Best Pc for audio?

mac.
easy to use, fun, reliable, built in firewall, fun.

the commercials are so real it is not even funny.

I'm with Buff! I use an iTouch as a remote for iTunes and love it. Solid hardware with solid support. The jury is out on sonics, but in the meantime their seamless hardware is hard to beat.

mac mini with ipod touch as remote. by far one of my best audio purchases!

I am using a MAC Book Pro computer with iTunes. The MAC has 4 GB RAM and the 120GB solid state drive. I have the Seaport Free Agent Go Pro 500GB external hard drive to store my music files (a 2nd one for backup). The MAC is connected to the Furman AC-215 power conditioner. The Furman is required so the MAC does not interfere with the audio components. See www.furmansound.com/product.ph. I have about 75 CD's loaded into my MAC Book Pro computer and many more to go. It takes between 3 to 5+ minutes per CD using the AIFF format. This is a very boring time consuming process.

MacMinis rip quickly into AIFF. Small footprint. I agree with all the Mac guys above despite my wireless integration issues you can find in an earlier thread.

:) listening,

Ed

I choose a PC.

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I'm not familiar with Mac, but how do you use iTouch? Ipod Touch? as a remote to Mac Mini?

Is Mac Mini quiet?

I think it depends on the type of music you enjoy most. I actully prefer to listen to music on my desktop.

We have tried both PCs and Macs, during the development of our latest product. All the Macs were spot on. The PCs went all over the map. Everything from "This sounds great" to "Are you sure that this thing isn't broken?" Same unit, same sound system, highly variable results when using a PC.

Wish I could afford a Mac.

I think sound quality is not an issue. Mac or PC can be equal there. IMMHO i thinks it's all about skills with a PC. If you want to take the time to learn whats required you can save your self a boat load of money. Mac's are "Plug & Play" and you will pay for it too.

I went with a Mac Mini, the cheapest model and used an old monitor and keyboard. Plugged in my old windows formatted my Seagate external drive and it was up and running in 10 minutes.

I agree. Mac Mini with ipod itouch. Can't beat IMO. Rip using AIFF Encoder (error correction on) and be done with it.

I'm going to toss my vote in for PC. I have used mac and PC both equally and extensively. Going foward you will have more options by sticking with PC as you can use mp3's more trouble free and transfer songs to other devices easier because with Apple, once you start usin their stuff you kind of have to stick with it for life or else you mind find their library system and aac files give you hassles on non Apple stuff.

A PC with a decent soundcard (m-audio) will provide great flexibility.

A group of us (over 20 audiophiles) have found that the Mac Mini sonically prevails above other offerings, PC or MAC. Of course, the sonic differences do vary as compared to different PCs (there are so many variations!) and the Mac's overall sonic advantage can be fairly small, but, the Mini has turned out to be the clear cut choice for each and every one of us. BTW: The MAC Mini also works amazing well when put into an audiophile rack along side of other audiophile components - due to it's unique square small shape and size. Based on the footprint, you'd swear Apple designed it for high end audio use (which they didn't). Bottom line, if having the "best sounding computer solution" is your ultimate goal, then it's very hard to go wrong with the MAC Mini solution.

Hi
Dell just introduced the Zino HD,it's similar to mac mini.
George