Author Topic: The Pains of Computer Audio  (Read 13505 times)

Offline jimbones

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Re: The Pains of Computer Audio
« Reply #45 on: September 26, 2018, 08:41:14 AM »
Sorry to hear you are having problems. My digital has been rock solid playing pretty much any format for at least 5 years. Listening to peoples woes I think that people try and put together a system out of spare parts they have lying around and that is what ends up having problem.  If I would give you advice it would be this.
 
  • Put all you music on a NAS, that is on 24/7.  <Yep, did that> Who care if it is uses 15 watts when it is idle, leaving it on all the time will elevate any issues with drives spiingin up ro down when you are tryting to listen to music.

    Put in a hardwired network, don't run it off of wi-fi.<Yep, thats the set up>

    Get a dedicated Streamer/Player/server, leave it on all the time too. The streamer should be able to connect to the NAS via the hardwired LAN. <Yes, that too>

    Plug the streamer into the DAC, enjoy digital music.

Playing around with jriver, foobar, media monkey, etc is fine when listening to music at you PC. but if you are trying to integrate digital streaming with your main rig it is much better to get dedicated solutions. Yes in the long run it is more money that just putting together a digital streaming solution from odds and ends you have lying around the house. But the dedicated gear makes things work so much smoother.<BTW I am trying to compare files stored locally on a HDD played by a PC into a DAC vs files stored on a NAS sent to a streamer to a DAC. I have suspicions that there may be significant difference, maybe not?>

Jim, I have extended an invitation to come over and hear my system before. Sometime when you have time send me an email and come over, I can walk you through my whole setup.
<Thank you I will>
Rogue RP7 Pre, Art Audio Vinyl Reference Phono,CJ Premier 12 Pwr, VPI Classic II/Dynavector 20X2L, Roon Rock, Auralic Vega DAC, Emotiva ERC-3, MIT, TWL, WireWorld, Wywires, Shunyata

Offline JBNY

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Re: The Pains of Computer Audio
« Reply #46 on: September 26, 2018, 09:54:51 AM »
Great, reach out to me whenever you want.

I don't feel there are any differences between playing a file off the HDD on the NAS via the network or playing the file on the HDD local to the PC. They are the exact same file, if there are any differences there is a problem with the player. Of course if you want to run it one way or the other, whatever floats your boat.
-Joe
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Offline jimbones

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Re: The Pains of Computer Audio
« Reply #47 on: September 26, 2018, 12:31:59 PM »
yea, just an experiment really. I was able to get it running recently but I did not do a serious compare. There was a noticeable difference though. I did see a youtube video of a guy doing an a/b compare of I2S vs USB and there was a big difference between the 2. I am always interested in eventually going in the direction of better sound if and when I can.
Rogue RP7 Pre, Art Audio Vinyl Reference Phono,CJ Premier 12 Pwr, VPI Classic II/Dynavector 20X2L, Roon Rock, Auralic Vega DAC, Emotiva ERC-3, MIT, TWL, WireWorld, Wywires, Shunyata

Offline JBNY

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Re: The Pains of Computer Audio
« Reply #48 on: September 26, 2018, 01:00:25 PM »
Aren't we all.

I am running i2s to my DAC, I do think it sounds a little better than USB, but the i2s interface it more prone to problems, interference, jitter etc. so it depends how it works in your set.  I can run DSD native over i2S, something I can not do with USB so that was the main reason I tried it.
-Joe
Von Schweikert Speakers/Seismic Isolation Podiums
W4S STP-SE STG2 Preamp/SST SOA2 Amp
Roon Core i7NUC/Synology 52TB NAS
Matrix X-SABRE PRO (MQA) DAC/Pi4 Ropieee
Pass Labs X-17 Phono/OL Resolution MK4 TT/Conqueror MK3c/Kiseki PH
Equi=core 1800 Balance

Offline shadowlight

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Re: The Pains of Computer Audio
« Reply #49 on: September 26, 2018, 06:28:26 PM »
I can run DSD native over i2S, something I can not do with USB so that was the main reason I tried it.

Any background on why USB and native DSD did not work for you?

Offline JBNY

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Re: The Pains of Computer Audio
« Reply #50 on: September 29, 2018, 01:45:24 PM »
I can run DSD native over i2S, something I can not do with USB so that was the main reason I tried it.

Any background on why USB and native DSD did not work for you?

Native DSD won't work over USB without a driver specific to the DAC, as the USB spec does not support native DSD only PCM. My DAC doesn't have any way to do native DSD over USB, so I had to use DoP DSD. switching to i2S let me go native DSD as well as up to DSD 256.
-Joe
Von Schweikert Speakers/Seismic Isolation Podiums
W4S STP-SE STG2 Preamp/SST SOA2 Amp
Roon Core i7NUC/Synology 52TB NAS
Matrix X-SABRE PRO (MQA) DAC/Pi4 Ropieee
Pass Labs X-17 Phono/OL Resolution MK4 TT/Conqueror MK3c/Kiseki PH
Equi=core 1800 Balance

Offline shadowlight

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Re: The Pains of Computer Audio
« Reply #51 on: September 29, 2018, 04:41:06 PM »
Got it.

Offline rollo

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Re: The Pains of Computer Audio
« Reply #52 on: October 17, 2018, 11:39:34 AM »
  PAINLESS AUDIO GET A SERVER INSTEAD.  :duh


charles
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Offline Guy 13

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Re: The Pains of Computer Audio
« Reply #53 on: September 26, 2019, 05:31:20 AM »
Hi all.
When some of you talk about computer audio (software - hardware)
to me it look like you are speaking Chinese.
Most of the words used mean nothing to me.
It's like I have to learn a new language.

Guy 13
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Offline HAL

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Re: The Pains of Computer Audio
« Reply #54 on: September 26, 2019, 05:45:15 AM »
Guy13,
It is just new terminology to describe computer audio operation.  It can be a bit confusing to start, but not really that bad.

Once I setup my music server, was much easier to play CD or high resolution audio than to play a record.  My entire digital library is on one 2TB solid state drive (SSD).  No moving parts for zero noise for replay.

For most things I only need Foobar2000 as a music player and Exact Audio Copy for taking the music data from CD's to files on the hard drive.  The high resolution files I download from places like HDTracks.com or other websites. 

Not hard to get going if you understand a file system on a computer, that is about all you need to start. 


Offline Guy 13

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The Pains of Computer Audio
« Reply #55 on: September 26, 2019, 05:55:25 AM »
Guy13,
It is just new terminology to describe computer audio operation.  It can be a bit confusing to start, but not really that bad.

Once I setup my music server, was much easier to play CD or high resolution audio than to play a record.  My entire digital library is on one 2TB solid state drive (SSD).  No moving parts for zero noise for replay.

For most things I only need Foobar2000 as a music player and Exact Audio Copy for taking the music data from CD's to files on the hard drive.  The high resolution files I download from places like HDTracks.com or other websites. 

Not hard to get going if you understand a file system on a computer, that is about all you need to start.


Thanks HAL for the explanation.
Yes, simple, when you know how to do it.
If I want to RIP all my vinyl, CD, VHS, Hi8 and C90 cassettes I will have to learn the language
to understand how to do it.
Thanks.

Guy 13
Grace Digital Mondo RIT
Cambridge Mini sub 2.1
Schiit Fulla 2 DAC
Schiit SYS PCC
Sony Passive Bookshelf speakers
Lot more stuff on storage
prior to moving back to Canada.

Offline jimbones

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Re: The Pains of Computer Audio
« Reply #56 on: September 26, 2019, 06:07:31 AM »
I now have an intel nuc using Roon Rock and Roon software for playback and DSP. Works reliably as a dedicated server. I stream Qobuz and files from my NAS. I still do experience Roon losing connection with the DAC but it starts right up again and the music does not stop. I think it is the fact that I am using a audiophile grade USB not a computer grade USB.
Rogue RP7 Pre, Art Audio Vinyl Reference Phono,CJ Premier 12 Pwr, VPI Classic II/Dynavector 20X2L, Roon Rock, Auralic Vega DAC, Emotiva ERC-3, MIT, TWL, WireWorld, Wywires, Shunyata

Offline Guy 13

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The Pains of Computer Audio
« Reply #57 on: September 26, 2019, 06:31:37 AM »
I now have an intel nuc using Roon Rock and Roon software for playback and DSP. Works reliably as a dedicated server. I stream Qobuz and files from my NAS. I still do experience Roon losing connection with the DAC but it starts right up again and the music does not stop. I think it is the fact that I am using a audiophile grade USB not a computer grade USB.

Hi Jim.
Humm mmm.... You are speaking a different language than HAL
or at least you are using a different system or set up.
I am looking for something super simple
and I don't really care about convenience.
I am sure if I browse thru my music library,
I will find something I like within 5 seconds.
It's because I will rip only the music I like a lot
and that music I like I will only listen once in a while,
because 95% of the time, I listen to Art Radio
and they more or less choose the music for me.
90% of the time, I listen to nature music, very relaxing.

Guy 13
Grace Digital Mondo RIT
Cambridge Mini sub 2.1
Schiit Fulla 2 DAC
Schiit SYS PCC
Sony Passive Bookshelf speakers
Lot more stuff on storage
prior to moving back to Canada.