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  3. 165087-110341

More Detail From a CD?

So I think by most accounts here I'm a pretty entry-level audiophile. I've only gotten serious about my equipment over the last 4 years as budget allowed. But I've finally got a simple system I'll be happy with for a while. I have a Pass Labs XA30.5, a PS Audio Directstream DAC w/bridge, and Tekton Pendragon speakers. I've ripped (AIFF) my entire CD collection to a Drobo NAS and I stream through Tidal. Both of those go through Roon for convenience. But along the way I also picked up an NAD 516BEE CD player that I only used a couple of times before getting the Directstream DAC. I pulled it out the other day and played a few CDs and thought I was hearing more than from ripped or streaming. So I did A/B comparisons and to my ears there was definitely more detail. I really did not expect any difference as "digital is digital" but it was there. Would that be the consensus? I'd say I spent countless hours ripping for nothing but playlists are very convenient.
128x128ratboysr
georgehifi's avatar
georgehifi
10,312 posts
 


mkgus
Your experience doesn’t surprise me. I’ve had the same experience over and over. CD sounds better than streaming when comparing apples to apples

I agree totally, we have had A/B’s with pro streamers in attendance at our meetings, and the outcome was unanimous for CD replay sounding better.

This "could" be put down to this.
Streaming/download usually has later versions of the same album. (which are more compressed)

EG:
http://dr.loudness-war.info/album/list?artist=The+Traveling+Wilburys&album
(scroll down)

Or the streaming/download process is compressed itself.

Cheers George

antigrunge2
1,404 posts
 
try Qobus
james37
11 posts
 
So the 'ripped' CD sounds more detailed than the same CD played through the NAD player.  I would think that a file played from a hard drive or flash drive would sound as good or better.  Could it be a difference in DAC's or interconnects?
I have an Arcam DV135 and I thought that CD's played through it sounded better than the same ripped CD played from a flash drive connected to a Bluesound Node 2.  I later got a Wadia 121 dac for the Bluesound and it and the Arcam are close in sound quality but different.

As far as streaming I agree with antigrunge2.  I have tried Deezer, Tidal, and Qobuz (all at cd-quality) and I like Qobuz the best.  Just wish they had playlists/channels as nice as Slacker (now LiveXLive).

I am window-shopping speakers and am thinking about the Tekton Pendragon; that is how I came across this thread.
ratboysr's avatar
ratboysr OP
60 posts
 
@james37 No the CD has more detail than the files that were ripped from it or the same song files on Tidal. All files are played through the same DAC, amp, and speakers. No change in cables.
Also the Pendragons are fantastic.
jafant's avatar
jafant
19,602 posts
 
ratboysr

A server or streamer has all of the appeal for Playlists. An aural experience is better exhibited with a Reference cd/sacd player.

Happy Listening!
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