Computer Audio Guys List Your Rig!

[sk88]

I have a Soundblaster X-fi Titanium installed on my PC with input/output via a Yamaha MG82cx mixer and connected to a pair of Lsi7 via an old Sony receiver. However, I don't consider the PC hardware nor Windows environment good for serious music listening becasue they are not stable and there are electrical noises from time to time. Things like harddisk, fans, power supply and other devices on the same power cord can all contribute noises. Drivers and system updates can mess up with the soundcard and music software as well.

As shown on my signature, I use a Saffire unit to feed into a pair of Focal monitors without a need for a pre or an amp. I can also do the same via the USB DAC interface on the SC-68 to enjoy the other Lsi speakers. Anything that I can play on my laptop can go into either system.

I run jRiver on all the laptop and PC at home and I have all my digital music centrally shared on my main PC. JRiver has so many features. Via DLNA, I can choose any music on SC-68 or I can make my choice on jRiver and play it out to SC-68. Either way, it's all done via the wireless network. I have found DLNA a very convenient way to connect my laptop/PC wirelessly to SC-68 for digital music listening.

Besides DLNA and USB DAC, I like Spotify very much. There are so many selections avaialble, and I don't need to listen to just what I own anymore. So my laptop is either connected to the Focal or to Sc-68 most of the time, but if not, I'd just play via DLNA over wireless.

[KellyMic]

System: Home built i7 quad core, 18GB RAM, 5TB (2TB SSD, 3TB Sata 3 RAID), nvidia Geforce x660Ti
Output: Schiit DAC on order, mean time X-Fi Platinum output to Pioneer DJM600 Mixer into a DBX Driverack PA into Crown CE2000 amp, then to Polk LSi25's.

Sounds amazing and Battlefield 3 is a blast! Soon to hook-up my Polk RT1000p's for back surrounds, then just need to find a good Center now.

[SCompRacer]

For now, works and sounds great.

Dell laptop w/Vista32/foobar 2000
foobar ASIO, WASAPI, SACD modules
ASIO for DSD
Amanero 1.056 device driver
1 TB USB music drive

Amanero OEM Combo384 USB to I2S module in DIY Buffalo III dual mono DAC (ESS Sabre32 Reference, ES9018's).
44.1Khz to 384Khz sample rates, Native DSD 2.8224 Mhz - 6.144 Mhz
http://amanero.com/

Connected to main system in sig.

[Tbone289]

foobar ASIO, WASAPI, SACD modules
ASIO drivers

I'm curious as to the benefit of using ASIO and WASAPI together. It's my understanding that they both accomplish the same objective.

[SCompRacer]

I'm curious as to the benefit of using ASIO and WASAPI together. It's my understanding that they both accomplish the same objective.

I need ASIO for native DSD (SACD) channel mapping support.

EDIT: There is a custom channel mapping thing going on to swap the R and L channel DSD reversal versus PCM playback. It is done in software versus a hardware switching solution. I had to do hardware switching to correct the SACD channel swap in the Denon 3910 I modded to export CD/SACD to the DAC via I2S.

Details here, cause I am not smart enough to come up with this on my own.
http://hifiduino.wordpress.com/categ...ter-hw-and-sw/

[Tbone289]

That makes sense. Thanks for the info!!

EDIT: Are you having to switch output formats each time you go from SACD to other encoding?

[SCompRacer]

That makes sense. Thanks for the info!!

EDIT: Are you having to switch output formats each time you go from SACD to other encoding?

You are most welcome!

In order to have the SACD channels correct, yes I have to switch output format. I am fairly sure WASAPI will do DSD too, but you would still run into the R and L channel swap using it with my setup.

In players, some DAC chips share PCM (CD) and DSD (SACD) circuits into the DAC chip from the transport. So you connect to your external DAC and can play CD and SACD via I2S out (I2S separates clock from data where clock is embedded in the SPDIF signal). What happens is DSD uses individual circuits for R and L channel. If they don't follow the connection order you have at the external DAC, your R and L channels are swapped when playing DSD. I had to use a digital swich in my modded Denon 3910 to correct that for output to my external DAC. It is controlled by a manual switch on back of the Denon.

This is my first USB to DAC thing, and I made it more complex with all the options. Before I was just SPDIF coax out or I2S out from a modded SB Touch.

[falconcry72]

PC rig update:

- now using a Stello U3 USB converter via AES/EBU out.

This thing kicks major butt.