I have just over the past few months discovered the very real sonic advantages of replacing my mid-market CD and SACD players with a Mac Pro running custom software feeding a decent DAC and pre-amp. I get the nuance of analog with ease and precision of digital. I will not say which I prefer so far as it is immaterial to this topic.
What I will say is that as a subscriber to Stereophile and a long time hifi enthusiast I was dismayed by the uneven and seemingly lazy review of the three softwares by Art Dudley.
Even with a FT "day job", I have spent a good deal of free time trying software and pinging vendors with setup questions. The least Stereophile customers deserve is the same level of effort. Also, there are other softwares out there that were not reviewed. Stereophile should wake up and take the topic more seriously if they want to remain relevant.
