where to start


So my computer that was fairly old died the other day. I have mostly been a PC guy but don't mind mac. I would like to start setting up a computer audio system.

I would like to do a nas server and have all my audio files saved on it and then stream wireless into a Squeezebox in one room and then use a laptop for the other.

I guess I just don't know what is better for doing this mac or PC? I see a lot of guys on here running mac. I don't plan on using iTunes and I will be using a PS pwd in the main system.

I don't know what benefit a mac would.have over a PC. My budget is around 1200 for the computer so I was looking at a mac book pro and PC don't even know where to start.
bighead63
I thought the whole point of the mac is they are so intuitive you never have to learn how to deal with them. My pure music would freeze every day and I ended up have to reboot because I could not get to application threads that can be shut down individually. Besides, Jobs was a total jerk. Still getting the new iPad though.....
The advantage of Mac is that programs like Amarra (certain revs) and Pure Music eliminate the SQ issues with iTunes.

PC has some programs that attempt to do the same thing like Jriver and Media Monkey with Kernel Streaming plug-ins or WASAPI, but typically do not do quite as good a job as the Mac programs. Jplay may be the exception.

Steve N.
Empirical Audio
Steve, you are certainly entitled to the opnion that say running JRiver in WASAPI mode is inferior to say Pure music on a Mac, but there is absolutely no broad consensus on this. For example, Alex Peychev is on the record saying he preferred his Toshiba laptop running JRiver over a Mac mini, and there are many others with similar preference. Strangely I have not come across any double blind A/B comparisons, which would be interesting. Also, very high grade asynchronous converters like your offramp in the chain, should further reduce any perceived or real difference in SQ. The Mac / PC usually boils down to operating system and server application preference on the basis of usability / stability / ease of setup. I do not think you can categorically ascribe superiority in SQ to one over the other.
03-18-12: Edorr
Steve, you are certainly entitled to the opnion that say running JRiver in WASAPI mode is inferior to say Pure music on a Mac,...

I couldn't agree more!