Econpasha

Helpful article, Chris! However, why mix PCs and Macs? Is the software driving the decision to put a PC in front of a Mac? I have to reread your article to understand it better. <br /> <br /> Last weekend my brand new Mac Pro (with SL) was installed as a music server. It has nearly 4 TB capacity, including a back up hard disk. I actually ripped a few CDs into it using iTunes and listened to them through a modest Mhdt DAC. My benchmark is my Ayre CD player. The sound was very good, but not less open and airy than the music through the CD player. I am waiting for my Berkeley/Lynx combination to go with the new Mac and hoping that the sound will be at least as good as the standalone CD player. Like Ruud, before seriously starting ripping my many 1000s of CD, I want to understand your article better.<br /> <br /> Erol<br /> <br />

Yes, Chris, it helps. I wanted to eliminate all the subsidiary issues and focus only on sound and YOUR opinion based on what you were hearing. You have heard both combinations. I have not and have no chance to hear either one, frankly. Yes, I am aware of the features, etc. They are irrelevant to the main issue; i.e., sound. Price was not the issue either. Other things being equal, which combination sounds better to YOUR ears? And you answered the question forthrightly. Thanks. I will be ordering the Lynx card, the cable and the Berkeley DAC next. Whether I go with the Amarra or not, I am not sure yet. Erol

Chris: After your many helpful comments plus those from Tim and Paul, I finally ordered my new Apple Mac Pro (SL) with several hard drives, monitor, etc. It should be here in a few days. It will be used only as a music server, nothing more, sitting next to my main stereo system. It will store my AIFF music files. I was almost ready to follow you and order the Lynx 16e sound card (almost ready to be released with Snow Lepard drivers) and the Berkeley DAC. Unfortunately, I am not near any high end stereo shop. My former store is hundreds of miles away. But I just read your terrific review of the Ayre QB-9 DAC. I own an Ayre 5 CD player. My former store tells me that with the Mac Pro, the new QB-9 will almost beat my 2-year old Ayre 5 player (which cost $5,000) in sound quality. Your review of the DAC makes it sound so simple to set up and start listening and enjoying, unlike the Lynx card, cable, etc. Question? Through an excellent sound system, to YOUR ears, is the Apple/Ayre DAC combination as good as the Apple/Lynx/Berkeley combination? Please help before interference from those who promote the Lynx cable worsens my purchasing decision. Many thanks. Erol

Erol, I have been informed by our software engineer that the Show Leopard drivers and installer are complete. We just need to do some internal testing over the next week or so before releasing it. Thanks, Phil Moon Lynx Studio Technology 190 McCormick Avenue Costa Mesa, CA 92626 Tel: 714-545-4700 ext 204 Fax: 714-545-4777 From: E Caglarcan [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Saturday, October 10, 2009 5:26 PM To: [email protected] Subject: RE: Lynx sound card??? Hi: Just following up. Does the AES16e PCI Express card have the drivers for Sno Leopard yet? Thanks. Erol Caglarcan

Jesus: When you do not know something for certain, why would you accuse others of misinformation. You are not serving your fellow computer audiophiles that way. Completely contrary to your attribution to Chris, he wrote that the Lynx card did not recognize the Snow Lepard and did not work. The Lynx people still do not have the drivers ready. Where did you get your completely false information? Here is what I received on Monday, October 12 directly from Lynx sales people: Erol, I have been informed by our software engineer that the Show Leopard drivers and installer are complete. We just need to do some internal testing over the next week or so before releasing it. Thanks, Phil Moon Lynx Studio Technology 190 McCormick Avenue Costa Mesa, CA 92626 Tel: 714-545-4700 ext 204 Fax: 714-545-4777 From: E Caglarcan [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Saturday, October 10, 2009 5:26 PM To: [email protected] Subject: RE: Lynx sound card??? Hi: Just following up. Does the AES16e PCI Express card have the drivers for Snow Leopard yet? Thanks. Erol

Many thanks, Jesus. It helps. I need to study some more! Regards, Erol

Hi Tim: Many thanks. You are helping a lot. Question: 4-station CD ripper. Is there a brand recommendation? Also, any recommendations regarding the DVD/CD burner for the new Mac Pro. What is in my 2 HP PCs are so cheap that I cannot imagine they transfer the digits accurately into my iTunes library. Is there a solid, audio-quality CD burner? Some people on Amazon have liked a Sony internal DVD/CD burner. Do you agree? Regards, Erol

Hi Paul: When I recently posted the response I got from the Lynx people, I did not expect to get so much help from obviously computer knowledgeable people; that is to say, people like you. I appreciate your thoughtful reply. Your suggestions/observations are very helpful. My son's experience with his Mac Pro had led him to recommend that we buy 4 hard drives, as you also recommend. I will definitely do that because 1TB drives are so inexpensive these days. I have been very slowly digitazing my huge reel-to-reel and LP collection, too. That is another reason for me to do this right the first time out. I do not like the sound of my USB-based iTunes systems so far. My PC has a lot of music in my iTunes library. However, I plan to start from scratch with the new Mac Pro (Snow Lepard). That is why we had been waiting for the new operating system to come out before starting this massive project. I don't want to be seriously disappointed when I play my music through this new computer feeding my Audio Research LS22 preamp and my VT130 power amp that drives my Dunlavy IVs. Right now Ayre and Accuphase CD players do that. Like Tim Marutani, I have two other serious systems. One is Krell based, another is Forte based. Then like Tim, I have other more modest systems throughout like my B&O and so on. I learned a lot from Tim, too. Anyone who listens to Hillary Hahn playing Tchaikovsky, I will heed. Thanks, Tim. Again, the advice on this website is appreciated, including Chris's brief note about his experience with the interface between the Snow Lepard and his Lynx card. Regards, Erol

Hi tmfidelis: Yes, the quality of playback is extremely important. I am not constrained by a budget at this level at least. I am an audiophile, even though I am not yet a computeraudiophile!!! But I intend to become one; hence, my interest in a brand new computer. I own 2 PCs that are used as computers and marginally play music through iTunes and an outboard DAC (MHDt). However, the new Mac Pro will be stripped off of everything except sound and will be in the music room to compete with an Ayre CD player. The Goodwins setup (a PC-based system) did not appeal to me because of its limited capacity. I plan on copying 1000s of CDs into this new music server. Therefore, it will have several 1 TB hard drives. With help from my son, of course. So, Lynx has not given me a release date. Also, what I have read on this site so far is that their cable is not good enough for hi-end sound and compromises sound. My 2-channel tube Audio Research-based sound system would not like that. Many thanks to several others who have already helped. Erol

I have been visiting this site for a few months and greatly enjoyed all the useful information. Although I am still a little unfortable switching from a PC to a Mac, because of iTunes vs. Media Monkey, I finally decided to buy a new Apple Mac Pro with the Snow Leopard operating system and a Lynx card to start putting together a state-of-the music server. My computer guru son has been helping with the various decisions. However, at the last minute, I decided to write an email to Lynx about which sound card I should buy. The answer may be of interest to others like me getting ready to spend some money on a new Apple. --------------------- RE: Lynx sound card???? From: Phil Moon ([email protected])Sent: Tue 9/01/09 3:15 PM For the Power Mac you will need the AES16e PCI Express card. This will interface with the Berkeley DAC using our CBL-AES1604 cable. Snow Leopard will require us (and everyone else) to make extensive changes in our drivers. At this point the AES16e will not work with Snow Leopard, but it will on the next version of our driver. We do not have a release date set at this time. Thanks. Lynx Sales Lynx Studio Technology 190 McCormick Avenue Costa Mesa, CA 92626 Tel: 714-545-4700 ext 204 Fax: 714-545-4777