Need Advice operating computer based source

Dawgfish

Hello all. I have recently aquired a MHDT Labs Paradesia+ usb DAC. After some tube and opamp rolling I'm really digging the sound of this thing using it with my Consanance CD-120 balanced as a transport. I have been thinking of getting with the 21st century and adding a computer and or/IPhone as a source to my system streaming mostly Pandora and stuff like that to have for background music when I'm working around the house and not doing any critical listening.

For the computer I know it's an easy hook up, just connect a USB cable to the DAC. That part I'm clear on. What I'm not clear on is do I need another program to send the music being streamed from Pandora throught the USB output of the computer? I stream Pandora all the time at work, playing it through a set of powered computer speakers hooked up to the computers headphone jack. Will the music automatically be sent through the usb port or do I need to configure or setup the computer to do so? This computer audio stuff is all new to me so any help/suggestions is very much appreciated. Thanks!

erniejade

I have been using Jriver its cheap and you can use it as a music server. It also does a good job for ripping cd's to falc or whatever format you choose. And its only 50$

Dawgfish

Thanks for the tip Erniejade! I'm definitely going to have to check that out.

strider

I wouldn't buy JRivers just to stream Pandora. It's what I use for playing my FLAC files stored on network, but for just Pandora its a bit of overkill.

When you hook up the USB from the computer to the DAC the DAC should be seen as a USB audio device. You can go to Control Panel and then Manage Audio Devices and select it as your default for playback and you should be set.

Dawgfish

Thanks Strider, that's just the info I was looking for.

heiney9

Check out Media Monkey, which is not only a great player but also does a whole lot more as well as being a great archiving and organizing tool.

H9

erniejade

While I agree it would be a waste just to stream Pandora, Jriver or what H9 said Media Monkey are both more than a player. Once you go down the digital route, you find out how much more you can do vs just stream. Mine also started out just streaming internet radio or pandora or any of them. Then someone asked me, who do you have so many things instead of 1 or 2 things that can do it all and do it well. Streamline it! That got me thinking and they were right. Dawgfish, you have a solid dac! Because a lot of our nature of more or better or trying different things, in my eyes why limit yourself.

What Strider said for the hookup is 1000% corrrect but, if your going to expierement, or get into hi rez falc ( sounds fantastic btw or at least what i have gotten from hdtracks) just remember it doesnt have to cost a lot ( since you have a good dac) to get great sound. You have lots of options! If you do get into the hi rez stuff, make sure whatever payer you choose can do it. Some cannot do 192/24. For the free price of Media Monkey, give it a shot. I recommended Jriver because of the extra stuff it can do especially if you want to use the built in room correction or antyhing like that and $50 is not much $. Media Monkey is a great free program though and has good sync built into it for droid or Iphone. Again you have a ton of choices for hardly any $.

Even if you go down the flac path later on, 3 TB hard drives are 100$. I got a 3 TB NAS for 130$ and when I rip anyhting or put anyhting into my flac folder, it automatically via wireless backs up to the NAS. Again cheap easy not a lot of brain work involved ones its all setup!

stretchl

This application, for a Mac, comes highly recommended and there's a free trial.

I'm hoping to give it a whirl soon.

http://www.channld.com/puremusic/

Dawgfish

Thanks to everyone for all of the solid recommendations! That totally makes since EJ, I have a lot to learn about computer audio as a source. I guess I'm going to have to get reading up on this stuff. Thanks again to everyone.