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Apple vs PC for Music System

I'm pretty familiar with XP owning both a desktop and laptop. But I want to put together a similar system to the Apple TV Setup featured in the Absolute Sound and PS Audio.

However when looking at PCs at a local store they had a windows media computer that looked really interestesting that I'm considering purchasing for just audio into my Levinson DAC. I was told I could use an iPod Touch to control this system just like I could an Apple TV.
Also this system included a BluRay Disc drive. The setup looked very cool and very hi tech.

So to do this system right, should I stick with Apple only like the Absolute Sound or a combo of Apple w/PC to do the ripping, or all PC with Sata drives like the computer store would customize for me w/I-Tunes/iPod running the show?
128x128sgr
m3pilot
12 posts
 
What? No takers? There seems to but a fair amount of passion on the topic. Surely there's someone who knows why one is a better sonic platform than the other.
audioengr
3,282 posts
 
Toufu - jitter is jitter, but looking at artifacts at a 60hZ or 120Hz framerate on video is really not as critical as the brain-ear function. If you were to look really close with a magnifying glass at each pixel, you would probably see differences in clarity even with video. Just like digital audio however, there is built-in jitter in the raster-scan of the display and other contributors. Just changing the cable may not be enough to make it really low to see a significant improvement.

The eyes can tolerate more jitter in the video signal than in the audio signal I believe. People are used to looking at non-HD video with fuzzy displays. It's what you are used to.

People are also used to audio jitter from CD's. Once the jitter is eliminated, it is obvious what you have been missing. If you have never heard this, then you probably dont miss anything.

Steve N.
Empirical Audio
toufu
83 posts
 
What I don't understand is, how can there be so much jitter? I have a HTPC and I can watch 1080P files using a 10$ HDMI cable and it comes out crystal clear... No artifacts anywhere. Now that requires MUCH more bandwidth than CD's 48k/s... Digital is digital, right? Why for video, but not more audio?
audioengr
3,282 posts
 
M3pilot - Both Mac and PC can be great using USB, particularly with Vista. However, not all USB devices are the same, and not all USB ports on a give computer are the same. The S/W driver and how the USB protocol works is critical. The clock in the USB device is critical as well as the overall design. USB can also support both 44.1 and 96, depending on the USB device.

For WiFi devices, it does not matter whether it's PC or Mac. They are identical. Both bit-perfect data delivery. Just a matter of personal preference for the GUI. The problem is in the jitter of the end-point devices. Most of them only support 16/44.1.

Steve N.
Empirical Audio
toufu
83 posts
 
I can transfer a 1 gig file cross my wireless network bit perfect in a minute, surely they can use the same technology to etoufulimnate jitter?
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