i just compared the following setup:
mac mini (via mini-toslink to toslink)
bel canto dac (which upsamples to 24/192)
naim system
to
mac mini (via coax)
m-audio profire 610 (upsampling to 24/96 only b/c bel canto won't take above 24/96)
bel canto (to 24/192)
naim audio
and the m-audio was the winner! why? does it have some kind of driver or equalizer that helps?
also, is the m-audio total crap and i should replace it?
Posts: 31
Upsampling
What are your midi settings on the mini? ie, is the mac upsampling before the optical output? That will make a +/- difference (because it depends on what you like to hear).
Posts: 7
not too sure i know what you
not too sure i know what you mean by midi. for the m-audio driver i have it set to 24/96 upsampling, is that what you mean? thanks, adam
Posts: 31
midi control on your mini
I mean the sound settings on your mac mini. It`s called midi (something), I forget what, but if you search for midi in finder using spotlight, it will come up. It controls your sound output from the mini and might be upsampling or not. Again, this might be making a difference or it might not, but it`s good to check.
Posts: 21
m-audio profire 610
The M-audio is far from crap; this M-audio unit has the same jetPLL circuit and the Dice ll firewire to spdif chip as the Weiss Minerva favorably reviewed on this site. This may account for sound being better with the M-audio in the chain.
The Jet PLL reduces jitter which according to the experts who post on this site and elsewhere means better sound.
I have a similar pro fire wire device from TC Electronic that actually makes and licenses the Jet PLL & Dice ll chip to Weiss, M-Audio and other pro companies. The sound quality from the TC Electronics unit trounces!!!! my Apple TV by a huge margin. The Mac mini would not sound any better than the Apple TV and the Apple TV has an actual Toslink output which probably even gives it an edge over the mini.
Stick with the M-Audio it will cost a fortune to better it. I firmly believe Pro audio devices with the Dice II chip and Jet PLL are true audiophile bargains.
PC running XP pro, C Play, TC Electonic Konnect 8 Firewire to Spdif, 2 Tact 2150X amplifiers, Modified Genesis 500 Speakers, Virtual Dynamics, XLO Cables
Posts: 15
pro firewire
I agree: I am using an audiofire 2 from ECHO, very cheap DAC with firewire input, and it sounds very good, has anyone tried it?
macbook-lossless-innersound preamp-electrostatic amp- audio exklusiv PS3
Posts: 71
Echo Audiofire 2
Not tried it but there's a review at Sound on Sound.
http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/may07/articles/echoaudiofire4.htm
At the rate they are coming into view on this forum, sooner or later, we're going to need a round up of all these pro a/d-d/a interfaces ...
Posts: 259
M-Audio
M-Audio is the hardware side of Pro-Tools who are one of the top pro audio software companies, their products are amongst the most highly regarded. The Pro side is far larger than hi fi and much more technically advanced, so, more often than not, you get better products for less money.
Ashley
Manufacturer www.avihifi.com
Posts: 98
MIDI and Audio
Some confusion of terms here
MIDI is a protocol for the remote control of electronic instruments. A MIDI file contains no audio data (analogue or digital) but simply a set of instructions to an instrument(s) to generate an audio output.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musical_Instrument_Digital_Interface
I am not a MAC user, but I think Audio and MIDI controls are seen in the same area of OS X.
Brian
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Beresford DAC - Quad 405-2 refurbished by 405man - Quart 980s German Tower Loudspeakers.
FLAC through Foobar, XP and ASIO
Virgin Cable Box - no FM reception for Quad tuner!
Squeezebox Classic.