OK, so I've replaced the CD player with a PS audio DAC and using the Pioneer Blu-ray as a transport and the improvement in sound is a lot better than expected, my attention is now drawn to the sound quality from my PC. It's generally very good but the Pioneer/PS audio combo leaves it behind.
I've replaced the standard USB with a Wireworld USB cable and things improved considerably, is there any way of improving things further? I have albums ripped to itunes on Apple Lossless and have tried the dodgy WAV and couldnt tell much difference TBH. Would going down the Squeezebox route improve things further? I was avoiding this route due to it's complexity (I'm a computer novice) or should I just accept that PC audio wont compare to a transport/DAC combo.
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The highest resolution audio content is uncompressed with the full bandwidth and dynamic range of the original master recording. Its only available on Blu-ray using the HDMI transfer protocol, at 10.2 Gbps and protected against piracy with HDCP copy protection. When the connection is authenticated by a two way handshake between the Blu-ray disc player and the preamp, the uncompressed stereo LPCM 24/96K soundtrack can be transferred to our HDACC for output on RCA analog stereo jacks to your preamp or the HDACC can be used as the preamp itself.
Imagine no compression. Its easy if you try. John Lennon’s Imagine is coming out on Blu-ray Dec 13: http://www.essenceelectrostatic.com/imagine-no-compression-easy-try/
Blu-ray’s uncompressed content cant be downloaded to a PC, it can only be experienced by the tangible disc in its tray properly connected. PC audio is compressed because of its data speed, much too slow for Blu-ray.
Hope this helps,
Ciao,
Bob