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Is computer audio a bust?

In recent months, I have had several audio acquaintances return to CDPs claiming improved SQ versus their highly optimized computer transports (SS drives, external power supplies, etc, etc).

I wanted to poll people on their experiences with computer "transports." What variables have had the most impact on sonics? If you bailed on computers, why?

I personally have always believed that the transport, whether its a plastic disc spinner or computer, is as or more important than the dac itself and thus considerable thought and energy is required.

agear
agear OP
1,353 posts
 
07-19-14: Electroslacker
That said, a quality USB cable can do a phenomenal job of delivering a digital stream from a computer to a DAC, where the final quality and subjective preference is determined by the chosen DAC.

slacker, what cable do u use? I am in the process of researching one....
audiolabyrinth's avatar
audiolabyrinth
4,483 posts
 
Joecasey, There is some world class transports out there that computer audio cannot touch period, if computer audio could, then this is the biggest fleasing in american history of audio!, look at DCS for an example, LOL!, to get this straight here, I am saying transports, Dacs, cd-players are all in the same catorgory, that is NOT computer audio, though I agree, cd-players,dacs, transports are computers, no doubt, however, they are dedicated to audio!
jbny
37 posts
 
I would say that Computer Audio is definitely not a bust, with friends that I know from various age groups, people under 30 only use CA and probably don't have a CDP and never intend to buy one, it's not until you hit higher age groups where you find people reluctant to make the switch, or even try it. I have been playing with CA since about 1998 and completely removed my CDP from my system sometime around 2006. I would not even think of putting a CDP back in the system at this point. All music is in FLAC on a NAS drive over wired Ethernet to a small mini pc that plays the music over async USB to a galvanically isolated DAC that goes to my preamp. It sounds very good, I have pretty good analog setup and am very capable of making good hires vinyl transfers. The vinyl rips sound identical to the analog on my setup so I know that the CA is working right in my system.

Ripping and tagging, once you get the hang of it is remarkably easy to do. Organizing classical music is fine, you just need to settle on a way to organize it and stick to it.

The whole not doing Computer Audio is really just a generational thing, like it or not it is the future.
nonoise's avatar
nonoise
4,382 posts
 
I dunno.

Has this been shot down hereabouts yet?
http://xiph.org/~xiphmont/demo/neil-young.html
&
http://xiph.org/video/vid2.shtml

All of this reminds me of the horsepower wars that any conversation about cars engenders.

All the best,
Nonoise
raymonda
847 posts
 
I believe my ears. I have listen to an analog signal converted on the fly from all sample rates and bit depths. The difference for me is obvious, with higher res always sounding closer to the source. Attack and decay of notes are almost always an indicator with space and timbre also playing a big part.

This article can make a statement and say it is settled science but to my ears it ain't so.
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