mgsylvestre

I am not very knowledgeable about all of this and I am looking for advice. I use Focal CMS 50 monitors and a Focal subwoofer (those are active monitors i.e. they contain their own amplifier) with Mac computers. I am currently "feeding" those with the output of an old Denon AVR-3801 receiver (using the preamp outputs since the Focals have their own internal amplifiers). The Denon is itself attached to a Mac Pro using a Toslink connection. The Mac Pro is old and I will upgrade it sooner or later. I want to improve my setup. I love the monitors and I have no intention of changing those. I use headphones a lot (Sennheiser HD800 which I love), so an headphone amplifier is a must (the Denon has that). Money is not a problem up to a point, but I do not want to spend a fortune or spend money needlessly. Here are my questions: 1-Am i right in believing that I could improve my sound quality by replacing the Denon with an external DAC (which would feature an integrated headphone amplifier)? 2-Assuming that to be the case, any suggestions? 3-I am interested in the Benchmark DAC1 HDR, but I am concerned that it does not have any AES input. Is that a concern (Benchmark had an AES input on the DAC1 USB but seems to have dropped it after that). 4-If I go with the Benchmark without the AES input, am I closing the door to the possibility of using audio cards like the Lynx? 5-Is there a real advantage to using XLR balanced connections (or AES inputs) over RCA unbalanced s/pdif or is this just hype? (The room in which I am using all of this is full of electrical/electronic equipment and I do hear a slight humming from time to time from the speakers) I know that those are probably quite basic but any help would be appreciated.

I want to maintain multiple versions of some music in iTunes i.e. a lossless version for use with the computer, apple TV, etc. and an AAC version to sync with iPods. What is the best way of doing this?

I have read the suggested ripping methodology available on this site. Before committing to anything and embarking on ripping my library (again), I have some questions. I mainly use Macs at home (my use of Windows at home it pretty much restricted to gaming at this point). Doing everything in the Mac is more convenient than rebooting Windows and the PCs I have lying around are getting old. My questions are the following: 1-Is there any disadvantage to using Max to rip everything to FLAC as opposed to dbPoweramp? If not, why use dbPoweramp in the first place? 2-Assuming there is no compelling reason to use dbPoweramp, what is the best Mac ripping utility? Max? Something else? 3-Assuming that Max is the Mac solution, any step by step tutorial available or documentation which explains the options? 4-Is there software available to incorporate cover art in FLAC files? Max seems to be quirky in that regard, I can only get it to do it when converting, not when ripping or as a standalone function. 5-Speaking of coverart, any restriction as to the use of jpegs? Is it better to do it in TIFF?

...and a number of other things which cost money (a lot of it in some cases). That is why it seems to me that it would be useful to find info on this and spec equipment accordingly. I do not understand why very high sampling rates can be useful if most people can't hear anything above 20khz or so. Is the sampling rate useful for other reasons? As to bit depth, aren't you going to be limited by the dynamic range your gear is capable of? Is there equipment available which can really take advantage of more than 24 bit?

This must have been asked before, but is there any information available as to what is the highest useful bit depth and sample rate for audio files above which there is no perceptible difference? I assume that there is a limit above which there is no audible difference. Is that limit 24/192? Something above or below that? Are there any research papers or tests results publicly available in that regard? Anybody has any opinion on the subject?

"I would argue that the A/V receiver is easily the best place to have ethernet and USB/Firewire connectivity." You may be right, but it depends on the implementation I suppose, and information regarding this is hard to find. Also, having separate components helps from a flexibility perspective. You can ugrade separately, for instance. You may also want video, which may or may not be possible with your receiver. This whole thing is obviously in its infancy, and is going to evolve pretty fast I would think. As for myslef, using the Onkyo as a DLNA player is a $0 solution to play high-res files in my immediate future, it works and the sound is great so I am going to be doing just that until I know a lot more about the subject. I am learning very fast about the limitations of the components I have which I never knew were there. The mac toslink connection appears to be limited to 96khz for example. The apple tv appears to be limited to 720p and CD quality. Those limitations may or may not be relevant. The first priority is to determine what is realistically useful in the real world and plan accordingly. Can anything above 96khz make an audible difference with my room, speakers, etc., or with anything I might realistically upgrade to, for example?

I am leaving for work, so I did not have much time to spend on this. I downloaded all of the samples and attempted to play them with the 5007 over the ethernet network. I can report that 24/96 2 ch. works over the ethernet with the Onkyo 5007 used as a DLNA player. 5.1 plays, but is output as 2ch only. The supported formats are MP3, WMA, WAV, AAC, FLAC, Ogg Vorbis and LPCM (that's for the Onkyo 5007 used as a DLNA player over the ethernet or using the USB input to play music files on a USB device). The "maximum" is 24/96, 2 ch. The receiver itself can play up to 24/192 using other inputs. As for the sound quality, I did not have much time and I am no audiophile, just a music lover, but I must say that I was amazed. I listened to the Vivaldi track and I would never had believed that this was playing over an ethernet network if I had not set this up myself! In fact, it sounded better than a CD (but I lack a comparison point). As to the fact that the NAD does not connect to the ethernet and has no USB input, one might argue that you may want to have these functions handled by a separate component. The DLNA playing functions of the 5007 work, but are rudimentary from a GUI and functionality perspective, and I again can't compare it to other solutions for lack of a reference point. I did not buy the Onkyo for this reason, just because it is a great value. As to high res files, there has got to be a limit over which you can't hear any difference in the real world given that you are limited by the rest of you components, your room, your ears and age, etc. These files do get huge and take forever to download, not to mention the cost. I will be looking for info on this also. This feels just like the beginning of the digital era for photography!

I downloaded the samples. iTunes imports and plays the AIF version without problem, but attempting to sync with Apple TV results in a error message to the effect that the sampling rate is not supported. So Apple TV is not a solution for this level of files. I can't appreciate the difference with the computer speakers I currently have. The Onkyo can be used as a DLNA player, but it turns out that it is limited to 24bit/96kHZ in that regard. So using the Onkyo as a DLNA player is clearly not a solution for very high res files like these ones. The Logitech Transporter appears to have similar limitations.

I am at at point where I have successfully set up a Mac Pro as a DLNA server to use the 5007 as a DLNA player and read lossless files directly from the Mac Pro over an ethernet network (all you need is inexpensive software). It works flawlessly, no hiccups whatsoever, and the receiver seems to be reading the files which are of a higher quality than CD quality without downsampling (I aslo use the receiver it to read files through an Apple TV, which however downsamples everything to CD quality as far as I understand it, so it is not a solution for higher quality files). I am just getting started with this, and I have several problems: -I lack a comparison point, so I can't compare what the 5007 does to the solution suggested on this site and I am trying to find information on that very subject. -My "library" of high-res files is at the moment limited to the recent USB Beatles compilation (ie. 24 bit 44.1khz FLAC files). The FLAC files play directly on the 5007 without problems, but I honestly can't tell the difference between the sound I get in this manner and CD quality. I now need to listen to higher res files with recorded material for which I could actually hear a difference (classical music recorded at higher than CD quality I suppose, I love the Beatles but I don't believe that there is much to be gained by using higher quality files for this kind of recording). Any idea where I can get those (I will investigate 2L and Linn, where are the sample tracks on this site that you are referring to)? I have a number of FLAC files downloaded form Deutsche Grammophon, but they are CD quality only. As for the receiver itself, I very much doubt that you can get more for this kind of money. I just love the sound and flexibility (I also just upgraded my speakers to PSB Synchrony Ones, which helps a lot). The only downsides to the 5007 so far are that the thing is ugly like hell, its bulky and I can heat my whole house with it (well, not quite, but it does run hot, and you need plenty of space above and behing it). The graphical interface to play files through the network (or through a USB mass device, like a USB key) is also quite ugly and rudimentary, but all you have to do is turn the TV screen off after setting it up the way you want! I really can't tell whether the 5007 would "lack some of the resolution of fine detail, timbral accuracy and dynamics of systems qualifying for the hi-end moniker". I did listen to supposedly higher-end electronics when shopping for the speakers. I auditioned PSB Synchrony One speakers buying them with Classé electronics which are apprently high-end and I can't say that there is a difference between that and the Onkyo, but that's working from memory alone, not on the basis of a side by side comparison. Moreover, there are many variables (not the same room, not the same CD player, etc.) and the end result was obviously limited by the quality of the speakers. I might have heard a difference with higher quality speakers, who knows? Its probably just me, but my perception is that speakers make a more audible difference than electronics past a certain price point in any event.

I am trying to find information to compare various solutions to play high-res audio files. The DACs in my Onkyo A/V receiver are TI PCM1795 (Burr-Brown 32-bit, 192kHz Sampling, Advanced Segment, Audio Stereo DAC). I have determined (based in part on responses received here) that I can use those DACs more or less in the same way than I could use a separate DAC unit. The problem I have is comparing the various available solutions. I find it difficult to find information on the subject. Available solutions include: -Implementing one of the server solutions proposed on this site (Mac Pro, Lynx card, dedicated DAC unit, etc.). -Using Apple TV or a Mac Mini or a Mac Pro to feed the Onkyo DACs using a digital connection (the Apple TV has limitations as far as I can determine). -The Onkyo can be used as a DLNA compliant player. I can use it to read files served by my Mac Pro by using inexpensive DLNA software. -Using a Logitech Transporter to read fiels on a DLNA complaint networked server to feed the Onkyo DACs, or use the DACs in the Transporter to feed an analog signal to the Onkyo, bypassing the Onkyo's DACs. etc. etc. etc. I don't mind spending money when necessary but I don't want to spend money for nothing either. Can anybody give some advice? Do you know where this kind of information could be obtained?

... in that regard and comparing it to other available DACs, which is going to be difficult because this kind of equipment (i.e. the receiver) is usually not reviewed from that angle. Comparing it for myself is also going to be difficult. Listening to a DAC setup at a dealer and then comparing it to the Onkyo involves many variables and proceeding from memory. I suppose that more information on the topic is going to become available over time as people get more interested in the subject. I a least have found a solution to start with this. I can always add the DAC or other components later. Many people have receivers that they could use. This could be an interesting subject for Computer Audiophile! Thank you for your responses.

I am new to this and I understand that the recommended solution involves connecting a server to a DAC like the Berkeley which is itself connected to a preamp or poweramp. I have an Onkyo NR-5007 receiver which apparently already contains 192kHz/32bit Burr-Brown DACs. Can I just use the receiver as the DAC and feed a digital signal to the receiver by connecting a mac with toslink (or by using a DLNA server, the Onkyo is a DLNA compliant "player" and it can play FLAC files located on a DLNA server). What would be the disadvantage of doing this? What would be the advantage, if any, of feeding the receiver with a separate DAC which would itself be connected to a mac?

I am new to this, so please bear with me. I currently use an Apple TV which is connected to my receiver by HDMI. I works great, but it has limitations as far as I understand it. I have read that audio is limited to 48khz, 16 bit. Video is limited to 720p without upscaling. Am I correct in believing that this is enough to play CD quality lossless files i.e. 44.1khz 16 bit or does the ATV have other limitations or quality issues that I am not aware of? Do you only need a better setup for higher than CD quality files? For higher quality file, is it enough to stream the files directly to the receiver using DLNA server software or will this create problems like jitter? My thinking is that there are already quality DACs in the receiver. Why would I need other DACs than those which are already in the receiver? Alternatively, can I just connect a mac directly to the receiver (not through an ethernet network connection) using an optical connection, avoiding the need for the Lynx card and the additional DAC (Berkeley audio or other)?