i think you have gone the right route by using PC as a source....if anyone out there tells you that CD player has better detail, then they have not really listen to a good PC audio .....PC audio has one of the best detail in the world (this is when compared to even the best set up such as DCS or Esoteric system)....they may not be as warm n analog as CD player but their detail is definitely out of this world....one good example is Linn....even they have stated that their network DAC is much better than their CD12 which is already regarded as one of the best cd player in the world.....but of cause all these comes with a price too......

* i mean using HDD as the source rather than the CD rom as source

This post has been edited by Fusion: Mar 23 2009, 01:17 PM

sorry my setup is very humble.. no where near high end at all not even worth mentioning.

Dude, I am into home cinema instead of hifi so it is different setup. Nothing to brag about; Denon avr, Wharfedale Diamond 9 series 7.0 surround, REL sub.

I was trying not to be rude in previous post. It was midnite and I was out of my mind, sorry bout that. (I am in England now) If you want bang for the buck look for Tacima 6 mains conditioner. Selling price should be RM2++ in Msia but here selling cheap, below 30 pound. It improves my lcd sharpness and details in surround. I have no idea with Belkin's products but I think they are also too commercialize. Sell off your Monster and buy better brand / DIY cables, your system deserves that.

Waah... nice setup!

MIne if very humble and low cost, compared to your system. Cheap DVD player/laptop -USB/spdif-> portable DAC-> headphone/IEMs. 2 channels stereo only...

If I want better sound, I just need bring along my ears to Petronas Philharmonics Hall, and for me, it is more than enough. . What can I do, that iis only thing which I can afford right now.

This post has been edited by bahathir: Mar 23 2009, 06:10 PM

wow wee....excellent setup....





hahaha the best solution for hifi....true music.....nothing to compares...

[quote=Sieg,Mar 23 2009, 01:10 PM]Well I'm going to have to disagree with that, it's arguable that the quality of the transport from the PC is bad(toslink, coaxial USB), but a harddisk is just MUCH MUCH MORE stable in comparison to a CD player. I myself does not prefer using CD as a media, in those expensive CD player you're paying alot for the technology they spent on improving the stableness of the CD tray, laser head and motor etc. I think the money would be better spent on improving the DAC. Something like the iWadia or PS Audio's PerfectWave which both relies on Hardisk as the media.

my RM0.02

[/quote]

good point sieg i have to agree with u with that
i will agree with u about the storage and capacity of the harddrive and easy transfer of music files ... either lossless or wave files..
but note that somehow i not going to say that cdp is a MUST for any audiophiles in my case but most audiophiles prefer cds for hifi rigs ...cos cds is not as compressed as they r ripped out from cds to harddrive...whether u using accuraterip or any ripping program they will sound 80% to 90% of total of performance due to lousy coaxial or optical input from pcs...that y they r crazy bout cdp over 10k usd here which using rca,bnc or xlr to yur dac or amp....
tweaks for cdps like carbonmat for cds or demagnitezing the cds b4 playing or others funny tweaks ...that y they r prefer using cds for it....perfect audio source as they c not to bottleneck their perfect hi-fi system....
however i not as guillible as them and gonna spend myself over cds and waste my space over it
i am a computeraudiophile
i love listen to music when surfing on net
not sit back on comfy sofa listening to cdp and keep changing cds each time lol

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Added on March 24, 2009, 1:07 am[Audiosmile modified Behringer SRC2496 is capable of recreating ninety percent of the sonic abilities of my $2500 reference DAC.
John Hoffman, Affordable Audio

Please justify why a pc will miss a lot of detail?

[/quote]

well not missing the details but warmness and analog of the music...need to correct on that
pc sound very clinical and analytical but lack the impression or wat do i call the real ambience....very cold...lifeless...
u need a dac for it lol
well i havent heard the Behringer modded yet so i couldnt judge it yet ....
but 1 thing if i may ask ? why do u use the monster cables for yur rigs?
since u not a beginner at audio.....i sure that u know...monster=Bose.....

This post has been edited by sep90: Mar 24 2009, 01:07 AM

X2!!!

And it's exactly what I'm doing now too

btw i will pass the powercord later to my brother
call him up and collect from him end of the week...
try with yur pc hehe
some interesting results....

//well not missing the details but warmness and analog of the music...need to correct on that
pc sound very clinical and analytical but lack the impression or wat do i call the real ambience....very cold...lifeless...
u need a dac for it lol//

Hmm, this is an arguable topic.. depends how to match with.. hehe

simple formula --> bright + dull = natural. please correct me if i m wrong with proper justification.

i don't think Bright + dull = Neutral
Bright + dull = No Bright, No Dull.. you loss both details.

imagine this.
when your source. is bright. it roll off with bass. much more treble..
then u feed it into an amp. dull amp.
so the dull amp cut offs the treble.. and wanna increase the bass which initially absent in your feed in source..
so bass is gone,treble is gone.
u can of course tweak it back. but it just fake...

bright + laidback = funny soundsignature u will miss out some details and treble will kill yur hearing ....
have u heard a true neutral amp b4?
iqube is a good example of it....B22 is the 1000x power of iqube....detail,neutral,and very good bass response
cables matching also important like oyaides r well known for the dynamics and upper highs and very dark groundsignature...
i use it to with my dac and my Blacksand Z1 Violet Max Power to my amp to balanced the mids and lower tonality and more transparency and more musical to hear

This post has been edited by sep90: Mar 24 2009, 03:23 AM

ooo learn many today.... well.... i still prefer listen my music with CD player... PC <<< = =? jus an extra entertainment la....can see that u are not pure Audiophile... well.... I'm jus a junior... dun ask me my setup... becoz it's low end thingy only.. not worth to mention it... cheap CD player cheap Amp cheap Speaker... usin cheap cable also...I'm in early 20... many thing to buy... many thing to do....gaji 1K+.... dun hv extra to buy high end hifi.....well... got few nice CD ^^

honestly,, all the statement above doesn't mean anythings,... the last bold sentences already makes you a perfect audiophile....

Haha... if u say i m not then nvm lo... haha.. speechless kid.. haha if u have chance please learn about high end pc audio in STEREOPHILE, dCS scarlatti UPSAMPLER, Esoteric, belcanto, benchmark... haha kid..

This post has been edited by vir___killer: Mar 24 2009, 03:53 AM

how u know he is kid?

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Added on March 24, 2009, 4:24 amhi mean kid in hifi.

This post has been edited by vir___killer: Mar 24 2009, 04:24 AM

hey im glad tis threads still alive. as a non interested 3rd party the OP does come on a tad 'strong' in his equipment self evaluation. just a tip -only a IMO tip ya- its always best to NOT make bigg claims (unless ya bigg maamaa rosiee for which then its...destiny ) & expect others to dutifully quietly & obediently agree. esp when its de other wayyy 'round

anyhoos FWIW IMHO i think ya on da rite track building a PC based rig. i bliv its the current & future of music. i have to respectfully disagree wit arguments of bright brittle digital sounding if its not CD. actually its the other way round of digital sounding bright brittle etc etc wen comparo with true analogue turntable/reel2reel rigs but tats another story for another day ).

its [s]NOT[/b] CDs nor PCs nor HDDs tat are bright brittle harsh or otherwise - its the downstream electronics tat processess da PCM datastream tat determines the typa sound we get. wether CD player or PC rig, its only serving as a digital transport. its wot happens after that counts.

sidessss da turntable is almos extinct not bcos of its inferior sound but bcos of its inferior user interface. theres nothing convenient about poppin individual CDs when i can have it all on HDD & even gadgets like iphones & touch as remotes.

i think Benchmark (makers of da Benchmark DAC) themselves admit tat their USB DAC is as good if not better than their spdif version. i think tat says it all.

sooo OP keep it up & do loads of listening. perhaps u will have a rig someday of which "we are not worthy" status but for now.......

Hi all,

I would like to introduce you Network Media Player - a device transmitting wireless (wi-fi) or wired (ethernet cable) your digital music in uncompressed (WAV, AIFF), lossless (ALAC, FLAC), lossy or compressed (MP3, WMA, AAC) to stored in your external hard disc to your hifi/audio system. Of course, you can add external DAC before connecting to your amp.

Check out the details in another forum, the link is as below

http://www.hifi4sale.net/equipment-discuss...9268da60f806a69

Enjoy the music.

Auronthas

This post has been edited by auronthas: Mar 24 2009, 11:29 AM

Yes, the key device in digital audio is DAC. Any digital transport, example CDP, DVD, PC, laptop, iRiver H1x0, media player, which has digital out (optical or coax)... either cheap or expensive will not change digital data (0,1) from the CD. There also error correction in CD (Reed Solomon ECC; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reed–Solomon_error_correction ), to make sure audio data always correct. In other word, data from RM 100 cheap DVD player is same as RM10k CD player.

Then, why RM100 DVD player sound different than RM 10k CD Player?... The difference is the built-in DAC. IMHO, a very good DAC can turn RM100 DVD player into a great audio system, and sometime better than RM10k CDP. Why? RM100 DVD player can play movie dvds and 5.1 audio channels , RM10k CDP cannot LOL

Thank you.

This post has been edited by bahathir: Mar 24 2009, 02:09 PM

True.. agree of the part of DAC.. that plays a more than 50% of sound quality production. the CD transport does make a difference of sound in quality.. but how many ppl can afford it.? so i just stick to DAC with computer. nothing without computer depend on how you setup ur computer.

1 thing must understand of the concept of cd transport. critical part of the transport makes a difference in sound might be the clock, digital output buffer stage. transformer as well of the cd drive mechanism must have certain quality of finished.. those are the factors of effecting the digital signal retrieving and transmitting. i guess. so far as i know.. please correct me with proper justification if i m wrong.