Disappointed by my MAC/Itunes/PS Audio DLIII combo

[chipman]

I would like to get some feedback from some of you who have gone down the Computer server/DAC route.

Current set up is a MAC Pro, running iTunes with music stored on an external Hard drive connected via firewire feeding a PS Audio DLIII.

I have tried connecting the DAC using the USB input and optical (Toslink?) and clearly optical is better contrary to what I have read and expectations.

Compared to my CD Players, Marantz DV8400 and Oracle CD2500, the music is flat and sound sat upon. OK for background music rather disappointing compared to vinyl and red book CD.

Initially I experimented with a old IBM T40 Notepad running Windows XP and Media Monkey which was giving promising results.

Then I switched to a MAC Pro and optimised the settings as proposed in the procedures from Computer Audiophile for a MAC.

Somehow, the windows setup sounded better....

Any thoughts? Should I change DACs? Which one? NAD M51 and Metrum Octave have some interesting write ups and appeal to my geek EE background.

How about one of the software options to replace/work alongside iTunes? Amarra, J River, dBpoweramp, Fidelia, Audirvana, Pure Music, BitPerfect....so many to choose from and where to start?!! Actually my head is telling me why should the software make any difference?

 

[Purite Audio]

I would check in 'audio midi' that you are replaying at the native sample rate, ITunes. up or downsamples left to its own devices.

Optical and USB should sound identical, perhaps a poor USB implementation in the dac?

Keith.

 

[roob]

Yep the usb port on the PS is a pretty poor usb 1 type.

Maybe you should try a async convertor like the Hiface 2.

You can try one of the alternative players most offer a months free trial, personally i like Pure Music and most recently JRiver for mac, I do not experience any of the issues you describe.

 

[chipman]

I would check in 'audio midi' that you are replaying at the native sample rate, ITunes. up or downsamples left to its own devices.Optical and USB should sound identical, perhaps a poor USB implementation in the dac?

Keith.

Done - any up sampling is done in the DLIII

Yep the usb port on the PS is a pretty poor usb 1 type.Maybe you should try a async convertor like the Hiface 2.

You can try one of the alternative players most offer a months free trial, personally i like Pure Music and most recently JRiver for mac, I do not experience any of the issues you describe.

Using the optical connection as this gave better life to the sound compared to USB.

On CD, my Oracle CD2500 is clearly superior albeit cost way more than MAC/HD/PS DLIII combo. Perhaps I need a new Dac that is higher in performance?

 

[Purite Audio]

Does the Oracle have a digital 'in'?

Keith.

 

[chipman]

Unfortunately not but can be used as a transport. I could send it back to Oracle to be updated to the latest DAC which I dies have a digital input but that would likely cost more than a seriously good outboard DAC.

 

[It Cost How Much!?!]

As a relatively cheap way forward I would say that I would go the HiFace II to co-ax and a sensible (i.e. not massively expensive) co-ax digital cable into the DAC. Nearly all USB input DACs I have tried the USB part is utter sh.te, the Toslink, Co-Ax or AES/EBU are miles better. If you get a HiFace, use the software that comes with it.

I use a HiFace 1 and a SPDIF converter I bought of eBay for £38, which actually sounds really good but it's mains powered.

 

[Bolosun]

Have you tried VLC on your MAC to see if ITunes is too blame?

Also, how have you ripped your music.? I went from MP3 to AAC and to my ears it made a big difference.

 

[Juancho]

Hi,

Firstly, the sound from USB with a good USB Dac should easily better optical as the jitter with an asynchronous Dac is many times better. The best sound with Mac at the moment is J River, but use this with Mountain Lion if you can. The sound is as good with Mavericks but J River can freeze with this os. J River sounds inferior to I tunes with Snow Leopard. But essentially it's all down to having a good USB Dac. USB cables can also make a big difference. I make my own very short ones and these sound better than commercial ones costing many hundred pounds.

A decent Dac like a John Kenny Dac 32 will blow even expensive CD players away for sound quality: I compared one over the weekend to a top of the range Mark Levinson CD player /streamer and the Dac with Mac and J River won very convincingly

 

[huwge]

Optical out into AN Dac well nice

 

[Juancho]

The intrinsic jitter on any optical out rules this out for critical listening. it may be 'nice', and I use mu Sky box this way as it only has optical out, but you can do much better soundwise with good USB implementation

 

[chipman]

All my music has been ripped "losslessly".

I initially started with Windows XP on an IBM T40 (old!!) so the music was ripped on WAV and initial results were using Mediamonkey.

Coonection to the DLIII was via USB.

Since this PC developed some keyboard issues and MACs were getting some good press as music servers, I took over my wife's MAC Pro.

Rips on the MAC were then done using AIFF, iTunes was used as the player/music organiser and I first tried to connect via the USB. The music was flat and lifeless. I then tried optical and there was was an improvment but still behind the Windows XP/MediaMonkey/USB combination. Even my wife is complaining and asking what I had done!

This is all very strange considering the PS Audio DLII has garnished excellent reviews. With this device, USB is the better choice with Windows and Optical appears to be better with OSX. I'll try to get hold of a decent USB-SPDIF convertor and give this a go.

As it stands, my 10 years old Oracle CD2500 red book player is way ahead of both windows/OSX combos but this may be an unfair comparison...

 

[roob]

A hiface 2 is your best bet, under OSX it requires no drivers and will work with Mavericks unlike the Hiface 1 at the moment.

 

[huwge]

The intrinsic jitter on any optical out rules this out for critical listening. it may be 'nice'' date=' and I use mu Sky box this way as it only has optical out, but you can do much better soundwise with good USB implementation[/quote']Can't say I noticed particularly, am now streaming via Ethernet into oppo and coax out to AN Dac

 

[chipman]

Currently my hard disk is connected directly via firewire.

 

[roob]

Currently my hard disk is connected directly via firewire.

That is the best way, ideally you do not want a hard drive and usb dac on the same bus.

 

[smegger68]

That is the best way, ideally you do not want a hard drive and usb dac on the same bus.

Why not?

 

[roob]

Why not?

Because all the usb ports are connected inside the computer so noise from the HD could find it's way through to the dac.

 

[Voice_Coil]

Because all the usb ports are connected inside the computer so noise from the HD could find it's way through to the dac.

its just a thought but...have you considered upgrading your pc PSU ? im sure it would be worthwhile, it might even cure your noisy circuit issue ?

Im using an apc unit on my poot, and ive used supra shielded cable and wattgate plug, whether it made a huge difference is hard to tell, but im not prepared to go back.

worth a shot.