Part 3 - Making Your Computer an Audiophile-Quality Music Player

Let's get outside the computer and talk about things you can add that will greatly improve the quality of your sound. Everything we've done in Part 1 and Part 2 have cost nothing, now let's see about spending a few kerns. If you want to build a real audiophile system, it's best done in reasonably affordable steps, unless you have an unlimited budget. It's a huge trend now to build a desktop audiophile system around the computer. This allows you to go with smaller 'nearfield' speakers, since they will only be 3 or 4 feet away, and consequently you won't need as much power. There are many ultra high-end manufactures who build outstanding equipment just for this purpose. You can also integrate your computer-generated music into your larger home theater/entertainment system, we'll talk about that as well. The following steps are a great way to start building a hi-end system. 

NUMBER ONE

Get a good pair of headphones. That's the cheapest way to start, and you'll love what you hear just by following the steps in parts 1 and 2, getting a good pair of phones, and plugging right into the computer's headphone jack. The headphones and speakers are the final parts that dictate the quality of what you're hearing, so until you improve them you won't really be able to hear all of the improvement we've already made in parts 1 and 2 as well as other changes I'll suggest. Nothing else that you do to your system will make as much difference as adding a good pair of phones or speakers. 

You don't have to break the bank to get into 'reference quality' headphones, but you do have to approach the $100.00 range. Recommending speakers or headphones is tricky business, because they all sound different, and a person's taste in sound is very subjective. So where you might like a bright, upfront, immediate sound, the next person may like a richer, warmer, more ambient sound, and you are both right - it's personal preference. So here's the point; headphones and speakers are not things you should buy online. You need to go and listen to them for yourself. It doesn't matter what pro or user reviews say about them, it's all about whether YOUR ears like the sound, and in the case of headphones, if they are comfortable on YOUR head and ears. However, you can classify these products in terms of accuracy and detail, and that is what this 'audiophile quality' we've been striving for is all about. So it's important to realize that if you're just getting into hi-end 'audiophile' audio, your ears will improve as you listen to good sound, so don't dumb yourself down. Choose among models that are recommended by audiophile websites as being accurate. Just because a phone is expensive doesn't make it reference quality. And a lot of trendy headphones - like the Dr. Dre 'Beats' stuff - will wow you in the showroom by having thunderous bass, but it is way exaggerated and completely overshadows the important upper mids and highs. Developing an audiophile's ear and taste doesn't mean giving up bass, it means learning that tight, punchy bass is what you've been wanting, not enormous clouds of undefined bass. In headphones, this reference quality starts at around $80.00 going up to $1500.00 and beyond. When you go to stores to compare headphones and speakers, take some of your favorite music with you so you're listening to the same thing in each test. 

I'll make one headphone recommendation, and you can take it from there. The Grado SR-80i at $99.00 is probably the best value in true audiophile headphones. The Grado RS-1's that I use in mastering cost $700.00, and you would probably be shocked at how similar these $99.00 phones sound to them. When you get a quality pair of phones like the SR-80i, don't be hasty. If you pull them out of the box and immediately listen to them, you'll likely hate them as the sound will be rather harsh and brittle. Most quality phones (and speakers) require as much as a 100 hour 'burn in' or 'run in' at medium-loud volumes before they develop their smoothness and richness, so put them under a pillow in the spare bedroom with an iPod and let them play for four or five days before you use them. 

Aside from that, the long standing major brands AKG, Sennheiser, Sony, Beyer and Audio Technica as well as Grado offer outstanding choices. Go listen for yourself. 

NUMBER TWO

There are two components in your computer that are reducing your sound quality. First is the DAC (Digital-to-Analog Convertor). The DAC converts the digital audio to analog so your analog ears can hear it. (We are still carbon-based analog life forms, though they're working on that.) The quality of DAC built into even the most expensive computer may be decent compared to DAC's of 10 years ago, but they fall way short of the quality that is available today. A good DAC will deliver, among other things tighter, punchier bass, snappier, more defined mids, a clearer, more detailed top end, and a larger soundstage, which is the apparent width, height and depth of a recording - it sounds more 3-dimensional. 

The second thing that is degrading your sound quality, if you're listening to headphones, is the headphone amp built into the computer. Like the DAC, Apple or whoever is not going to increase the price of a computer by integrating a super high-grade headphone amp; it is just good enough to get by. Adding a high quality pair of headphones will dramatically improve your sound, but you won't really hear what your phones sound like until you match their quality with a DAC and a headphone amp. 

Another factor concerning the headphone amp - some hi-end headphones are extremely power hungry, and standard headphone amps built into computers and iPods can't even begin to drive them properly. The recommendations I'll make will all have plenty of power to drive these monsters. (The Grado SR-80i's are not power-hungry, btw.) Also most of the combo's I'll mention have standard 1/4" stereo jacks to match hi-end headphones. 

The good news is, there are some superb DAC/headphone amp combinations starting around $100.00. And as a bonus, most of them also have standard analog outputs so you can connect them to your preamp or receiver, or to powered speakers. The DAC's I'll be talking about are outboard as opposed to sound cards that go inside the computer. Outboard DAC's will almost always outperform sound cards that cost twice as much or more, as sound cards are heavily engineered for the gaming market, so you are paying more for FX gimmicks and surround capability than you are for sound quality. 

Now we need to learn a little new terminology. An outboard DAC will have one or more of the three standard consumer digital inputs:

USB - standard USB.

S/PDIF - also referred to as 'coaxial', which uses one standard RCA connector (same as the connectors on your hi-fi) for stereo input, one for stereo output. (Although it looks like a standard audio cable, you should get a specific digital cable for connecting to S/PDIF.)

TOSLINK which is an optical connector that uses fiber-optic cables. A single TOSLINK connector can be both an input and an output. (Like S/PDIF digital cables, TOSLINK optical cables are available at any electronics store including Radio Shack.)

And one final helpful term, if a piece of gear has both an input and an output, this is referred to as an 'I/O'. 

The most convenient way to connect an outboard DAC to your computer is via USB, and most computers will immediately recognize the DAC without having to install any additional drivers. The DAC will show up under System Preferences/Sound as a playback option (Mac). On newer Macs, the headphone jack is also a TOSLINK I/O. If you connect your Mac to your DAC using a TOSLINK cable, the Mac knows it's connected to an optical digital input and not headphones - you don't have to set anything except the sample rate in Audio Midi Setup. (The Mac's volume control does not affect the TOSLINK digital output.)

As you look at my recommendations, remember that for best sound the DAC should support the sample rate of the audio file you want to play. And you have to set the sample rate in Audio Midi Setup (Mac) to match the sample rate of the audio you're playing, just as we learned in Part 2. Also, a 24 bit DAC will play 16 bit audio with no problem, but a 16 bit DAC will cause some distortion if playing 24 bit audio. Newer DAC's are almost always 24 bit.

Most people will be absolutely thrilled with 44.1k/16 bit CD-quality audio once they hear it properly. For them, life is easy, as any DAC will play 44.1k or 48k/16 bit. For those who want to explore the hi-resolution world of 88.2k/24 bit and above, things are a little tricky. Due to a completely half-assed engineering kluge in the USB standard, USB does not support 88.2k digital audio. Granted most hi-resolution downloads on sites such as hdtracks are at 96k, but there are many outstanding releases that are in 88.2k (the amazing ABKCO remasterings of the Rolling Stones catalog 1963 - 1970 for instance) However if the same DAC also has S/PDIF or TOSLINK inputs, they will almost always accept 88.2k. So if you don't want the restriction, and if you have a Mac or PC with a digital output, you probably want to get a DAC with both USB as well as TOSLINK or S/PDIF inputs. You actually don't need the USB connection in that case, so if you find a DAC with TOSLINK or S/PDIF inputs only, you're good as long as your computer has a matching output. Rumor is the USB spec will change fairly soon to accommodate 88.2k, and the better manufacturers will likely offer a retro-fit for your DAC, and in some cases it may be a firmware update that you can download and install yourself. 

This is an interesting time to look at DACs. There are some amazing values in all types of high end gear from China. Where Chinese manufacturers used to be just (very good) imitators of classic audiophile designs, they have now established their own technologies and theories of sound and are creating some amazing audio gear at very affordable prices. 

Here are some suggestions for great sounding DAC's and DAC/headphone amp combos:

Filo E7 $90.00 DAC/headphone amp only, no outputs for connecting to other gear. 44.1k and 48k 16 bit only. USB input only.

Filo E10 $80.00 DAC/headphone amp. 1/8" stereo analog line out for connecting to external gear. USB input only, 44.1k, 48k and 96k/24 bit. Amazing sound quality at this price. Cheaper than the E7 but seem to be hard to find.

NuForce Icon uDAC-2 $129.00 A fantastic value, great sounding DAC and headphone amp. USB input only. Supports 44.1k, 48k and 96k 24 bit. Analog outputs on standard RCA connectors for connection to external gear. 

Topping D2 DAC/Headphone amp $160.00 USB, S/PDIF, TOSLINK and analog inputs, RCA analog outputs for connection to external gear. 44.1k, 48k and 96k/24 bit via USB input, also 88.2k via TOSLINK and S/PDIF inputs. Analog input lets you connect analog gear for headphone playback. Chinese DAC/headphone amp that outperforms other high end combos up to the $700.00 range. 

Fubar IV $269.00 DAC/headphone amp, USB input 44.1 & 48k/16 bit, TOSLINK & S/PDIF inputs 44.1, 48, 88.2 & 96k/24 bit. RCA analog out for connecting to other gear. 

Fubar IV Plus $379.00 As above but upsamples to 192k for even better sound quality from headphone jack or line output.

CEntrance DACport $349.00 USB only, but supports 88.2k as well as 44.1k, 48k and 96k, 24 bit. Headphone only, no line outputs. This may seem extreme for 'just a headphone amp', but even the craziest audiophiles agree this is a real world class hi-definition DAC and amp. Unbelievable since it's so small, and the fact that it is totally powered by the USB port yet sacrifices nothing in terms of sound quality, as in others that give you USB-port powering.

NuForce Icon HDP $449.00 This is an excellent value because it is a preamp as well as a DAC/headphone amp, meaning the volume pot controls the RCA analog outputs when no headphones are plugged in, so it can be connected directly to a power amp or powered speakers as a preamp, and it has standard RCA analog inputs so you can connect another piece of analog gear (a phono preamp would be tasty, for instance). The USB input supports 44.1k, 48k and 96k/24 bit, and TOSLINK and S/PDIF inputs also support 88.2k, 176.4k and 192k/24 bit. 

Audio-GD NFB-2 $450 DAC only, no headphone amp. Another Chinese piece that rivals DACs beyond the $1500.00 range. USB input accepts 44.1k, 48k and 96k/24 bit, S/PDIF and TOSLINK also accept 88.2k, 176.4k and 192k. 

CONVERT YOUR VINYL TO DIGITAL AND MAINTAIN THE ANALOG SOUND

If you have a large record collection, you might consider an ADAC (analog-to-digital/digital-to-analog converter), meaning it can be used to record as well as play digital audio. The ADAC will have standard RCA analog inputs where you would connect a phono preamp or the recording outputs of a receiver or preamp. Like the DAC, these will connect to your computer via USB, TOSLINK or S/PDIF. You will also find many affordable applications for recording your records that will help you remove clicks, scratches, surface noise and rumble. 

The Furutech GT-40B at $525.00 is really an excellent value. It's an ADAC with both analog line inputs AND an excellent phono preamp (MM and MC), as well as a super hi-end headphone amp. This USB-only ADAC will allow you to record (and play) at 44.1k, 48k or 96k/24 bit. Recording your albums at 96k/24 bit, in combination with the superb quality of the convertor, will maintain all of the richness of your vinyl's analog sound.

You will see many 'USB turntables' on the market that have an ADC (analog-to-digital converter) built in, so all you have to do is plug them into your computer and go. They often even include recording software. However, you are getting neither a good turntable nor a good phono preamp nor ADC in these things. If you want to maintain the quality of your albums' analog sound, you need a good turntable, good cartridge, good phono preamp and good ADC.

When you record your albums, you will be creating standard AIF or WAV files, which we learned about in Part 1. Your best albums should be recorded at 88.2k or 96k/24 bit. Others at 44.1k/24 bit will still sound excellent while taking up half the space. As we talked about there, these files will be huge compared to mp3's, AAC's or even CD-quality 44.1k/16 bit files you've ripped from your CD's. So after recording and de-noising an album, you would use iTunes or the XLD utility to convert the AIF or WAV files to one of the lossless-compression formats Apple Lossless or FLAC, after which they will be almost half their original size. And of course you could create mp3's or AAC's if you prefer those for your iPod. 

That is way too much for Part 3. In Part 4 we'll continue this thread and talk just a little about amps and speakers, and options for integrating your computer audio into your larger entertainment center, including wireless options. We'll also talk about software and 'asynchronous' DAC options that will take your system over the top of true audiophile sound.