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Music Servers vs. High-End CD & DAC--Help Please

Hello Audiogon Experts--I cannot begin to thank you enough for all I've learned from you the past 4 years:-)

I have B&W 800's / Denon 5308CI (a) / HT System / Great Cables / Blu Ray / Furman Conditioner / Sony CDP-1 SACD Player / Weiss DAC.

I like CD music in 2 channel, but dislike having to change discs all the time.

Is a higher-end music server like a McIntosh MS300 or equivalent with all my CDs recorded on it, run through my DAC, or even my Denon 5308CI (a) going to give me as good or better sound that using my stand-alone SACD?

Thanks in advance!:-)
djones1915
martykl
3,578 posts
 
I own a Cary 303 and a QSonix server. Running the digital signal out of the Cary into either my Canbridge dacMagic or my Benchmark allows direct comparison to my QSonix run thru the same DAC. Someone out there might hear a difference, but I certainly don't. And, believe me, I tried to. The functionality (GUI & associated software) of the QSonix is great and I will never go back to a stand-alone CD player.

Marty

BTW, I've written about it in these threads so you can search for QSonix to get my (lengthly) description of this unit. It's pretty expensive, but I'm sure that there are good alternatives with a similar GUI. If I were looking at a lower price point, I'd check out the new H-P touch screen PCs, for starters.
pbrennan
36 posts
 
There are many ways to set up a music server system, dependent on budget and room constraints, but once you go there, they're is no going back. In general, sound quality and flexibility are advanced, and it opens a whole new world of 'hi-res' recordings.
If you go for it, I'd be surprised you'd regret doing so.
mbhintz
13 posts
 
I second the motions of the folks above regarding going to a server. My experience indicates that you don't take a quality hit - it actually gets better (at least compared to my CD player) as well as much more convenient. I went to a Mac Mini server for the same reasons you brought up - you get tired of changing CD's and you get to hear a lot of music you bought and forgot you had (i-tunes on shuffle - it was the first time I ever "got" the reason why the i-pod is so popular). I started out with a DAC much more modest than yours, but over time I've upgraded both hardware and software (Ayre USB DAC and either Amarra or Pure Music/Vinyl) and now have both the i-pod convenience and the best digital ever heard in my house - you don't have to say "it sounds good for digital" it just sounds good. Direct vinyl playback is still better, but I'm working on that. . . Based on the comments above, I assume your DAC has firewire. If so, a Mac and Pure Music would be a great way to go.
djones1915 OP
53 posts
 
Great information and advice as usual!

Thanks to all--I'm going to give it a try.
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