Let's start a small discussion on the benefits of using a computer as a music source/server. Currently, I have this setup: All music files are converted to FLAC lossless, played back using Foobar2k, with ASIO4all as output device. Simply put, ASIO bypasses window's audio layer, thus providing bit-perfect digital stream direct to your soundcard's DAC. For my soundcard, I'm using a chaintech av710 which uses Envy24 chipset from VIA. The beauty about this chip is that it allows bitperfect streaming out thru its optical toslink transmitter or to the onboard DAC of the soundcard and it doesn't upconvert 44khz audio to 48khz, unlike creative soundcards. This preserves the audio stream in its original form, bit for bit perfect. Optical output is then transmitted to my zhaolou 2.0 dac.
Sound from this setup, compared to my PS1 cd player, Sony 337esd and Sony 227esd cd player (both uses the revered tda1541 chips, the 337 uses 2 tda1541a chips) is very very clear and prestine. Details don't stop coming out. May mga details na madidinig sa PS1 setup na malinaw na lumilitaw sa PC (or dac) na ito. Ang difference lang I guess compared to the PS1 is that the console is very analog sounding, music just flows. Yun nga lang, even with the proper PSU mods and coupling mods, mapapansin na parang cutoff yung highs. not as sparkling as my PC + DAC setup.
Yung di maganda sa setup na ganito, first, makain sa koryente, mga 200-300 watts din ata consumption ng computer. Secondly, PC noise, both electrical (switching PSU) and mechanical (fans and coolers) and more importantly, the issue of jitter (timing errors) if any, coming from the transmitter of the soundcard, thru the optical cable, to the optical receiver of the DAC. But then again, the PC server setup is very convenient, I have around 600+ albums converted to FLAC lossless so its very very easy to change to different albums or songs. I'm still trying to find a nice casing or setup that uses passive cooling kung kakayanin para di maingay. Pero yung electrical noise from the PSU thru the computer components, mukhang wala na akong magagawa dun.
Try nyo rin yung ganitong setup, or kung sino may PC setup, share nyo rin ideas nyo. Thanks for reading