No longer being treated as a "popular audio, digital music is slowly invading the traditional audiophile territory.
The past decade has witnessed many changes in the field of music. 10 years ago to download an MP3 compressed audio file of a song with the average length will consume a lot of bandwidth and time. Now the action online to download or listen to uncompressed music files, films, a high-quality CDs or other large graphics files is as simple as sending a regular e-mail. Today's Internet bandwidth has increased with breakneck speed, creating a new online culture, where sharing music or video files over a wired or wireless networks have become an indispensable part of life university.
The technological development has also created a new trend change management style movies, music. The media increasingly more comfortable price. We 1TB hard drive can be easily purchased in stores at a price of only approximately a million and more than the price still tends to continue to decline. Large-capacity hard drive is not too bulky like a dictionary that has increasingly more compact. CPU speeds continue to increase over time, lead to a boost in bandwidth and memory capacity has created a solid premise for the establishment of a central processor device communication complex multimedia .
Above all is the tendency to accept the computer as a source of high quality music of the audiophile, which 10 years ago would not be inconceivable. Especially in the wake of recent LP and the launch of high-resolution formats like DVD-A or SACD with Ethernet and Wi-Fi network. All contribute to forming an online music system at home no less common system of regular traditional music.
Along with the introduction of shared services, online music, Napster, LimeWire, programs such as WinAmp media player, Foobar, Windows Media Player, iTunes ... and the popularity of personal music devices such as iPod, computer is becoming a central depository, listen and copy music to other mobile devices. Therefore, the computer is becoming a central attacking the situation falling sales of CDs and other audio devices other traditions.
Previously audiophile always indifferent attitude to the computer can be a source for high quality music. With the new quality score in mind, but the convenience is secondary, many people believe that they are not qualified to work together with the speakers and equipment for their luxuries. But with the advent of server devices drives the music on audiophile specialists for the past few years, companies like Sooloos, Qsonix, or even McIntosh and Naim, has been gradually cleared this rigid perspective.
One thing to note that the computer was actually used in professional studios since decades, serving the recording, sound recording, editing and original. Specialized software packages and hardware devices such as Pro Tools was present from analog tape. Therefore, tend to use computers to play music in hi-end home is not a new thing. A similar trend has happened before as ice Trees and digital tape (DAT), XLR cable ... also take the path from the studio environment dedicated to Appliances.
Optimized for computer audio audiophile.
Music files can be transferred or downloaded to your hard drive in a lot of different formats. WAV or AIFF format is uncompressed, while the FLAC (Free Lossless Audio Codec), or ALAC (Apple Lossles Audio Codec) is a compressed format without losing quality, which saves disk space dramatically. For example FLAC files, users can save up to 50% storage space while not sacrificing audio quality. Music files can convert back and forth with each other easily through free programs such as Traders Little Helper, iTunes, MAX, xACT, or Foobar ... Some people say they can hear the difference between compressed music files without losing data with uncompressed files. However, if there is only a very few, while the majority who will not be able to distinguish quality. Those who prefer an uncompressed format like WAV or AIFF carried out in part because they play easier by not requiring high-speed microprocessors to decode other compressed formats like.
After you have music files, the next step is to link them on a computer system with expensive sound system. There have been many equipment manufacturers specializing in mobile music service for this purpose as the Logitech Squeezebox or from prestigious companies such as Naim, Bryston, Marantz, Cambridge Audio or Sonos. Common characteristic is that they are designed to control, browse and play music all live without the computer interface.
Some others choose to use iTunes to play music over Wi-Fi connection between your computer and play the Apple Airport Express and then connected to the DAC via optical mini. With this connection type listeners can use iPod Touch or iPhone as approved drivers and playing music. However, this solution is often used primarily for those who do not require high sound quality by limited wireless bandwidth. Apple also recently announced application airplay support on these devices with the ability to control and play music directly from any iPod Touch, iPhone, or any iPad.
About audiophile choose a more complex solution to optimize the process of listening to music on your computer. This solution consists of several stages connected between the computer and peripherals, external drives, the USB DAC and music software. Most of them were chosen by Apple computer systems company handled better sound on Windows computers. Then, the next stage is usually the hard drive will be replaced with solid-state hard drive which is not noisy, do not make noise. Firewire port for connecting external hard drives are also popular because longer have to spend a USB port for the DAC.
USB port, the center of the digital connection is also more polished. USB connection which had previously been complaining about issues related to the signal (jitter). However, with the technological development of asynchronous USB port, allowing the DAC no longer play a role is the only visitors, clearing off the task performance of the computer, limiting the downside of sound via USB, and enhances the resolution and remove jitter. There are two methods of asynchronous protocol, a particular manufacturer's device is designed to customize a user and the organization's standard USB.org already available in most operating systems including Windows, Linux or OS X, so no need to install special device drivers.
One may say is a leader in the specialized coding for asynchronous USB protocol to optimize the audio via the USB port is Gordon Rankin's Wavelength Audio. The company has shipped some samples and high-DAC is licensed to exploit this protocol for some other audio companies such as Ayre QB9 Acousics with USB DAC.
USB DAC DAC has released enforcement actions down the computer, limiting the downside of sound through USB, and enhances the resolution and eliminate interference. Photo: Clarenecho.
The advanced USB DAC on the market can be told to a version of DAC1 and DAC2 Wyred4Sound or rDac of ARCAM. Copyright rDac are popular because the price was reasonable and "license" from firms DCS technology which is famous for digital audio. DCS firm itself also has launched several USB DAC, but the lowest category also had its price to $ 11,000. Empirical Audio also quite a collection of USB DAC. The USB DAC is used or not even use USB technology also has the technology of each firm separately in order to thoroughly remove jitter to preserve the perfect quality of sound.
USB cables are also special care to keep the length criterion only at a necessary minimum. Music player also plays quite important, especially when users have a huge music collection. Many people prefer to use iTunes to manage music, some claim that this software is not strong enough and use other software for more advanced as the Sonics Amarra or Pure Music Studios of Channel D, Decibel (formerly AyreWave ) or Audirvana, Fidelia ...
If you do not want to invest too much into the connection, users can choose more economical solution is the sound from the USB port via adapter S / PDIF, from which the DAC is not connected to the integrated port USB. This solution is more affordable to the typical equipment such as halide Design Bridge, Stello U2 or its products from the Bel Canto, Wavelength, empirical Audio or HRT ...
At the very visual exhibitions recently, playing music system on the computer begin to appear more and more. Many firms have "mod" to your PC or MAC to perform only one task is to play music, for example Match2Music Mac Mini. The method of "mod" usually involves turning off the hard drive, replace it with a solid drive, add more RAM (up to 8GB, for example) and installed the player as Pure Music or Amarra. A relatively new trend is that even the USB cable also began to receive proper attention from firms specializing in producing high-end cable with a commitment to quality standards are guaranteed equal hi-end cable traditions . Of course, the price of the USB cable is also more than a hundred times a regular USB cable. In terms of ratio price / quality, the brand Belkin Gold now seems more reasonable.
Tendency to play music on a computer is still on the rise. Although manufacturers will continue to steadily releases new CD every year, but has begun more updated fashionable technologies such as digital input, connect to the Internet or even touch interface. Even companies which are known for high-end products a true classic like Cary Audio, Bryston, PS Audio, or McIntosh, Naim ... has started to hit the market the music server system based on hard drive or network devices to play music. Or as a company known for lighting devices such as Conrad Johnson also has begun launching USB DAC with technology license from HRT.
With infrastructure already in place, the trend to download music discs or high quality will become a regular activity similar to the music people want to buy this CD. Can music trends / music computer will not overnight, but clearly it has been an evolution of very firm.
