like the idea and convenience of products like the Melco and the Innuos servers and again wonder if they are a better digital audio implementation rather than a more complicated separate music server, router, music player and NAS or hooked up via Ethernet cables. An all in one server gets rid of a lot of connections and possible routes for RFI!

[Vanzapp]

I like the idea and convenience of products like the Melco and the Innuos servers and again wonder if they are a better digital audio implementation rather than a more complicated separate music server, router, music player and NAS or hooked up via Ethernet cables. An all in one server gets rid of a lot of connections and possible routes for RFI!

My thoughts exactly. I used to use a pc as a music server running through a hard wired home network. The thing that struck me most was how much better sounding a dedicated (built purely for audio) system was/is. That's not to say that the pc solution was bad sounding (it wasn't)...just that the melco/innous products give noticable improvements.

Going back to your comment about using Macbooks into DACs. I heard a system like that at Scalford about 3 years ago, and that sounded very very good.

[Jimbo]

So over the bank holiday weekend I will now be able to evaluate a MacBook Pro running Audirvana vs InnOs Zen server with IPeng 9 on the iPad both running through a Chord Qutest DAC. I am expecting the InnuOS to sound the better of the two but we will see. USB connection will be used for both, decided to forget optical.

[brian2957]

I look forward to your feedback James . Make sure you are using a good USB cable

[Jimbo]

I look forward to your feedback James . Make sure you are using a good USB cable

The cable I am using costs more than the Dac

[Yomanze]

The cable I am using costs more than the Dac

And will sound the same as a Lindy one for £15. Same as a properly set up media server i.e. a fanless one, it will sound the same as any expensive ‘audiophile’ media server as long as both are outputting bit perfect files, with no resampling.

The issues with digital file transmission are associated with the clock, data is very very easy to get through perfectly, and RFI issues are associated with a lack of galvanic isolation on the input, or a USB input powered by the incoming power line rather than inside the unit itself. In the case of your Chord DAC, it is isolated, self powered and handles the clocking of your digital signals. I expect it to sound identical with any bit perfect input, and so would the designer.

[Jimbo]

I have a cheap freebie USB cable aswell so we will see.

[Yomanze]

I have a cheap freebie USB cable aswell so we will see.

Didn’t say cheap freebie, a properly specified / certified USB 2.0 cable, like from Lindy, will guarantee the proper data transmission, a cheap freebie may not.

[Vanzapp]

I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on the Qutest Jimbo.

[Jimbo]

I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on the Qutest Jimbo.

I have a feeling quite a lot of music is going to be played this long weekend