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Digital Drive Upsamplers, DACs, jitter, shakes and analogue withdrawals, this is it. |
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Digital Drive Upsamplers, DACs, jitter, shakes and analogue withdrawals, this is it. |
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In Reply to: clarification on software posted by juddl on November 2, 2008 at 21:58:37:
The advantage of an Ethernet DAC is that it uses the connection to the computer as a two-way interface. So the DAC has the master clock, and it tells the computer when it needs more audio data (to fill a buffer). (Wavelength Audio has figured out how to do this with a USB DAC while still using the standard USB drivers that have been in every operating system since Windows 98.)
But ideally, this two-way interface also allows you to get the computer out of your living room. (This is not feasible with a USB DAC simply by using the USB connection as a two-way communication link.) This means that now you have to split the PC's control software into two parts.
One part has the *playback* user interface (for accessing the music files on the computer) in the DAC box that is in your listening room. It will accept commands via a remote control and send these back to the computer via the Ethernet interface. But there are no native applications (eg, ones that come with the operating system) to interpret these commands nor is there any native software that will send the playlist data to the DAC box's display so that the user can choose what song to play from the listening room. So you need to have another part of the PC's software.
This other part also has the user interface that will be only available at the computer. This is the part that allows you to rip your CDs, download music, and organize your playlists.
Both of these pieces of software need to be good pieces ones that have an intuitive and flexible interface. And they are going to be specific to the Ethernet DAC. Look at what Slim Devices has done with their Squeezebox for a good example of what can be done. Leaving it up to the customer to figure out what third-party software works is just asking for trouble. Then nobody is responsible when the system doesn't work.
Using a hand-held PDA as a system controller is going to degrade the sound of your system. The wireless connection is a huge source of RFI right in your house. The only way to get killer sound is to use a wired Ethernet connection between the computer and the DAC, and then have an IR remote to send commands to the DAC. (I'm not saying that you can't get good sound if you have wireless in your house, I'm saying that it will sound even better if you get rid of the wireless.)
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Follow Ups
- RE: clarification on software - Charles Hansen 22:46:25 11/02/08 (1)
- RE: clarification on software - Bar81 05:38:59 11/03/08 (0)
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