Computer Audiophile Suggested Hardware List

 

 

Last Update 6/23/2010

 

 

 

 

Digital to Analog Converters

• Weiss Engineering DAC202 $6,670
  Review (06/17/2010) | Site

• Berkeley Audio Design Alpha DAC $5,000
  Review (12/10/2008) | Site

• Weiss Engineering Minerva $5,000 (Replaced by DAC202 early 2010)
  Review (06/23/2008) | Site

• Bryston BDA-1 External DAC $1,995
  Review (10/26/2008) | Site

• Benchmark Media Systems DAC1 HDR $1,895
  Review (05/28/2009) | Site

• Wavelength Audio Proton $900
  Review (06/22/2009) | Site

• Ayre Acoustics QB-9 DAC $2,500
  Review (10/11/2009) | Site

• dCS Paganini DAC, Paganini Upsampler, Puccini U-Clock $17,999, $10,499, $4,999
  Review (12/08/2009) | Site

 

 

USB to S/PDIF Converters

• Halide Design Bridge $450
  Review (05/13/2010) | Site

 

 

Integrated

• Peachtree Audio Nova $1,199
  Review (01/18/2010)
  Part I | Part II | Site

• Linn Majik DS-I $4,200
  Review (4/20/2010) | Site

 

 

Computers

• Apple Mac Pro desktop $2499 +
  Site (Listed 3/07/2010)

• Apple G5 desktop $400 + (used)
  No longer in production (Listed 3/07/2010)

• Apple MacBook Pro $1199 +
  Site (Listed 3/07/2010)

• Zalman's TNN 300 (Case Only) $690
  Review (11/28/2008) | Site

• Origen's M10 (Case Only) $320
  Article (02/08/2010) | Site

• Computer Audiophile Pocket Server - C.A.P.S ~$1,500
  Article (02/08/2010)

 

 

Audio Cards

• Lynx Studio Technology AES16 (PCI) & AES16e (PCIe) $625, $699
  Site (AES16) (Listed 3/07/2010) | Site (AES16e) (Listed 3/07/2010)

• RME Hammerfall DSP 9632 (PCI) $499
  Site (Listed 3/07/2010)

• ASUS Xonar Essence STX (PCIe) & ST (PCI) $200
  Site (Listed 3/07/2010)

• ASUS Xonar HDAV1.3 Slim (PCI) $150
  Site (Listed 3/07/2010)

 

 

Disk Storage

• Thecus 5200B Pro NAS 5-Bay $699 (diskless) (Replaced by N5500 early 2010)
  Review (04/20/2008) | Site

• Thecus N7700 Pro NAS 7-Bay $1070 (diskless)
  Site (Listed 3/07/2010)

• Data Robotics, Inc. Drobo 4,5,8-Bay $399 (diskless)
  Site (Listed 3/07/2010)

• Onnto DataTale 4-Bay $300 (diskless)
  Site (Listed 3/07/2010)

• Onnto DataTale 2-Bay $180 (diskless)
  Site (Listed 4/29/2010)

• Onnto DataTale 3.5" External Enclosure $90 (diskless)
  Site (Listed 3/07/2010)

 

Hard Disk Drives (HDD)

• Seagate Barracuda ES.2 1 TB $160
  Site (Listed 3/07/2010)

• Seagate Constellation ES 2 TB $340
  Site (Listed 3/07/2010)

• Hitachi Deskstar E7K1000 1 TB $150
  Site (Listed 3/07/2010)

 

Solid State Drives (SSD)

• OCZ Vertex Turbo Series (MLC) $140 +
  Site (Listed 3/07/2010)

• OCZ VERTEX 2 Series (MLC) $189 +
  Site (Listed 6/23/2010)

• MemoRight GT eSSD Series (SLC) $349 +
  Site (Listed 3/07/2010)

 

 

Networking

• Apple Airport Extreme (Simultaneous Dual Band) $179
  Site (Listed 3/07/2010)

• Apple Airport Express $99
  Site (Listed 3/07/2010)

• Netgear GS108 PROSAFE® 8-PORT GIGABIT $80
  Site (Listed 3/07/2010)

 

 

Wireless Audio

• Logitech Squeezebox Touch $299
  Review (05/25/2010) | Site

 

 

Remote Control

• Apple iPod Touch $199
  Site (Listed 3/07/2010)

• Apple iPad $499
  Article (04/03/2010) | Site Listed 4/29/2010)

 

Apps:

• PlugPlayer $5
  Site (Listed 3/07/2010)

• MPod $0
  Site (Listed 3/07/2010)

• Remote $0
  Site (Listed 3/07/2010)

• MonkeyTunes $0
  Site (Listed 3/07/2010)

• Real VNC $0 - $50
  Site (Listed 3/07/2010)

• Remote Desktop $0
  Sites Windows (Listed 3/07/2010) | Mac (Listed 3/07/2010)

• Screen Sharing $0
  Site (Listed 3/07/2010)

 

 

Operating Systems

• Microsoft Windows 7 Professional 32/64-bit $105 +
  Article (02/24/2010) | Site

• Apple OS X Snow Leopard $29
  Site (Listed 3/07/2010)

• Apple OS X Tiger ~$125
  No longer in production (Listed 3/07/2010)

• Voyage Linux $0
  Site (Listed 3/07/2010)

 

 

Music Playback & Management

• Apple iTunes & Amarra $295 - $995
  Site (Listed 3/07/2010)

• J River Media Center 14/15 $50 (Full), $25 (Upgrade)
  Article (02/24/2010) | Site

• XXHighEnd $98 (€72)
  Site (Listed 3/07/2010)

• Max $0
  Site (Listed 3/07/2010)

• dBpoweramp Reference R13 $36
  Article (10/29/2009) | Site

 

Recommended Windows Audio Output Modes

• WASAPI

• ASIO

• Kernel Streaming

 

 

Music

• Reference Recordings HRx (24/176.2) $45 per disc
  Review (06/15/2008) | Site

• Kent Poon's Audiophile Jazz Prologue III $43
  Review (01/23/2009) | Site

• Linn Records
  Site (Listed 3/07/2010)

• HDtracks
  Site (Listed 3/07/2010)

• B&W Society of Sound
  Site (Listed 3/07/2010)

• iTrax
  Site (Listed 3/07/2010)

• High Definition Tape Transfers
  Site (Listed 3/07/2010)

• The Tape Project (Analog Only)
  Site (Listed 3/07/2010)