High Performance $2000-3000 Digital Music Server

[Mobiusman]

Steve,

We asked many people about the throughput of Toslink and got universal feedback that it is more than capable of 24/192 provided that the sending and receiving units are capable, which they are in the Macs. This stands to reason since fiber applications are used at much higher bit-rates through fiber in other applications. Since Marty has a Meitner and wanted to use the DAC in his player for a music server, we spent a lot of time with their engineers who validated Toslink as an excellent way to connect to their unit and in fact offered quite inexpensive Toslink cables for that purpose.

 

[Orb]

Thats an interesting point with regards to which products can support 24/192 via Toslink.
I guess its similar to how some implement 24/192 via SPDIF where some enforce 2 ports/Dual for 192 while others use the single port implementation and may explain (one of the reasons beyond hardware capability) why there are products that are limited to 24/96 via Toslink.

One product that supports 24/192 via Toslink is the Devialet so that backs up what Russ says.

Cheers
Orb

 

[Mobiusman]

Orb,

Hearing the Devialet fed by iTunes without Amarra, via Toslink was what finally sold me on using the Mac as the server. I listened for over an hour to a wide range of music and was jaw dropped.

 

[Orb]

Orb,

Hearing the Devialet fed by iTunes without Amarra, via Toslink was what finally sold me on using the Mac as the server. I listened for over an hour to a wide range of music and was jaw dropped.

Hehe, considering the Devialet is an integrated+DAC it is damn impressive for its price IMO; just as a heads up it is nice that the price difference between Europe and Atlantic is roughly equal to the exchange rate, about £10,500 I think now for one.
Quite a few companies put up the price or allow the distributor to do so way beyond exchange rates from what I have seen when looking at products manufactured and then sold the other side of the atlantic.

Funny enough it is the Devialet that is making me come round to Mac-server idea as well

Thanks
Orb

 

[LL21]

has anyone heard of the Zero One Ti48? it is apparently a self-contained server, no wifi necessary (built-in, update-able database of 2M CD titles), no screen/keyboard necessary, archival burn (1:1 transfer) and 750GB Seagate harddrives. i2s output and S/PDIF. i am looking for something self-contained so i dont have to buy separate ipad, hook up to home network (which goes down frequently), etc.