suggest laptop for music storage

Jc51373-

Per your man Gordon:
"USB is limited to 16 bit data and 32K, 44.1K and 48K data rates. Higher data and sample rates would require Firewire or USB 2.0, which there is no specification for either at this time. Custom products are capable of this, but really if the data is 44/16 who cares."

Some people have original 24/96 recordings stored on their PC and use external DACs for playback.

Nothing Steve makes is similar to the DAC I use. The DL and Steve's PaceCar are not DACs. You obviously don't understand how they work.

People with DIY skills modified equipment like the Squeezebox and Sonus or pay someone to do it for them, because they can put together an excellent sounding PC music system for a lot less than buying a $3500. USB DAC.

BTW- many audio equipment makers got their start modifying
equipment.

Conceptually, alot of what Steve makes is exactly like what you are doing. But keep telling yourself its different, and while your at it maybe throw a slice of bologna in the signal path too. Might sound better for you.

Listen I am not going to debate every techincal detail with you here. If Gordon says 24/96 needs 2.0, so be it, although I tend to disagree with him on that point. Can you actually believe that I disagree with him? But if your happy with what you have all the power to you. I personally would LOVE an opportunity to do a side by side with you DAC for DAC, but thats silly. If nothing else but to prove to you that $3500 for Cosecant is a relative bargain, and would make a $500 10 year old Genesis Lense sound completely inferior.

What you are failing to understand is that my purpose is not to compare products with you. There is no comparison here, Cosecant is in a completely different class than any source you own. What is important to impart to those reading this thread is oversampling is NOT always better, ironically it is often the opposite. You need to understand that Red Book was ratified as the standard for a reason. And if you increase the bandwidth over and above this standard the errors increase as well, and it is how these implementations deal with this fact that is a point to mention. Filters etc in the signal path. In the case of some equipment, Pops, clicks etc. Not for me, not for alot of people with true audiophile-grade equipment. Not to mentioned alot of the equipment being discussed here is solid-state based equipment, which of course is another discussion. But good luck with solid state and audio. Any SS I have owned or auditioned has NOTHING on tubes-case closed. But enjoy your transistors by all means, I spent 10 years with them and would never consider anything for audio that didn't have tubes in it.

So by all means keep looking for lightening in a bottle with modded equipment, flashing your CDs with magic lights, and seeking out upsampled recordings as the end all. Like I said if thats what blows your hair back go for it..For me, modified, second-rate commercial equipment is like putting lipstick on a pig.

Kana813 - My DAC's and USB converters are also only rated for USB 1.1, but they support 24.96. They aren't supposed to, but they do. Some chips, like the TI PCM270X family do not do 24/96. The 1543 should do 24/96.

Steve N.

Jc51373 - The Spoiler is actually not from the ground-up, its based on a Lite DAC-60 from China. The first one I modded was so great that I decided to do an all-out mod on it and change all of the hardware, including the front panel and I add a back panel etc. and make it my own product. The idea is that it cannot be improved with further mods. I believe I've thought of everything, except maybe cryo treatment....

Steve N.

Kana813 - what DAC do you use? What is so special about it?

Steve N.