• 02-25-2006, 07:39 PM
    Feanor
    1 Attachment(s)
    Pulled together my hard drive based system
    For a few months it's been my goal to store, manage, and play my CD collection from a hard drive library. And I've finally pulled it together. Your comments are welcome.

    Fundamentally I wanted to use Apple iTunes to store and manage everything; (yes, I do have an iPod). This diverted me a bit from a Squeezebox or Roku solution; these are great but (at least the Squeezebox) require addition software. Also I wanted to have my computer in the listening room where I could make up playlists in an impromptu manner.

    I settled on an M-Audio Audiophile USB device, basically an external sound card connected via USB. In my case, to my laptop computer that's running the iTunes. The music files themselves are not stored on the laptop but on a network-attached hard drive connected via wireless.



    See my configuration here:This is a bit more complex than I'd really like. The biggest problem is that my Bel Canto integrated has no external processor, or tape, loop to accomodate my Behringer equalizer. Note that the Apt Holman is really just acting as an input selector; I'm using its External Processor output to feed the Bel Canto which is providing volume control
  • 03-05-2006, 08:45 AM
    Mike Anderson
    ^^^ I'm interested to hear what you think about the audio quality of the M-Audio.

    BTW, re the Squeezebox -- I'm not sure what you mean by "addition software". True, you have to install the Slimserver program, but it's free, and you can actually operate it via iTunes (unless, like me, you're ripping your music in FLAC, which iTunes won't play).

    What format are you ripping to?
  • 03-05-2006, 01:34 PM
    Feanor
    M-Audio
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Mike Anderson
    ^^^ I'm interested to hear what you think about the audio quality of the M-Audio.

    BTW, re the Squeezebox -- I'm not sure what you mean by "addition software". True, you have to install the Slimserver program, but it's free, and you can actually operate it via iTunes (unless, like me, you're ripping your music in FLAC, which iTunes won't play).

    What format are you ripping to?
    Mike, I haven't done serious A-B'ing of the M-Audio versus my CDP, the Sony CE775, however I have no issues with the M-Audio sound, that is, I don't find it worse or better necessarily.

    I recall that you have a Benchmark DAC which is great by all accounts, and presumably better than either of the above. Interestingly the M-Audio has a S/PDIF output so I could feed a stand alone DAC from it. I have no plans to do that except that I hope to get a Behringer DEQ2496 one of these days.

    Sounds like I might have misunderstood the Squeezebox software requirement; I though it preclude the use of an iTunes front end. (BTW, I'm using Apple Lossless format.) In any case, it's not a cause for regret for me: the M-Audio was about half the cost of the Squeez and works fine.
  • 03-07-2006, 08:55 AM
    Feanor
    P.S.: some observations
    Today I did some critical A-B comparisions of the M-Audio versus my CD player. In the M-Audion instance data must be retrieved from a network hard drive via a wireless connection to my computer and hence send via USB to the M-Audio. There can be sources of interference wtih these transmissions that don't pertain to the CD player's direct connection to its own DAC.

    Nevertheless after an hour's listening I was hard pressed to indentify any differences in sound between the CDP and the M-Audio; the CDP's output is a couple of dB higher than the latter's and of course I compensated for this. My vague impression was that the M-Audio's performance was slightly smoother and more "musical", while the CDP recovered a tad more ambience. But I'm sure I counldn't pass as DBT to tell the difference. To me, assuming these differences aren't entirely my imagination, they are certainly immaterial.

    What has emerged as a real issue is the wireless link from the hard drive to my computer. Unfortunately I experience transmission drop outs, especially in the evening. I don't know the cause of this problem although likely is is interference from some source other than the system itself, whether from my own house or external. I think I'll address this issue by buying another external hard drive and attach is to the USB hub shared by the computer and the M-Audio.



    See my configuration here:
  • 03-31-2006, 04:47 PM
    Rycher
    That's a real nice M-Audio external soundcard. I've been looking for one to incorporate into my music server. Currently I am using a Soundblaster Live! soundcars. I'm happy with it since I am going digital out to a McIntosh DAC, but the analog suffers from a tad more hiss than I'd like. It really isin't that bad. But going with an external soundcard through the USB port bypasses the digital signal that is mixed with all other Windows components in the Windows kernal. This is the best way to get your music over to your stereo. I built my music server and have about 800 CD's recorded in FLAC lossless, along with pictures, movies, TV shows. I can control the whole thing via a remote control - don't need no keyboard/mouse/monitor. This is just a prototype of a unit that I'm currently building, but I'll be damned if this server didn't exceed my expectations for sound and functionality. Heck, even my wife and daughter use it everyday. It's all documented on my website if anyone is interested.

    http://www.rycher.net/DSC07534.JPG
    http://www.rycher.net/DSC07600.JPG
  • 03-31-2006, 05:55 PM
    Feanor
    Wow, looks great!
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Rycher
    ... I built my music server and have about 800 CD's recorded in FLAC lossless, along with pictures, movies, TV shows. I can control the whole thing via a remote control - don't need no keyboard/mouse/monitor. This is just a prototype of a unit that I'm currently building, but I'll be damned if this server didn't exceed my expectations for sound and functionality. ...
    I'll be checking out your web site.
  • 04-27-2006, 06:53 PM
    Rycher
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Rycher
    That's a real nice M-Audio external soundcard. I've been looking for one to incorporate into my music server. Currently I am using a Soundblaster Live! soundcars. I'm happy with it since I am going digital out to a McIntosh DAC, but the analog suffers from a tad more hiss than I'd like. It really isin't that bad. But going with an external soundcard through the USB port bypasses the digital signal that is mixed with all other Windows components in the Windows kernal. This is the best way to get your music over to your stereo. I built my music server and have about 800 CD's recorded in FLAC lossless, along with pictures, movies, TV shows. I can control the whole thing via a remote control - don't need no keyboard/mouse/monitor. This is just a prototype of a unit that I'm currently building, but I'll be damned if this server didn't exceed my expectations for sound and functionality. Heck, even my wife and daughter use it everyday. It's all documented on my website if anyone is interested.

    http://www.jimmyneutron.org/DSC07532.JPG
    ... ...
  • 06-25-2006, 10:23 PM
    picklgreen
    Jsut curious why you are using a preamp and an integrated!?! Do you really need the added distorion and degration in sound quality that beringer is doing to your sound? If you just cant live without an eq...and I have never ever heard of any true audiophile even considering using one, look into getting a much better quality one. Beringer is a very very very very low end pro sound line of gear. (I know...im a dealer).
  • 06-26-2006, 06:31 AM
    JoeE SP9
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by picklgreen
    Jsut curious why you are using a preamp and an integrated!?! Do you really need the added distorion and degration in sound quality that beringer is doing to your sound? If you just cant live without an eq...and I have never ever heard of any true audiophile even considering using one, look into getting a much better quality one. Beringer is a very very very very low end pro sound line of gear. (I know...im a dealer).
    What would you recommend in place of the Behringer gear? I have heard about the benefits of this kind of EQ and have several friends who are interested. :confused5:
  • 06-26-2006, 06:49 AM
    kexodusc
    Behringer is a pretty low-end pro line of equipment, but using it for eq'ing a home audio system won't hurt anything. If you're not cranking the snot out of some of the gains or cuts that is...minor adjustments won't introduce any audible noise.

    Behringer is falling victim to its reputation more than its products today - An aweful lot of people use their gear for making measurement setups for testing and designing loudspeakers. They don't introduce noise or artifacts contrary to popular belief, or it'd show up in the measurements. It wasn't that long ago they were making some pretty brutal eq's, processors, mixers, and even crossovers that crapped out way too early. Once you develop a reputation, it's hard to change it unfortunately.

    There's better EQ's out there for sure, but if you're using yours in moderation (which you should be with any EQ), I doubt you'd be able to hear much difference with a better one.

    Nothing wrong with using an EQ either - "true audiphiles" are often more concerned about other people's perception and their own ego rather than facts - room acoustics introduce too many anomalies into the sound, sometimes EQ'ing is absolutely necessary.
  • 06-26-2006, 10:08 AM
    Mike Anderson
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by picklgreen
    Jsut curious why you are using a preamp and an integrated!?! Do you really need the added distorion and degration in sound quality that beringer is doing to your sound? If you just cant live without an eq...and I have never ever heard of any true audiophile even considering using one, look into getting a much better quality one. Beringer is a very very very very low end pro sound line of gear. (I know...im a dealer).
    I'm using mine for room correction, and it works great. I could spend a lot more money on a TaCT I suppose -- and there are plenty of audiophiles who use those -- but as long as I'm doing the processing all in the digital domain, I don't notice any degradation in the sound whatsoever.
  • 06-26-2006, 10:46 AM
    Feanor
    Well, pickl, since you ask ...
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by picklgreen
    Jsut curious why you are using a preamp and an integrated!?! Do you really need the added distorion and degration in sound quality that beringer is doing to your sound? If you just cant live without an eq...and I have never ever heard of any true audiophile even considering using one, look into getting a much better quality one. Beringer is a very very very very low end pro sound line of gear. (I know...im a dealer).
    I use a separate preamp since the Bel Canto doesn't have a processor loop nor a tape loop that can be used that way -- sounds great but the last integrated I ever buy.

    Do I "really need the added distorion and degration in sound quality that beringer is doing to [my] sound?" Which distortion and degradation is that? The point is that there is very little and it is well worth the trade-off.

    How do you define a "true audiophile" --"a person who does not use and equalizer"? While many self-considered "true audiophiles" will agonize over which kilobuck interconnect to use, there are a sensible few who will look for things that actually make a substantial difference and improvement to the sound. A half decent EQ can do this.

    Behringer is very low quality? How are you judging that? My unit works fine and has proven reliable.
  • 06-27-2006, 02:37 AM
    Feanor
    1 Attachment(s)
    Revised !!
    My new configuration below. (Does away with the wireless link -- fewer dropouts.)