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PC Audio Choice: Mac+USB, Transporter, or Squeezbx

Hello all of you who have faced choosing your path for PC audio!

While I have a Mac Ibook G3, 500gb HD and Paradisea USB DAC on my second system, I am wanting to ultimately have PC audio available on all 3 systems in my house, or atleast the two that I listen to most. I am trying to decide what path to take. For the main system, do I:

1) Buy another computer, dublicate my 500gb HD and run itunes seperately from that, using a good USB DAC or a USB converter to a conventional DAC.

2) Buy a network HD and a Transporter, possibly with a Modright Truth mod (this is really more money than I want to spend...)

3) Ditto to the above but use a Squeezebox with various add ons, such as antijitter filter and a good DAC.

I guess what I'm asking is, which of these options presents the best bang for the buck? Also, which is most flexible with respect to listening to content available on the internet (e.g. archives of live Grateful Dead concerts, other streaming and non-streaming content). Finally, are there any limitations to high resolution when using any of these - as I imagine there will be more and more high rez downloads available.

Thanks for your opinions. Please provide the basis for your thoughts! Thanks, Peter
peter_s
mtdking
157 posts
 
The 581 is ok but the 581SE is awesome. One of the very best players money can buy. I did not compare the DAC's to each other. I have since sold my 581ise and my Ayre C-5xe for the Modwright version of the transporter.
wilsynet's avatar
wilsynet
264 posts
 
Keep your Apple iBook G3, buy a 2TB external FireWire/USB drive with RAID. This will be cheaper than a standalone NAS solution, more reliable, more flexible and more powerful and will leverage what you already have. If you want to turn the external drive into a network drive later, you can -- just turn on the Mac's disk sharing on the network and you're done.

It's neither convenient or economical to buy multiple laptops, so I'd stick with one as your music server and either the Duet or the Airport Express. Buy a Monarchy DIP Classic reclocker for each end point to reduce the jitter from either the AE or Duet. Also buy external DACs for everyone and you're set.

Now you just have to choose, Duet or AE?

Fortunately, both systems play well together. You can configure the SlimServer software to point to your iTunes library, and you can use iTunes to play music to an Airport Express. I'd wait until July 11 to see what Apple is releasing for the iPod Touch/iPhone 2.0. Rumour has it there's a new
remote iTunes control software that will rival the Duet Controller.
wilsynet's avatar
wilsynet
264 posts
 
After thinking about the Airport Express option more, I'd avoid it. iTunes won't be able to provide multiple streams to different AE targets.

So I like the Duet with Duet controller.

If you have a large house and you're worried about coverage, get an Airport Extreme base station and a couple of Airport Express units configured as WDS repeaters and you'll have good 802.11 coverage everywhere.
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peter_s OP
1,088 posts
 
Does the duet handle high resolution stuff, such as 24/96 or 24/88.2? I hope we will be moving into high rez soon enough, and don't want to miss out on that...
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