Computer Audio(CA) continues to advance. People who 6 months ago were telling me that it could never be better than CD/SACD are now emphatic that it is the finest reproduction they have heard.
It's interesting to see how the press critics have come around, and how some of them are trying to wipe the egg off their faces without being seen!
There's still some dissention, but it generally comes from flat earthers who like their sound colored and romantic, that is, very unfaithful to the recording.
They usually have bloomy tube amps or colored speakers that are far from accurate.
There's no hope for these people as they don't want to hear the recording, they want to hear their version of how it should sound.
However for those of us who do want to hear the actual recording of the music, it is getting easier and easier to accomplish.
I believe quite a lot of people are keen to dip their toes into CA but are a bit apprehensive about it, believing it is quite difficult and it requires a fair bit of computer skill.
There's no denying a little computer skill helps, but even the average 60 year old has enough experience of computing to manage CA now.
And if you haven't got it, you damn well better get it or you will be severely disadvantaged in the near future.
Basically to use a computer for audio you need 4 things,
(1) a computer or laptop, loaded with windows 7 or 8
(2) a program to play the files, either JRiver for windows or PureMusic for Mac (there are others, but let's keep it simple
(3) a storage system for music files, I strongly recommend a simple USB powered 500Gb portable hard drive . I can carry all my music around in my pocket, it's simple, and as long as you have at least one backup is safe.
(4) a USB dac.
That's it, that's all you need for very high quality sound.
Of course you can make it a lot more complicated, and even higher quality, but this is a great way to get going and my systems are loosely based on this set-up.
There is a bit of potentional angst in setting up the program player, but computer people seem to finally have realized that not everyone is a geek and the programs are a lot more explanatory now, and if you have problems it's not that hard to get help.
I've helped people set up computers for CA in less than 30 minutes , and it's always fun to see the look on their faces when they hear pure digital as it should sound.
If any Supratek owners are contemplating CA and require some advice please feel free to email.
BTW I have a MicroMega MyDac usb dac for sale @ $AUD350, perfect for introduction to CA.
Next blog, back to the future, our version of the ultimate phono preamp.
