In Reply to: Finally Mac Mini Compared posted by fmak on April 9, 2012 at 05:00:01:
The only thing coming from the computer is data. A good DAC won't be affected by the timing of this data. A bad one will. So, if you hear a difference between computers, or CD transports, or a monkey banging on keys to generate 1s and 0s to send to a DAC, blame the DAC. It really is that simple, but some people continue to cling to superstitions, it seems.How this started:
Back in the old days of computer audio, most external DACs used the S/PDIF protocol for digital audio input, causing them to have a dependency on the timing of the incoming data. People soon realized that doing all kinds of silly things to their computer influenced the sound coming out of these DACs. To this day, people still believe which OS they use, which brand of computer, the "quality" of the USB cable between their computer and their DAC, the number of processes running in the background, whether or not the track is ready entirely into memory or streamed off of the storage device during playback, and the alignment of the sun and the moon and stars, all had dramatic effects of the quality of the sound coming from their S/PDIF DAC...and they are probably right.
But, those dark days are over now, for most of us, because we're using DACs that (should, if designed correctly...steer clear of manufacturers that claims all this stuff still matters!) have no dependency on the timing of incoming audio data. Kind of like a printer...it can deal with data coming in at different speeds without it effecting the quality of the printout it is creating. Or like a hard drive, which can record the data reliably onto the platter spinning at ridiculously high speeds regardless of whether or not the computer that sent the data is configured in the "correct" manner.
Some people cannot get their head out of the sand, however, and are still under the assumption that all those factors that affected their crappy S/PDIF DACs are still in play. Note that these people refuse to take part in any kind of scientific testing to prove these beliefs...they are just certain that everything under the sun (and perhaps the sun itself) affects what they are hearing. Fmak has made it clear on countless occasions that he belongs to this superstitious group of believers.
Edits: 04/09/12
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Follow Ups
- The sound comes from the DAC - Scrith 10:15:54 04/09/12 (30)
- This is - fmak 10:29:25 04/09/12 (29)
- But which one prints the best? - Scrith 11:20:40 04/09/12 (28)
- totally irrelevant n/t - panhead 14:46:04 04/10/12 (8)
- Actually, in his case it might be. - carcass93 08:36:40 04/11/12 (7)
- Alas, you are deaf - Scrith 10:42:22 04/11/12 (1)
- Sure I am - the same as pretty much everybody else in this thread. Except you. - carcass93 13:03:34 04/11/12 (0)
- IME, Scrith is not entirely wrong - Beetlemania 09:18:47 04/11/12 (4)
- Nicely Summarized - - Presto 13:55:15 04/11/12 (3)
- LOL! - Beetlemania 14:20:40 04/11/12 (2)
- "prone to trying to get better SQ..." - don't feel bad. It simply means you're an audiophile, ... - carcass93 14:41:03 04/11/12 (1)
- Well, to both of you fellas: - Presto 14:55:00 04/11/12 (0)
- RE: But which one prints the best?It is - fmak 21:51:24 04/09/12 (0)
- RE: But which one prints the best? - Dawnrazor 21:39:44 04/09/12 (2)
- RE: But which one prints the best? - Scrith 12:26:43 04/10/12 (1)
- RE: But which one prints the best? - Dawnrazor 09:14:28 04/12/12 (0)
- That was good satire BUT ... - rickmcinnis@dogwoodfabrics.com 12:47:59 04/09/12 (14)
- You are WAY too generous, Rick. N/T - carcass93 14:34:17 04/09/12 (0)
- I believe you're wrong...RE: That was good satire BUT ... - Archimago 13:29:05 04/09/12 (12)
- In comparison to OUR other senses - rickmcinnis@dogwoodfabrics.com 07:51:50 04/10/12 (0)
- "humans, not so much..." - sure. Some better than others though. - carcass93 14:46:03 04/09/12 (8)
- sorry... cant do it...RE: "humans, not so much..." - sure. Some better than others though. - Archimago 15:15:26 04/09/12 (7)
- I was talking about the FUSE. N/T - carcass93 19:49:39 04/09/12 (6)
- You do know that... - Presto 13:59:33 04/11/12 (4)
- Was discussed more than once at Tweakers - if you want,... - carcass93 14:11:53 04/11/12 (3)
- OH, it was discussed at tweakers asylum - Presto 09:56:49 04/12/12 (2)
- Scientist ... educate thyself. - carcass93 07:01:54 04/14/12 (1)
- RE: Scientist ... educate thyself. - Tony Lauck 12:37:29 04/14/12 (0)
- RE: I was talking about the FUSE. N/T - Archimago 12:55:44 04/10/12 (0)
- Hearing is a complicated process, listening even moreso -t - Sordidman 14:29:57 04/09/12 (1)
- RE: Hearing is a complicated process, listening even moreso -t - Archimago 14:35:14 04/09/12 (0)