#Bitperfect vs amarra software#
#Bitperfect vs amarra mac#

In the simplest terms, asynchronous transfer (not to be confused with asynchronous sample-rate conversion), means that the DAC controls the timing of the data sent from the computer to the DAC, thereby lessening timing errors, aka jitter. Proponents of USB, specifically asynchronous USB, will tell you that their method transfers digital signals with extremely low levels of jitter. Which is better? As with most things, it depends on whom you ask.

If you have a Mac, you’ll have to choose one of these, then continue in that direction with the rest of your purchasing decisions - I’m unaware of any DAC on the market that has hi-rez FireWire and USB inputs.

#Bitperfect vs amarra mac#

There are two options for outputting digital signals of up to 24/192 from a Mac computer: FireWire and USB. The use of one of these programs is mandatory for the improvements in ergonomics and sound quality they make possible: Amarra definitely sounds better than iTunes alone, and I’ve heard that the same is true for Pure Music (which I haven’t yet tried). Programs such as Sonic Studio’s Amarra 2.0, which I use, and Channel D’s Pure Music, facilitate listening to hi-rez files at their native sampling rates without you having to manually adjust your computer’s settings each time you switch between resolutions (for instance, from 16/44.1 to 24/96).

#Bitperfect vs amarra software#

One of the critical elements in setting up a Mac-based music server is using third-party software to override Apple’s Core Audio, as used in concert with iTunes. There are many ways to get a digital signal out to external digital-to-analog converters, but since I use a Mac, that’s what I’ll focus on here. We also know that you can get high resolution - i.e., a music file in any resolution greater than the CD standard of 16/44.1 - from both Windows- and Mac-based computer systems. If you’re stuck with CD resolution, you aren’t hearing the best that digital audio has to offer. There is no comparison between 16-bit/44.1kHz CD and files with higher sampling rates and longer word lengths, such as 24/88.2, 24/96, 24/176.4, and 24/192. We now know, definitively, that greater resolution and higher fidelity are available with properly implemented computer setups than with CD players.

More and more audiophiles are migrating from CD-based audio systems to computer sources capable of higher resolutions.