In article , Geoff Mackenzie
wrote:


"Jim Lesurf" wrote in message
...


My impression is that in the general 'PC' biz there often is no real
distinction between "I can hear something" and "works fine". Indeed,
I've seen some comments in computer mag articles that make me think
the authors are clueless about issues like resampling problems, timing
problems, clipping, etc, etc.



Thanks, Jim, you've summed it up. I keep my PC for word processing,
email, pictures for eBay and occasionally catching up with Radio 7. My
audio stuff is quite separate, and I'd prefer it to remain so.

I've been using a 'PC' more as I've slowly been though a process of trying
to "bang the weevils out of the biscuit" and get more satisfactory results.
The frustration is the feeling that any future chance could introduce fresh
problems. However I don't mind *not* always using the 'latest software',
etc.


I asked for comments on the Brennan in this NG a while back, and all the
replies pointed me towards a PC solution.

The Brennan may well be a good choice. But I can't say. And I'd certainly
hang on to the CDs for when the HD crashes out. :-)

...I'm just looking for a way of archiving the whole lot and giving me
ease of access, hence my interest in the Brennan (no, I'm not plugging
it, I haven't bought one yet) but if it really does what it says on the
tin and works straight out of the box then it takes away all the
problems of software compatibility and so on which do not interest me at
all.

Understood. It can also avoid problems of the kinds that Paul Miller
documents in his column in HFN this month.[1] This gives measured results
showing how something like just having an unmounted USB HD connected or
changing a USB cable can alter the output from a computer DAC!

In theory, theory and practice agree. But in practice...

The difficulty with using a traditional computer system for audio is that
the actual system tends to be doing lots of others things 'under the hood'
and was probably made by people who have no real clue about the needs of
decent audio.

I keep hoping this will change. But the persistence of computers with noisy
fans and whirring discs shows that makers still haven't got this particular
message! I wish they had as it would make life far easier.

FWIW I've been interested in trying out something like a Squeezebox Touch
with an attached memory for the audio. (i.e. no other computer involved).
That might work well. But I've not yet had a chance to try one. Anyone else
had one to try this?

Slainte,

Jim

[1] Well worth reading - although I would say that, wouldn't I! :-)

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