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So I pay $8 a month for Google music since I signed up early and have that into a chromecast which connected to HDMI to spdif converter into my DAC, and a bluesound node into the same DAC which has Spotify connect for $10 a month. I prefer the bluesound/Spotify setup. Thinking about cancelling google music as I use it on my tablet to sync albums on my commute to and fro work. It seems I can do the same with a Spotify app. Will maybe report back, I have been a huge Ogg vorbis fan and find I prefer that compression algorythm to plain old MP3. Even at the high 320kbps bitrate which Google uses. Spotify using ogg takes the cake with more midrange fullness. Not as harsh with the artifacts as mp3 is.
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Great topic.
I'm just now getting into streaming and am considering Spotify Premium. I just bought a Wyred4Sound Dac 2 DSD and am looking at computer(s) like Mac mini and Macbook Pro.
Looking for any pointers and experience. I'm old(ish) and not very technically inclined regarding all the techno jargon, ripping, storage, playback, etc.
That's why I thought streaming Spotify at 320K would be a good start.
Thanks,
Keith
you can't go wrong with a Macintosh plugged into the DAC and stream spotify or a similar streaming music service. about $10 a month to listen to most of everything (although not everything, some indie labels are still not on there, or any service but they are the niche ones). Most artist are on there.
I like my Samsung Chromebook 2, I use the Spotify Web app, and for controlling my bluesound I use my android phone and tablet and the spotify app to playback to the bluesound device.
I don't even rip anything anymore, or buy anything for that matter. If there is a great album I still get the disc, but for most uses I like streaming. Serious listening is left to CD and SACD for my setup IMHO.
Thanks bullet.
If I'm looking at Mac minis, is there anything I need to insure that the one I get comes with? If I get one with a 1 or 2 TB hard drive I can just use it as a "server", correct? ie download/save purchased content
I plan on using my 55" Samsung TV as a monitor and getting a wireless keyboard and mouse for the coffee table.
I don't think I would need to download drivers, as the DAC2DSD interface is now driverless for mac and linux, though that would have been no big deal. https://wyred4sound.com/products/dacs/dac-2-series
I DID get the Femto clock upgrade for $150 so it was $1,650 total. Not exactly cheap .. but I have been using old digital for 20 years (modified Pioneer PD-65)... so it was time.
Looking forward to accessing mucho content at high resolution for the monthly $10 fee.
I will still do some thrift and used bookstore scouring for old vinyl and CD finds for a while though I suppose. Can't be too much of a couch potato lol.
Any current in production mini should be great.
Nothing wrong with not getting off your couch for awhile :-)
I run a MacMini (latest version), feeding into a DAC via USB, than preamp, etc... Mac gets it's connection from a wireless router in another room. To control the MacMini I use a wireless track pad and keyboard. I have an inexpensive monitor wired in next to my seating position because it is much easier to read it than my big screen tv, which I prefer to have off when I'm listening to music. I've always bought refurbished Macs to save a little money and have never been disappointed. You just have to watch their list and wait for what you want. All I do is stream audio from iTunes, etc... Some guys here seem to put together very basic computers that appear to work very well and don't cost much. Maybe do a little searching on that.
Thanks Charlie,
Your comments about having a monitor or pad close IS probably better than using the TV. As my eyes get older, I find optimal distances for text and graphics are changing too. I'm now at 1.5-1.75 reading glasses and extra large print books at about 12-18 inches is the most comfortable. A closer monitor for making music selections or reading album notes etc. may be well advised.
When you say purchasing refurished Macs, do you mean from the Apple store, or Amazon, or Newegg, or other suggestion?
As Charlie mentioned, Apple is often a good source for used Macs and another one is http://macsales.com. Amazon will sometimes discount new Mac Minis but just barely.
I wouldn't expect them to be hugely discounted, especially the newer models, as Macs tend to hold their value. As such, I would weigh the used price vs paying just a bit more for a brand new one if buying a very recent or current model.
Any of the ones with Intel Core i5 or Core i7 processor will be very recent or current models. If it has a buil-in DVD slot, it's an older unit. Older ones will still work fine but I wouldn't go much older than about 2010.
A basic Mini with 4GB of memory will work great. 4GB has been the factory standard 'base' memory for a while now. You can easily expand it later should you want to take advantage of software that offers a 'memory play' feature.
I have mine hooked up to a 32" TV in the corner of my office. I can see album artwork and such from my desk but the text is a little small. I also use the iPad with free "Remote App" so even though the Mini and TV are across the room, the iPad used as a remote control offers good visibility.
Good luck.
My Office Setup
iPad on top of Mini is with me at my desk when I'm listening
The Rogue Integrated Amp
Thanks Abe and Charlie.
Great looking setup Abe. Mine will actually be visually somewhat similar.
I'm using a Musical Fidelity Trivista integrated in silver and a pair of [cherry] PMC PB1is. The W4S DAC2DSD I just bought is also in silver. I guess you can get a Mac Mini in whatever color you want... as long as it's silver. :-D
I like the idea of saving some money on a refurb. unit. I have always tried to pay around 1/3-1/2 of retail value for audio equipment in good to excellent condition (4 kids take/took priority, now grown). The DAC is the only thing I've ever bought new. Primary reason(s) were upgradeability and 5 year warranty.
Any suggestions on cable(s)?
Thanks,
Keith
I'm using Audioquest Carbon USB cable but have also had excellent results with the lower cost Pangea USB cables, both available from AudioAdvisor.com and other sources.
USB cable selection is really a personal matter and whether you hear a difference.
You have an excellent DAC that will do a great job with DSD and high resolution PCM files, as well as streaming services.
Fun stuff. Enjoy!
Thanks Abe.
Looking forward to the DAC.
I considered the PS Audio, the Ayre, Audio Note, (all used around the $1500 mark). Almost bought a refurb NAD 51 w/ 2 year warranty from Spearit Sound at that price too.
But when I called W4S with a few questions, Tony answered and we had a nice discussion. They got the Femto clock installed the same day and the DAC shipped the next day. And I got the impression (and from their reputation), that any work will get turned around very quickly. With other manufacturers and much less resellers .... not so much.
Not the greatest looking unit, but cosmetics aside, I agree it should be a good starter unit and [with count 'em - 7 inputs and a preamp capability] a good 'hub' around which to build.
I will check out the Pangea USB cables.
Thanks again,
Keith
From the Apple Store. Some people want brand new, but this has worked for me and I saved a few dollars. If you do this, make sure you are buying a current model.
I also considered utilizing an Apple TV device, but was concerned if I would loose some quality.
I keep reading various comments on this forum about the pluses and minuses of Spotify, iTunes, Pandora and others, but almost no mention of Songza, which I find friendly, unbeatable in the variety of playlists and not bad (at 256kbps) through by Sonos hookups or straight from the computer in the office.
I was experimenting with various internet radio stations a few months back and like you, discovered that MP3 is about the worse sounding compression out there, if not THE worse.
Some stations would allow you to select the bit-rate and MP3 or AAC. In all cases I found AAC to sound better than MP3 at a given bit-rate. I also found that lower bit-rate AAC can sound as good as a higher bit-rate MP3. For example, AAC at 64-kbps sounded at least as good as MP3 at 96-kbps.
I'm not surprised that you find Ogg Vorbis better than old MP3.
As for music services, I have Pandora One that tops out at 192-Kbps and Spotify Premium at 320-kbps. Spotify sound noticeably better to me and I like it's layout for selecting genres and sub categories. I prefer it for new music discovery too.
I also have iTunes Radio (free) which is fine but not nearly as robust with features being the relative new kid on the block. That might change someday since Apple bought Beats Music (which bought MOG before Apple bought them).
Unfortunately for now anyway, Pandora and iTunes Radio are better integrated for use with my car's infotainment system with album art and playlists viewable in the large Navigation system screen plus voice commands and steering wheel mounted controls. Spotify requires more manual control on the smartphone itself but still plays wonderfully through the car audio system, but it requires more effort while driving.
I listen to all three but prefer Spotify Premium in my office for all-day background music while I work. The one thing I hate about Spotify is it's social media features that I don't need. Whenever I launch the Spotify App, it wants to broadcast to the world via Facebook what I'm listening to or if I create a new playlist or whatever. I have to manually shut it off by selecting "Private Session" each time I launch Spotify. Maybe there's a workaround that I have yet to discover.
If minidisc used AAC I think, it sounded good for what it was. I used to experiment with recording some music on minidisc, I think it was AAC that it used, and I like it.
I've been following Ogg Vorbis and Xiph.org as well as FLAC since their birth, for compressed streams Ogg Vorbis is pretty damned good. Hence my Spotify recommendation as they use Ogg Vorbis.
I think mp3 is past its prime. However the LAME mp3 encoder is pretty good using VBR, to save space if for nothing else ;)
.
DAT. Complete and utter garbage. A horrible memory hole of unreadable tapes and others with horrendous numbers of bit errors (thousands of clicks).
Tony Lauck
"Diversity is the law of nature; no two entities in this universe are uniform." - P.R. Sarkar
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