Best Computer Transport – Windows vs Osx

Update Oct 2016:

As of recently, I learned that Windows sound quality improved tremendously with Windows 10. Even before applying Audiophile Optimizer and without Fidelizer, the sound is already great.

In addition, HQplayer in combination with Windows 10 sounds amazing. Much much better than Jriver/Jplay/Jplaymini/Foobar, etc. The detail (read:resolution) obtained via PC upsampling rather than the DAC doing this upsampling combined with the degree of customization of filters and noise filters is simply outstanding !

I have invested a lot of time into searching a decent transport into my Nad M51 at a decent price. I read a lot of great things about the Auralic Aries being an excellent streamer, however at this point in time it remains beyond my reach.

The PC

Given how Mac is typically more expensive, I started the journey with a generic PC I was using for other purposes besides audio. At that point I remember using Foobar2000 for playback with an Asus Xonar Essence STX card. I was enjoying the sound since it was my first experience and had no comparison points.

Once I bought a decent DAC (I mean my Nad M51) I started wondering whether tweaking the PC could improve the performance of the DAC. I started stopping services, and trying different software.

Ultimately I made a custom PC with a low ripple power supply, low consumption CPU which was underclocked, low latency (CL7) RAM, SSD, no fan, etc. On top I bought the Jplay, Fidelizer and AO Optimizer. Each upgrade added small increments to the DAC’s performance (while compromising user experience more and more). I note that Jplay and the power supply made the most dramatic changes in my case.

I was very happy camper until a friend dropped by with his….

Mac Mini

This was actually a big shock for me sound wise. I did not expect the mini to sound nearly as good as my optimized PC I worked for a year on. However the second Audirvana+ started playing a tune I was very familiar with (Antonio Forcione – Tears of Joy) I realized I was missing a lot of music – there was simply a lot more resolution coming out of the Mac! In addition, PRAT was clearly superior (Pace, Rhythm and Timing). The music simply flowed better. I did notice however that over time music could become tiring.

Needles to say, I had to get one for myself and start experimenting – like any crazy person called audiophile would do. It turns out that installing Amarra 3.0 was yet another leap in performance versus Audirvana+, since the music was more tridimensional and less fatiguing whilst delivering the same if not more detail.

And this is on a stock Mac mini ! I am now planning of tweaking the most out of my new toy (OsX on SDHC card, remove internal drives, upgrade the fan and maybe even the power supply, convert music to AIFF, optimize OS, etc.).

TLDR: In my humble experience, playback through Amarra on OSX is clearly superior to the PC with Jplay and W2012 Server.
In my experience, music through the PC sounds too dispersed, lacking body, PRAT and resolution.
As a bonus you can still use the Mac for regular tasks if needed, as opposed to running in console from Win Server.

Save yourself the trouble and do it right the first time. Life is too short…

Painful Audiophile Mistakes and How to Dodge Them

Learning From the Mistakes of Others

The audiophile journey is all about learning. Naturally, at the beginning of the learning curve mistakes will be made. I am typing down the ones which I have noticed so far hoping that others will become more aware and even avoid doing some of them (unlike silly old me).

1. Obsessing Over Upgrades
Hifi is about the pleasure of music. If you are bringing more unhappiness on yourself by comparing what you have with what you don’t have,  you are missing out on the hobby completely. You need to learn to enjoy the present instead of focusing on future upgrade opportunities.

2. Buying Without Listening
A lot of people buy equipment based on the impressions of others. Stereo is a highly subjective and system dependent hobby, hence buying without listening is generally a big no-no.  You have been warned. When an item is unavailable for listening then at least do proper research with people which have similar equipment ( Yellowtec Puc 2 Lite for me was impossible to test, so I asked around. Same story for the Aqvox Linear USB).

3. Buying New
When you are new to the hobby you are unaware of the fact that most of your gear will be sold rather sooner than later.  Selling products comes at a price which ends up limiting your ability to obtain better equipment. Do not buy new unless you are convinced that you will not upgrade.

4. Buying the Latest 
It is very tempting to buy the latest version of a product and (some more than other) producers exploit this with great success. Example: Dynaudio Contour S 1.4 (approx. EUR 3500) will definitely sound 6 times better than a pair of used Dynaudio Contour S 1.3 MK II (approx. EUR 6-700 on the used market).
Example two: Nordost Frey 2 vs used Nordost Frey, the latter being 3-4 times cheaper on the used market. Please keep in mind that the latest version is only temporarily the exciting product, inevitably replaced again in a matter of a few years.

5.  Overspending on Accessories 
500 EUR speaker cables for 800 EUR speakers will clearly not represent a smart investment. 1000 EUR interconnect between cheap DAC and amplifier is also money one can invest into buying a better DAC.  It’s not that a cable like Nordost Odin cannot help any DAC/AMP combination, it would help you much more to invest in a better DAC.

Also, I would recommend buying cables, AC regenerators, stabilizers, etc. last.
Focus on speakers/headphones and source first, then amplifier, then accessories.

6. Being Impatient
Sometimes people sell their gear when it is not properly burned in because they are not happy with the sound.  Please allow new equipment the time to settle (especially amplifiers and speakers). 4-ohm speakers typically require even longer break in (my Opera Quinta SE certainly improved A LOT over a much longer period vs my NAD M51, lets’s say, which only took a few weeks to settle).

7. Adopting Stereotypes 
People easily fall into the trap of adopting stereotypes, especially on controversial topics (such as cables). Why limit yourself to stereotypes when you can try for yourself ? One of the main reasons why I love this hobby is the experimenting, why miss out on the learning experience ?

8. Speaker Systems in Acoustically Bad Rooms
Headphones are much cheaper and the results will surprise you. Acoustic treatment and speakers will set you back a lot of coin and will most likely never match a good headphones setup in the wrong listening room. The wife will also love the smaller footprint and lower noise level.
Also, front ported speakers help a lot if the room is “unfriendly”.

I hope this information proves useful, learning from the mistakes of others is clearly better than learning at your own expense.  I will do my best to keep this updated as I learn more about the hobby.