[trebor]

What is a good way to listen to downloaded music from my Mac through AVA equipment?  I'm presently using a HRT Musicstreamer+ connected with a good quality USB cable to device then connected to Vision DAC/preamp spare input. There is to much noise, even with quality downloads from Linn records. I've heard of media receivers, but could use advice on whole subject.

[srb]

I would think that the Vision DAC is a step up from the HRT Musicstreamer+ DAC.  You might get better sound and less hum by taking the optical output from your MAC (I'm assuming it has one) into your Vision Preamp/DAC.
 
If the Vision Preamp/DAC only has a coax input, then you would need a Toslink to Coax converter.  These are widely available from about $20 to $70.

For a bit more money, you could also get a USB to S/PDIF converter.  Either way you have a good DAC with the Vision, and I would try to utilize it.
 
Steve

[jmc207]

For USB to SP/DIF coax converters, the M2Tech HiFace is highly regarded. For less expensive converters, VALabs (Vintage Audio Labs) on Ebay has several models: TaraLab X2 (latest, I think), TaraLab, and maybe TeraLink. Like Steve, I would certainly try to utilize the Vision Dac.

Hope this helps,
John

[Brett Buck]

What is a good way to listen to downloaded music from my Mac through AVA equipment?  I'm presently using a HRT Musicstreamer+ connected with a good quality USB cable to device then connected to Vision DAC/preamp spare input. There is to much noise, even with quality downloads from Linn records. I've heard of media receivers, but could use advice on whole subject.

     I use iMac to Airport/Airtunes, optical out of the Airport to an Inday switcher and then to Insight+ DAC, to rest of system. It's all lossless, all my CDs were encoded using Apple Lossless, so I am getting uncorrupted bits from the computer to the the DAC. Bulletproof, and easy. 
 
     It presumably goes without saying that you need to encode everything lossless to begin with.
     Brett

[lowtech]

I would think that the Vision DAC is a step up from the HRT Musicstreamer+ DAC.

Have you actually compared them or listened to the HRT Music Streamer+?  It uses asynchronous USB protocol, which gives it a clear advantage compared to most all Toslink or s/pdif interface DACs.

My recommendation is  to listen to whatever dac you're considering... in your system and to make sure you can return it if you're not happy with it.

[srb]

My recommendation is  to listen to whatever dac you're considering... in your system and to make sure you can return it if you're not happy with it.

If you read the first post, trebor already has an AVA Vision Preamp/DAC.
 
Steve

[trebor]

OK- I did not know about USB converters and after spending hours looking into them, I've decided to try the HagUSB, since I do not have an optical output.  The price is right and seemed to get good reviews, and it comes as a kit!  So, I'll see and hear without a lot of initial investment. The HRT was wrong for this set-up and it does sound good on my 70's system in my woodshop, which is where it's going back to.  The AVA Vision DAC/preamp is unbelievable, to which I have 2 CD players hooked up to through an Inday switcher and now I'll be able to hook up the Mac. Thanks

[oneinthepipe]

OK- I did not know about USB converters and after spending hours looking into them, I've decided to try the HagUSB, since I do not have an optical output.  The price is right and seemed to get good reviews, and it comes as a kit!  So, I'll see and hear without a lot of initial investment. The HRT was wrong for this set-up and it does sound good on my 70's system in my woodshop, which is where it's going back to.  The AVA Vision DAC/preamp is unbelievable, to which I have 2 CD players hooked up to through an Inday switcher and now I'll be able to hook up the Mac. Thanks

Don't you have an optical output from your Mac's headphone jack?  If so, you can run an optical cable to the Inday.

A far better result for me has been a HiFace USB adapter. The HiFace is even better with a -6dB attenuator on each end of the digital coax that connects to the DAC.

http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=72468.0

[srb]

I have heard neither the HRT MusicStreamer+ nor the AVA Vision DAC.  But I have read a number of reviews and forum comparisons of both DACs to the Benchmark, the Bryston BDA-1 and others, and while I'm sure the MusicStreamer+ is a great sounding DAC in it's price range, my impression was that the Vision was another level up in analog goodness.
 
Good luck and have fun with the HagUSB (or whatever you end up with to get the digital signal into the Vision DAC).

Please let us know the results.

Steve
 

[trebejo]

In general, USB is a bit on the wrong side. For one thing, it hits the cpu. For another, it has limitations on cable length. For yet another, timing is tricky.

Optical is good for a couple of reasons. Cable length is not a problem, and of course it is not electrically conductive so if your stereo wants to wreck your computer, or viceversa, it can't happen via that cable.

I've been using a squeezebox with my mac, which has both coax and optical out. As for the sounds straight out of the mac, optical. No problems, and quite a positive experience all around--can't really think of a reason to change things.

[srb]

In general, USB is a bit on the wrong side. For one thing, it hits the cpu. For another, it has limitations on cable length. For yet another, timing is tricky.

It's hard to generalize on that.  There are many good USB audio implementations from M2Tech, Wavelength and dB Audio Labs, among others.
 
 

Optical is good for a couple of reasons. Cable length is not a problem, and of course it is not electrically conductive so if your stereo wants to wreck your computer, or viceversa, it can't happen via that cable.

I agree with electrical isolation for optical S/PDIF.  However because the optical interface adds another buffer layer, converting the electrical signal to optical in the optical transmitter and converting it back to electrical in the optical receiver, the coaxial S/PDIF is more often (but not always) preferred by users who have tried both methods with their DAC.
 
There is also no error detection in the electrical to optical double conversion, and because of light loss, glass optical fibers are preferred to plastic fibers, particularly in the cases of very cheap plastic fibers or longer cable runs.
 
Steve

[WGH]

I've decided to try the HagUSB, since I do not have an optical output.  The price is right and seemed to get good reviews, and it comes as a kit!

Good choice  , I use one and think they sound great.

There is a HagUSB for sale in the Trading Post for $50, see if it is still available.
http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=77755.0

Wayne

[trebejo]

It's hard to generalize on that.  There are many good USB audio implementations from M2Tech, Wavelength and dB Audio Labs, among others.

You mean that these implementations do not hit the cpu? Or put greater limitations on cable length than the alternatives? I think those objections are true regardless of implementation. USB as a bus system is a bit of a nightmare (it can actually freeze your computer, for starters! When did your firewire or optical ports do THAT.).

btw "hitting the cpu" means that the ability to play things back will depend on your computer. Ethernet (which is what the squeezebox and so many others use) has no such reliance; neither does firewire (which is why the music industry went with it since the start, though they may not necessarily know it if you ask them  ).

Basically, a USB path will always be playing catch-up with the others. The main reason to consider it is because it's popular, and the main reason it's popular is that it was pushed by Microsoft back in the day so as to displace firewire, and the peripherals industry will do anything to get a "works with (insert latest Microsoft OS)" sticker on their gadget (a familiar tale). So wrt music playing, now there are (finally) vendors that are willing to go with it, and their marketing materials never bring up these issues.

Don't get me wrong, it can still be made to work. It just seems silly, from the technical side, to try this when the other paths are already in place and have every reason to work better. It's not silly from the marketing $ide, though...

[gjs_cds]

USB is also cheaper than FireWire.  And it seems that apple is abandoning their support of FireWire