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Interfacing Computer Music to D/A Converter ?

I'm really unfamiliar with this territory, perhaps someone can shed some light. Or links for more info.

Say i have a laptop computer and i store songs in my laptop either i-tunes or aiff files or applelossless.

I have a Benchmark dac 1. How do i interface the two in such that my laptop becomes the transport / source which can feed the songs to the Benchmark which in turn plays music to my hi fi system ?

Is using my laptop a better transport that say a dedicated cd player like marantz or pioneer dvd player ?

tks for info. highly appreciated.
nolitan
jax2
3,031 posts
 
I am Curious about adding the USB interface to a Audiomirror / Dac-ah ? is there a way to get it modded to add the usb direct, even if you have to eliminate the toslink or coax digital board ?

You may want to contact Vlad at Audio Mirror about that[email protected]. You can certainly use an external conversion like a Waveterminal U24, Emprical USB Freeway, HagUSB or similar USB-S/PDIF convertor.
audioengr
3,282 posts
 
Undertow - I can add high-performance USB to practically any DAC or even the DEQX, but the cost will depend on what is inside the DAC. The correct implementation is USB to I2S to D/A chip. Doing this has its pitfalls, namely muting and sample-rate decode. Unless these issues are addressed properly, functionality of the DAC will be lost or it may even output damaging DC at times. I would NOT trust this to an amateur modder. If the DAC contains a CS8414 or AD1896, then it makes it easier as I have boards designed already for these.

I already add USB or I2S interfaces to these routinely:
Benchmark DAC-1
Lite DAC-60
DEQX

Steve N.
Empirical Audio
Manufacturer
undertow
1,032 posts
 
Okay sounds good.. Yeah if I was to ever convert than I would like to eliminate any extra convertor or extra cabling and simply use a laptop USB cable direct out right into the convertorÂ… Any idea of a price to add this Is2 interface?
audioengr
3,282 posts
 
Undertow - I add it to the DAC-1 for $500 and to the DEQX for about $750. Depends on the DAC and which board I use.

I can add it to almost ANY DAC easily and more cheaply with a wired version, but it will not address muting and Sample Rate decode. Then you must be careful about sequencing the power and not pulling the USB cable when powered-on etc.. If it is a capacitor-coupled DAC, then this is not as much of a concern.

Steve N.
Empirical Audio
Manufacturer
clio09
2,978 posts
 
Audioengr - those prices seem pretty reasonable. I have the North Star Model 192 transport which you are familiar with. I also own the Audio Mirror, as well as the Monarchy M24 which I'm pretty sure uses the CS8414, I assume adding a I2S input to either of these can be accomplished so I can run the I2S output from the North Star. Am I correct?

As for sound, if I recall the North Star will give me the option of upsampling from the I2S output to 24/192, since the Audio Mirror is redbook only and the Monarchy is either redbook or 24/96, will I be losing anything sonicallly.
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