canonlon

Update: I downloaded the trial verion of Decibel. I compared Decibel & iTunes to my CD player. The bass produced by Decibel is very close to that produced when playing the CD in my stereo system CD player. Which is an improvement over playback through iTunes. I admit that I was impressed with Decibel's sonics. Thanks for the suggestions that better sound can be obtained by using different cables, interface and/or DAC. But, with the gain I've noticed from using a different playback application,for now I'm interested in trying other software programs to test. Also, I agree that it makes sense to rip in AIFF using a Mac rather than WAV > thanks for the tip.

I have a Cambridge DACMagic. I've read that this DAC produces better results with optical than USB. Regardless though I'll try USB and find out for myself. Since I'm new to Apple computers, what is the advantage of aiff over wav files > because I've tested both and sonically find no difference.

I tried playback of the CD on a second CD player. I compared this to the file played through iTunes/Mini. Firstly, the bass more closely matched that of the Mini > for casual listening I am content with these results. The original CD player in my set-up seems to 'colour' the sound > though I sort of prefer it. When I listen very closely, the bass produced by the second CD player still has a slightly richer, more resonant level when compared to the Mini. I can hear and feel the difference. For deep listening session I might play the CD rather than through the computer. Anyways, next I'll try a different application and cables? Thanks again for all the feedback.

"you're now in a perfect position to try out some of the audiophile music players" > could you name some software applications? > also, if the songs have already been ripped into wav files using iTunes, will another software application improve sound quality or will the albums have to be re-ripped with the new software to gain improvement? " A asynchronous USB to SPDIF converter should afford a great improvement in sound quality" > Thanks for the recommendation. "does the CD player somehow color the music (jacking up the bass)?" > quite possible, I'm not sure > but when playing the CD in my stereo CD player, to my ear, the bass has more natural sounding resonance than with the wav file played via iTunes from the Mini > I have other CD decks and I plan to hook them up to compare results Again, I don't consider the low levels from the Mini to be horrible sounding > but it's something I'd like to improve upon to get a fuller sound from top to bottom.

I recently purchased a Mac Mini and began to rip CD's in 16 bit, 44.1 KHZ wave files using iTunes. In iTunes I turned off enhancment, equalize, sound check, set volume full, turned on error correction. I'm using digital optical cables from the Mini and from my stereo CD player into the same external DAC. I compared ripped files played through iTunes and the CD disc played through my stereo CD player. I found that the CD player gave a fuller, deeper bass response. I wouldn't consider the bass response from the Mini as bad but it lacked some low frequency punch. Mid range sounded spot-on. Highs seemed a slightly harsher through the Mini when compared to the stereo CD playback. When listening intently I found the CD played through my stereo system is warmer sounding. But, overall I'm happy with the sound reproduction from the Mini. I'm not sure if I can better the bass response with software changes or if it's a hardware issue. Any suggestions for better bass reproduction would be appreciated. Thanks.

An external cd/dvd drive is an option I didn't consider. I like the idea of a simple computer-to-stereo system. I guess I could always remove the cd/dvd drive after ripping the cd.I like the convenience of a Mac Mini with the optical drive. Ebay may be an option to get the older model. I'd appreciate any recommendations for an external cd/dvd drive if I decide to purchase a 2011 Mac Mini.

I was about to purchase an Apple Mac Mini when I discovered that the 2011 model does not have an optical drive. I guess Apple has seen the decline in CD sales and is looking to a future without hard copy music. Unfortunate for me, I have an extensive CD library I'd like to transfer to hard drive. Are there any retailers that still stock the 2010 model? Thanks.

I experimented with my Seagate Theatre. I had an external HD connected to the Seagate via USB > from the Seagate I had optical cable out to the external DAC > rca cables running from the DAC to the amplifier. I played wav files using the built in Seagate software. The sonic quality was not very impressive but it was listenable. The big problem was that the volume from my speakers was much weaker than my regular configuration with my CD player. With the Seagate I had to crank the amplier controls in order to obtain decent volume from my speakers. Possible that I have an incorrect setting. Anybody else use a media player similar to the Seagate Theatre?

I appreciate your help in confirming that the soundcard will be bypassed. I'll be using dBpoweramp to rip CD's to wav files (same bit and KHz as source). What software program is recommended for playback? And, does the operating system (Windows 7) also need to be tweaked to ensure bit-perfect output via the USB? Thanks.

Hi, I'm relatively new to the playback of digital music files via an external DAC to my stereo amplifier. I'm planning to set up the following system; computer (windows based) > to external DAC > to home stereo amplifier. What role does the computer soundcard play in this configuration? When I use the computer software to play the music file does it bypass the computer soundcard and simply be output 'unprocessed', via a USB cable, to the external DAC? Or, does the USB cable, to the external DAC, carry the music file after it has been filtered through the computer soundcard? I'd like to verify this process so I can determine if I need to upgrade the hardware of my computer. Thanks.

I can not remember having a playback problem with any CD I've ever owned > some 25+ years old and, as far as I can tell, produce sonics as good as the day I purchased them. Not sure of the lifespan of a CD > I've read that the CD coating will break down after a number of years. But, if taken care of properly and stored in a good environment, I don't see why a CD collection can not last one's lifetime. As far as a product sold on store shelves, CD's are quickly becoming a thing of the past > not gone but sidelined to a very small section with limited selection. Downloading is now the norm and will probably account for 99% of total sales in the near future. As technology progresses, I hope to see compressed files disappear > the fact that a generation of kids have grown up believing that MP3 sounds 'fine' really makes me feel sorry for them.