Late to this party...I have a Ayon CD-5s for DAC/Transport; and its clearly better in sonic performance than hi res downloads on my Qsonix 205 server; being run thru the same tubed dac, with balanced digital cable...I enjoy the convience of my server for play lists, and it comes about 85% of the sonic quality; depth, and detail of the Cd direct; but when I have friends over for serious listening sessions; I drop in a CD...
I did hear a fellow 'Goners digital system at home in Malibu; and it made me re-think my server; and perhaps some of my problem lies in my Qsonix, not the server world in general. Not sure I want to convert out of Qsonix into the world of MAC, transport, ipad, and other stuff...but I'm glad I'm not alone in preferring the sonic quality of a good disc spinner vs computer audio...usb vs firewire, expensive dacs and usb cables; upgraded power supplies and tweaks, and which software to use; it makes my head spin, want to get it correct if and when I make the switch... |
I currently prefer by a large margin playing cd's or sacd's |
"Not sure I want to convert out of Qsonix into the world of MAC, transport, ipad, and other stuff...but I'm glad I'm not alone in preferring the sonic quality of a good disc spinner vs computer audio...usb vs firewire, expensive dacs and usb cables; upgraded power supplies and tweaks, and which software to use"
You can still keep the Qsonix and get better SQ from it. I have been adding reclockers to customers Qsonix for years. Originally I added the Pace-Car, but that required mods to the Qsonix output board.
Now, I have the Synchro-Mesh to lower jitter of the Qsonix. No mods needed. May be all you need:
http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/empirical4/1.html
Steve N.
Empirical Audio |
My new Marantz SA8004 sacd player/DAC has a USB input. So for the hell of it I ripped some cd's (WAV lossless)unto my laptop on Windows media Player. Hmm, easier than other programs I tried to rip cd's to. The album picture and songs are there. So I listen to my computer on my big rig. I tried a song each from about 10 ripped cd's. I'm using a really cheap USB cable I got for $1 at a thrift store. One end plugs into the computer the other end into my cd player/dac. It sounds really good. Before this I thought computer audio was so tough. Not. So, my computer laptop using WMP is now a music server. It seems to be everything I will need. My selections from my library are only limited by how many of my cd's I rip. I will transfer everything to a backup hard drive. I have about 60 cd's on here so far. I can play any tune from them with one click. I can also make a playlist, quickly from the cd's. Can anyone tell me why I would want to buy an expensive music server or even use another program to hold my library? For computer music this seems to be all I need except I ordered a lower cost Audioquest USB cable. In a short time listening, it seems to sound at least as good as spinning discs without having to get up and and find them. If I can easily do this anyone can. Nice discovery after all the computer audio horror stories I've heard about. |
"Can anyone tell me why I would want to buy an expensive music server or even use another program to hold my library?"
Sure. Its all about sound quality. If you have a $100K system then this type of source will limit the performance. If you have $150 receiver, maybe you cannot hear it anyway.
You can make improvements to what you already have by first doing software changes.
Why dont you try this: rip a CD that you have ripped before with WMP, but this time rip it with DBPOWERAMP with Accurate-Rip enabled. you can download a free trial version here:
http://www.dbpoweramp.com/dmc.htm
Then play this on a decent player: Foobar2000 and use memory mode for playback. you can download this free app here:
http://www.foobar2000.org/download
If you have a decent system, the dbpoweramp ripped track will sound better when played back on WMP and Foobar2000 will sound better than WMP.
Steve N.
Empirical Audio |
Wildoats- no one says that you can't use Computer Audio any way you want. Ripping CDs will become a further mute point with over ten thousand CD Releases currently out of print. Still available for download from I-Tunes. Certain Selections available from other places. Public being further coralled into download option only as New Releases are now being made only available as downloads- NO CD OPTION AVAILABLE. Download option only one available for a whole slew full of releases. Problem is from fragmentation, magnetic fields, Viruses, Malware, and all forms of Computer Ill's affecting stored Music Files. Only way to replace these releases will be from downloading- if
Internet isn't wasted from next Major Solar Flare. Save the CDs for back-up as Back-up Hard Drive just as succeptible to these Computer Ill's. CDs going away (As They Certainly Are Rapidly Disappearing), don't know what to tell you if you lose your Music. Definitely will be harder to replace! Music Files disposable trash. They don't sound so bad (And are convenient). They just weren't
made to last. Safest bet would be to save both Formats.
FORGET ABOUT IT! Lost that arguement. Putting all eggs in one basket of downloading. Eggs/Music Files = FRAGMENTATION = SLIMY MESS!!! Not so convenient to clean up, or replace! |
Hi all.
Since getting my AMR cd player with DAC, I have not touched my cd collection which is in excess of 700 cds.
To me, the dac, using even an old Xp pc, sounds great. I can hear no difference whatsoever over CD replay and the DAC. Even low bit rate ( within limits) sound great.
I dont think ill play many cds now. Might slip one in now and then, just for old memories. |
Pettyofficer, you are a fool...
You need some therapy. You are also publishing complete nonsense and spreading information as though it is fact, which it clearly isn't. You are wrong wrong.
I have worked on IT systems at big companies for years, and by logical implementation of disc arrays, it becomes virtually impossible to EVER loose a file. An external drive (now very cheap for 4TB and upwards) can be set to auto mirror every day, and I recommend music lovers to keep a copy off-site as well.
Lets face it, if you get robbed, those solid CDs will be GONE!. And I have scratched CDs making them skip, and have others grow old (yellowing and loose the silver backing) . The plastic CDs are made of and the printing on the back all age and fail at some point.
A working disc array (or RAID) is cheap compared to many DACs or CDPs and will keep all those valuable music rips safe.
Stop scare mongering none computer literate people and pretending you know about computers. I swopped to Macs years ago and have NEVER had one single virus. And my back-up system at home has NEVER lost one file.
Also, how many out there have bought a 2k CDP only a few years later it starts skipping then the laser dies altogether? Computer hard drive are cheap cheap cheap. Soon SSD will be as well, and then NO MOVING PARTS to wear out.
Now, where did I put that Stone Roses CD?
|
I got a Logitech Squeezebox Touch and am running it stock through the analog outs of my preamp. Sounds very good but not quite as good as my Denon DVD-2930ci which has a little better inner detail & dynamics. Thought I would use them both equally but the Squeezebox's convenience makes me use it 85% of the time. Would not want to get rid of the CD player as it does SACD & DVD-Audio and Squeezebox needs the computer on to play my ripped CD's (WAV & FLAC). |
Reclock the SB Touch, use a good 1.5m long coax cable and power supply and it may actually pass-up your transport. This is just jitter.
Steve N.
Empirical Audio |
Thanks Steve. How would I reclock the SBT? Would I need to get a Synchro-Mesh? Does it come with all cables necessary for hookup? Will it give good results without an external DAC in use? |
Tune - Synchro-Mesh requires a DAC, SS proc. or SS receiver to work. It is strictly digital in to digital out. It comes with no cables. The input cable can be anything, unimportant. The output S/PDIF coax cable should be a very good one and 1.5m long. I have heard good things about the "Green Hornet" from Music Direct.
The Metrum Octave is a good choice if you are on a budget for a DAC. Big step-up from the DAC inside the SBT.
Steve N.
Empirical Audio |
