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In Reply to: RE: Shifting focus from more controversial parts - here's what's aligned perfectly..... posted by Sprezza Tura on July 27, 2015 at 14:00:15
I have no first hand experience comparing different Ethernet cables since I don't normally stream music over them. At present, I use them only for Internet access (no music except the occasional MP3 sound clip as part of a purchase decision) or downloads or file backups.
I have compared computer playback (using a sound card on a PCI bus and to several USB DACs) under the following conditions. I list them in order of decreasing sound quality:
1. playback out of a RAM disk
2. playback out of a local inboard disk via SATA
3. playback out of a file folder via a SAMBA share over Ethernet from a NAS.
I have also compared the following out of that RAM disk to various DACs. Again, I list these in order of decreasing sound quality. I haven't haven't tried all the various combinations, optimatizions, software configurations, etc. that are possible.
1. Playback of WAV files
2. Playback of FLAC files that are read-time decoded
The results do not surprise me. In each case, the choices that I found to sound best were the ones that placed the least processor load on the computer system.
My USB Regen is supposed to arrive tomorrow. I will be conducting a new serious of experiments to see how much this hides the various computer differences (all of which were bit identical in terms of what was sent to the DAC). If I am still hearing differences, I may try interposing a low powered computer to serve as HQPlayer "Network Audio Adapter" and see what this may do, but at present the 7 watt Intel Nuc is busy being a server on my LAN.
Tony Lauck
"Diversity is the law of nature; no two entities in this universe are uniform." - P.R. Sarkar
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The Mind has No Firewall~ U.S. Army War College.
Tony Lauck
"Diversity is the law of nature; no two entities in this universe are uniform." - P.R. Sarkar
Thanks for reporting past experiences.
I def. look forward to your findings with the much buzzed about REGEN.
In these listening tests, I would venture to guess you have not used a file renderer/playback device built form the ground up to receive data via Ethernet then send out to a DAC, like say an Auraliti, a MiND, or a Sonore.
Yes, these will absolutely make a HUGE difference...quiet power supplies, light, non commercial operating systems, galvanic isolation.
Receiving networked audio on a PC is a nonstarter.
Back to you original point, having the processing done as far away from the DAC as possible is key. My NAS does all the decoding and just lets the streamer coast.
toward unable-to-be-modified hardware: we'll all be left to purchase ever rarer, more single purpose, computing devices like the Rasberry Pi. This is welcome IMO, as hobbyists & tweakers will be setting up their own transports under the principles that high performance audio manufacturers have employed for years with great success.
"Asylums with doors open wide,
Where people had paid to see inside,
For entertainment they watch his body twist
Behind his eyes he says, 'I still exist.'"
Just look at the most recent batch of MACs. No more user upgradeable memory or hard drives, reduction in the number of ports, and an ever more closing ecosystem.
""Yes, these will absolutely make a HUGE difference...quiet power supplies, light, non commercial operating systems, galvanic isolation.
Receiving networked audio on a PC is a nonstarter.""
LOL smh...
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