amarra or pure music..?

Maybe some players that target high end audio users go for a "house sound" to help distinguish them from the competition along with the various features? I suppose these "components" should not be much different from a marketing perspective than the more traditional ones.

Its possible I suppose that different software sources might sound different with an attached DAC again depending on how well it is able to provide the bit stream in real time. PErhaps jitter comes into play here similar to other scenarios.

I use a network music player (with outboard DAC) connected via wifi network to the laptop I use as a server. I think in this configuration in particular, the interaction between the remote (to the windows server) player and the DAC is what determines the exact nature of the sound (jitter, etc.)with any particular DAC. I suppose when the player is onboard the PC the same types of interactions would occur but the nature of the hardware and software involved is different and quite variable.

So two things I could envision accounting for sound differences from player to player are 1) the "house sound", if in fact a distinct one exists for the player, at least in some cases perhaps, and the player/DAC process and interaction in regards to jitter.

When you have spent so much effort getting the system to sound good, it is a real let down when your main interaction with it is clunky, slow or unstable due to the playback software.

Chadeffect (System | Answers | This Thread)

That's the crux of the computer audio issue for me, and it overshadows any subtleties in the sound of the software. The playback system first has to work: smoothly and flawlessly. Only then can one's attention focus on the fine details of the sound itself, and IMO computer audio front ends have a long way to go before they work properly.

My Mac Mini, Pure Music, Ayre QB-9 and iPhone remote system work perfectly. Somehow, it rivals my $12K vinyl system with the ease of not leaving my couch.

IMO computer audio is here and better than any CD player I could afford.

Tvad,

to be honest I have had no real issues until now. The continuous updates sometimes cause as many issues as they solve. Aside from this new issue in Amarra I could not be happier. I know others had had other differing issues.

The convenience of having every record I own, at all sorts of high resolution at the touch or slide of a finger out weighs any of the problems so far. I could never go back to a CDP or any format that means one album or side at a time.

As a result I listen to a much wider selection of my music collection than I ever did. That alone as a music lover is worth any hassle. Once these bugs are sorted which in theory could be any day now, that will be it.

The sound quality is up there with anything I have heard or owned. And I have owned a few gems along the way... I would not underestimate it.

I'm a contrarian by nature. Presently, the convenience of a computer based front end that doesn't work as seamlessly or as simply as a CD player is not compelling enough to make me give up my CD player.