will
|
Geno said: "I’ve looked at the Mytek and Benchmark DAC’s and love them, but wouldn’t I need a music server with those?"
Yes, these are just the DAC (digital Analog converter) part, so you would need a server as well (possibly integrated), be it a quality computer for audio, a laptop, or specially made server. With many of these, you would need some sort of display. I think a lot of folks use a iPad or phone to run and view servers. I have no experience with all-in-one setups, some likely having little displays, but feel sure I would prefer a bigger monitor of some sort personally.
I am old school too, but using a Mac Mini with a display, keyboard and mouse, and tucked away in a cabinet. I have a special computer audio set up, with a highly tuned OS (much better than stock), tuned player software, a specific external drive good for music (quiet), a really good (for audio) USB cable and power cable, etc.
I went to the Mini mainly for sonic reasons, but I have grown to really like the format. I was surprised, over handling CDs, to prefer it, not just for sound and tune-ability, but ease of use. After getting used to the interfaces, searching ability, organization abilities etc, I grew to really appreciate the interface. BTW, in my experience (and many more who have gone there) you will generally not get as good a sound from a laptop as from a stand-alone tuned Mini or other high quality and dedicated audio server refined with listening tests.
Like the bits-are-bits belief system, lots of folks think computers are computers. I am guessing many self-contained, all-in-one servers have "computers" (at least of sorts) running things too. And for music, with potential for lots of minute issues with how streams of data are taken apart, moved, and put back together, these can be heard. Potential issues include electronic analog noise carried with the data, and jitter and digital noise that can be filtered in different ways depending on designer (and often user) choices. Artifacts reveal as messed up timing in the data stream or noise, or maybe even modified data bits other than jitter???
Disturbance to sound is generally harshness and smearing, or masking to hide these, causing the attitude about digital. This of course happens to lesser degrees with care for design and engineering to avoid these artifacts, and how successful attempts to "solve" them are. So like CD players and transports, server setups can create various degrees of "digititus," from relatively inaudible, to relatively offensive depending on how good the server is designed and implemented.
This is not to be scary, but to point very roughly to why great servers and DACs are friendly and engaging...and so-so ones, not so. Revealing systems make this more clear, but even if a system can't reveal these differences easily, quality digital is still easier to enjoy. You can get decent sound from a lot of computers or servers, but to get deep, it seems it needs to be carefully designed for high quality audio, using good parts and sound testing....or like the Mini, a good foundation for adapting to using purely for quality audio.
I am guessing that the best audio models of Minis are sort of inadvertently good at audio because of other design choices. Small size without a lot of fan noise generally requires more efficient parts that tend to be cooler and quieter. The heavy/solid aluminum case is great for vibration and cooling, making fans less needed, but also a good electronic noise shield...And no monitor eliminates any noise generated by having a monitor in-computer.
When I first tested computer audio here, I used a Macbook Pro because we already had one, but also thinking battery power would be a good thing. Later, after hearing from my Tranquility DAC developer how much difference the computer used, and how it is set up, can effect refinements of sound fairly notably, I followed his recommendation for a Mini. He, his design team, and many associated audio developers he trusted the ears of agreed the Mini, if tuned optimally, was the best and most cost effective high-end audio server platform. After many conversations with him, I could tell we agreed on what we heard and wanted sound-wise, so I trusted this. I thought the Mini sounded better right off, only using iTunes system adjustments. But once optimized more fully for audio, it was quite clearly more revealing and musical.
Contributing to this audio preference for me, is transparent, in-computer EQ, working directly on the music files before leaving the Mac Mini Server. I use this to fine-tune for room issues, a bunch of pretty small adjustments a big refinement here. I also really like many other fine-tuning abilities in the OS and player software, as well as choices for the most synergistic cables, etc that can refine the sound.
Not generally having much of this tuning ability with a CD player or transport, software settings can seem complicated. But once setup (especially with advise from someone with good ears who has already done it successfully) it can be pretty easy. Being able to seriously tune the server to your room and tastes can be pretty amazing. And once set...no need to go back and adjust unless you want, leaving a nice software interface that varies depending on software used, but can be pretty nice.
Also, the best player softwares can be great sounding without fine tuning. I just want more system specific tuning myself. But I am all about getting all I can from my system/room, the last 5% really important to my listening pleasure.
This is not to say you should get an audio computer setup, but to illustrate the basic story of some things to look into when researching a server and DAC. As with anything else, for great audio, to me, it all matters.
Good Luck, and I look forward to hearing what you end up with and impressions!
Will
|