Listening to music is not the same experience that it once was. At one time, only self-described audiophiles could appreciate the subtle sound distinctions present in every piece of music. With today's technology, anyone who desires to can listen to music at a deeper level while recognizing even slight differences in tones and word pronunciation that can change the entire meaning of a song.
The keys to an exceptional listening experience are having access to uncompressed digital audio and a place to store it. The Digital-to-Analog (DAC) converter and the Network-Attached Storage (NAS) devices make it possible to play back the sounds without losing any of the quality.
What a DAC and NAS Do
A DAC has one role and that is to convert digital content to an analog format so people can hear music the way the composers intended. Lower quality DAC units have existed for a while, but they are incapable of reproducing music as it sounded during the original recording. To enjoy that experience, you need a DAC, a DAC and amplifier combination, or an AV receiver with a built-in DAC. Regardless of the specific device you choose, it needs to be able to handle a 24-bit, 92 kHz audio file.
Figuring out a safe place to store your music is just as important as increasing its quality. An NAS is a hard drive with two to four terabytes of storage available that attaches to the wireless network in your home.
Compared to the storage available on a smartphone or personal computer, a NAS device has much less of a risk of being infected by a virus or being subject to corruption. The content that you store on it is also much simpler to maintain compared to other storage options that are currently available. Like a computer, you can also use your NAS device to store photos and files in addition to your music collection.
We love the Meridian Explorer DAC for computer/head phone setups. Learn more here.
Meridian Explorer DAC
