+ Reply to Thread
Page 8 of 9 FirstFirst ... 6789 LastLast
Results 71 to 80 of 90

Thread: MacBook used in a Digital system

  1. #71
    Join Date: Oct 2008

    Location: Glasgowshire

    Posts: 9,656
    I'm Gary.

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by mightymonoped View Post
    I guess the bit I'm having trouble with is the perceived lack of physical connection between my storage medium and the rest of the chain. In a NAS connected only by Ethernet cable to the audio system, would the difference between SSD and HDD be audible from the packets being transmitted?


    Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
    On paper...yes.
    But?

    I dont pretend to know all the variables, but from having tried different combinations (actually, a fair bit...) its my experience it subjectivly makes a difference.
    AC POWER
    Hardwired 10kVA balanced mains powering entire system
    AMPS
    Meridian 557 power Amp (Modded) / PS Audio BHK Preamp (Modded)
    SPEAKERS
    Wharfedale Evo 4.4
    DAC
    PS Audio Directstream (Modded)
    TURNTABLE
    Pro-Ject X8 balanced output via XLR / Ortofon Quintet Blue cartridge
    PHONOSTAGE
    Pro-Ject DS3 B balanced Input (TT and Phonostage powered by Pro-Ject Power box RS2 linear psu)
    DIGITAL
    OPPO 203 (Modded: Linear PSU, i2s output to Dac) - Roon Endpoint, HDMI input used for all things Streaming/ PS5 /AppleTV ... also good for movies apparently?
    MUSIC PLAYBACK
    Tweaked AP-Linux based Roon Server into Oppo 203 as Roon endpoint
    Ipad Roon Remote.
    Apple Music/ YouTube via AppleTV, fed to Dac via Oppo HDMI input/i2s output to Dac.
    SPEAKER CABLES
    Biwired: Duelund DCA10GA (Bass) Duelund DCA16GA (mid & treble) Duelund 12DCA used as jumpers (On
    "Blackcat Cable" Chris Sommivigo's advice - yup, even with biwire it sounds better - and it does)
    INTERCONNECTS
    All Balanced: Ghost+ recording studio XLR cables

  2. #72
    Join Date: Apr 2017

    Location: Manningtree, Essex

    Posts: 1,722
    I'm Tony.

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Macca View Post
    Adds noise, I suppose. Electrical rather than mechanical. Never done the comparison myself mind. I'd be surprised if I could hear its sole contribution but when you consider that every device involved has the potential to add noise to the signal it can all add up unless steps have been taken to ensure they don't.

    Get enough of it and your sending that out with your noughts and ones, into the DAC which adds a bit more, the signal is converted to analogue but it is still just current in a wire and it keeps all that noise with it, through the amplifiers and out of the speakers along with the music. Result is you get a stodgier sound, flatter soundstage, nothing sounds 'real' anymore. Not unpleasant to listen to but not special either.

    I'm theorising here, you understand. Based on my own experiences and what I've read. Don't take that as gospel.
    It is an interesting one! I'm certainly not going to dismiss it either. I did wonder if noise could act as a troublesome unwanted guest in the chain


    Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
    A mainly digital setup with a musical amplifier and endearing 1970's speakers. A CD player that hardly ever gets used and a turntable that is good enough to remind my how enjoyable my old vinyl is. Some cables and things.

  3. #73
    Join Date: Apr 2017

    Location: Manningtree, Essex

    Posts: 1,722
    I'm Tony.

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Gazjam View Post
    On paper...yes.
    But?

    I dont pretend to know all the variables, but from having tried different combinations (actually, a a fair bit...) its my experience it subjectivly makes a difference.
    Fair do's


    Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
    A mainly digital setup with a musical amplifier and endearing 1970's speakers. A CD player that hardly ever gets used and a turntable that is good enough to remind my how enjoyable my old vinyl is. Some cables and things.

  4. #74
    Join Date: Jan 2013

    Location: Birmingham

    Posts: 6,772
    I'm James.

    Default

    HDD are a fair bit noisy compared to SSD. They are both electrical but HDD is also mechanical so this probably increases the electrical noise when the drive is operating.

  5. #75
    Join Date: Feb 2013

    Location: W Lothian

    Posts: 99,005
    I'm Grant.

    Default

    Regards,
    Grant .... ؠ ......Don't be such a big girl's blouse

    I've said it before and I'll say it again: democracy simply-doesn't-work
    .... ..... ...... ...... ................... ..... ..... ..... ..... .....
    FIIO K7 BT, M11 PLUS, BTR7, KA5 - OPPO BDP-103D - PANASONIC UB450 - PANASONIC 4K ULTRA HD TV - PIXEL 6 - AVANTREE LR BLUETOOTH - 2* X600 SOUNDCORE - HEADPHONES INCLUDE, FIIO, NURAPHONES', FOCAL, OPPO, BOSE, CAMBRIDGE, BOWER & WILKINS, DEVIALET, MARSHALL, SONY, MITCHELL & JOHNSTON - 2*ZBOOK'S- MERCURY BD ROM, ROON, QOBUZ, TIDAL, PLEX, CYBERLINK, JRIVER - MULTI HDD'S -

    Oh my god! There's nothing wrong with the bidet is there?

    “Nothing discloses real character like the use of power. It is easy for the weak to be gentle. Most people can bear adversity. But if you wish to know what a man really is, give him power. This is the supreme test. It is the glory of Lincoln that, having almost absolute power, he never abused it, except on the side of mercy".

    “You see these dictators on their pedestals, surrounded by the bayonets of their soldiers and the truncheons of their police ... yet in their hearts there is unspoken fear. They are afraid of words and thoughts: words spoken abroad, thoughts stirring at home -- all the more powerful because forbidden -- terrify them. A little mouse of thought appears in the room, and even the mightiest potentates are thrown into panic.”

    "You don't have free will. You have the appearance of free will.”

    “There's a war out there, old friend. A world war. And it's not about who's got the most bullets. It's about who controls the information. What we see and hear, how we work, what we think... it's all about the information!”


    ***SMILE, BE HAPPY***

  6. #76
    Join Date: Aug 2008

    Location: Suffolk, UK

    Posts: 1,473
    I'm Paul.

    Default

    Whether the DAC has a data buffer will go some way in mitigation of any difference in any storage types as the data is stored in memory and clocked out to the DACs D/A chip. There was some tests published in a review of Chords DAC 64 and a clear difference in performance was measured when the buffer was activated.

    I think also noise passed on down the chain can make a difference, less noise = better performance. One thing I done was to cut the power wires in my USB cable so that the only connection was the differential data wires. This seemed to help quite a bit.
    ~Paul~

  7. #77
    Join Date: Nov 2008

    Location: Valley of the Hazels

    Posts: 9,139
    I'm AMusicFanNotAnAudiophile.

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Macca View Post
    I'm making it up as I'm going along, you understand. Based on my own experiences and what I've read. Don't take that as gospel.
    I'd never have guessed
    Chris



    Common sense isn't anymore!

  8. #78
    Join Date: Aug 2009

    Location: Staffordshire, England

    Posts: 37,777
    I'm Martin.

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Stratmangler View Post
    I'd never have guessed
    So what's your take on it then, Chris? Personally I've no doubt that 90% of the things people think matter in digital audio make no difference whatsoever. 'Jitter', 'Bit perfect', 'high resolution' and so on. The things that do matter, like the power supply regulation, no-one seems to be interested in.
    Current Lash Up:

    TEAC VRDS 701T > Sony TAE1000ESD > Krell KSA50S > JM Labs Focal Electra 926.

  9. #79
    Join Date: Apr 2008

    Location: Warrington

    Posts: 3,451
    I'm Neil.

    Default MacBook used in a Digital system

    Quote Originally Posted by struth View Post
    Actually made the sound worse in my system! I use a fanless PC with solid state drive now, no filters, and my USB output has its own independent power supply, outside of the PC.
    Mana Acoustics Racks / Bright Star IsoNodes Decoupling >> Allo DigiOne Player >> Pedja Rogic's Audial Model S DAC + Pioneer PL-71 turntable / Vista Audio phono-1 mk II / Denon PCL-5 headshell / Reson Reca >> LFD DLS >> LFD PA2M (SE) >> Royd RR3s.

  10. #80
    Join Date: Feb 2013

    Location: W Lothian

    Posts: 99,005
    I'm Grant.

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Yomanze View Post
    Actually made the sound worse in my system!
    quite.. it just proves every system is gonna be different. what works here might be worse elsewhere. then you have to take the environment and the listener into account.
    all you can do is offer options; its up to people to try them and see i guess.
    many folk saying a pc based system is crap, but ive found it to be fine.

    horses for courses imo.
    Regards,
    Grant .... ؠ ......Don't be such a big girl's blouse

    I've said it before and I'll say it again: democracy simply-doesn't-work
    .... ..... ...... ...... ................... ..... ..... ..... ..... .....
    FIIO K7 BT, M11 PLUS, BTR7, KA5 - OPPO BDP-103D - PANASONIC UB450 - PANASONIC 4K ULTRA HD TV - PIXEL 6 - AVANTREE LR BLUETOOTH - 2* X600 SOUNDCORE - HEADPHONES INCLUDE, FIIO, NURAPHONES', FOCAL, OPPO, BOSE, CAMBRIDGE, BOWER & WILKINS, DEVIALET, MARSHALL, SONY, MITCHELL & JOHNSTON - 2*ZBOOK'S- MERCURY BD ROM, ROON, QOBUZ, TIDAL, PLEX, CYBERLINK, JRIVER - MULTI HDD'S -

    Oh my god! There's nothing wrong with the bidet is there?

    “Nothing discloses real character like the use of power. It is easy for the weak to be gentle. Most people can bear adversity. But if you wish to know what a man really is, give him power. This is the supreme test. It is the glory of Lincoln that, having almost absolute power, he never abused it, except on the side of mercy".

    “You see these dictators on their pedestals, surrounded by the bayonets of their soldiers and the truncheons of their police ... yet in their hearts there is unspoken fear. They are afraid of words and thoughts: words spoken abroad, thoughts stirring at home -- all the more powerful because forbidden -- terrify them. A little mouse of thought appears in the room, and even the mightiest potentates are thrown into panic.”

    "You don't have free will. You have the appearance of free will.”

    “There's a war out there, old friend. A world war. And it's not about who's got the most bullets. It's about who controls the information. What we see and hear, how we work, what we think... it's all about the information!”


    ***SMILE, BE HAPPY***

+ Reply to Thread
Page 8 of 9 FirstFirst ... 6789 LastLast

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •