“how does the sound quality compare playing the file on a streamer versus playing the CD on a CD player?”
@klarinet
Technically, a ripped CD should sound the same as the one played through a cd player. But in reality, just like no two cd player sound the same, the SQ quality of a ripped CD can vary from mediocre to absolutely phenomenal. Here is why, the quality of the DAC associated with your streamer/ripper, internally or externally will largely impact the quality of the sound. For example, a streamer/ripper with internal DAC like Bluesound Vault 2 may just suffice your needs. Or you may find it’s internal DAC anemic or worse sounding than the DAC inside your Rotel CD player. If your goal is to rip and stream your CD collection then Vault 2 makes sense even if it doesn’t sound good right out of the box. Cause, you can always improve the SQ of Vault by adding an external DAC.
I used to own Vault, while I never experienced any issues with ripping or accessing ripped music, I did not care for its internal DAC and subpar Metadata Editing and Library Management. And its internal storage is limited to 2TB. Nevertheless, the Vault 2 remained the stepping stone for anyone looking for a one box, plug n play streamer/ripper with a built in DAC. That’s how I got started / transitioned to ripping my CD’s before upgrading to ACS100.
If you want to take things to next level, look into Aurender ACS100 which offers much superior performance, Metadata Editing, Library Management and user installed upto 8TB of storage. You do need an external DAC with ACS100. As a rule of thumb, internal storage will sound better than external add-on storage.
Another consideration, are you going to continue buying CD’s in future or this is a one time chore to rip all your CD’s. If this is a one time chore then find a way to rip your CD’s on a computer and buy a high quality streamer like Aurender N200 with an internal storage and separate DAC. I keep my ACS100 around cause I consistently purchase CD’s and rip them immediately for easy accessibility.
I am sure there are other options, regardless of whichever solution you choose, one most important thing to consider other than SQ, is the control app you will be using to manage your music library and music playback. This is a critical part of the experience with streamers and usually the difference between joy (I love my new tech) or frustration (I hate it, where is my cd player remote). There is a bit of learning curve with streamers so be patient and take a leap towards the present/future of digital playback. Good luck!
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Personally I'd buy a separate streamer and ripper. You can always rip your CDs on your computer using DBpoweramp or maybe borrow one.
You will find that there aren't any differences between CDs played through a CD player, ripped CDs and streamed CDs. Quality of hardware notwithstanding of course.
I'd highly recommend an Aurender N200 or N20, depending on your system. These units have internal storage options too, you will need a stand alone DAC.
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I had a Rotel CD player for many years, it sounded so much better then other players on the market when I got it (early 1990's) I had 5-600 CD's when it finally died and my dealer who I trusted told me not to buy another CD player but to get a Bluesound Vault and burn all my CD's. I was hesitant, but did it and loved it. It's an easy to use, all in one unit for burning and playback, had very good software and great support, sounded as good if not better then the Rotel CD. I kept it for almost 7-8 years, although I did end up getting an outboard DAC the last 2 years I had it. I have now upgraded to a Arrender N200 (I now use a PC to burn the few CD's I buy, otherwise it's all HD digital music).
So +1 on the Vault, but you will end up upgrading, if you can go directly to an Aurender (with the ones that burn CD's) it will save you having to upgrade. With the Vault it takes about 3-5 minutes, very easy and not really a bother once you get into the rhythm. Personally I cannot tell the difference between a CD and one that's been burned (my system is up in the $45K level, just FYI), but I can tell the difference between CD and HD quality easily. The difference in useability is wonderful.
I personally would hesitate to recommend using a PC at first, it can be frustrating and you have to buy software, burn times can be 10-12 minutes, it should have a decent CD recorder/player in it, etc. But it can save you money.
Hope my journey helps. I'm glad to chat privately for more details if you like.
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a. Too long but you are free to do anything else while waiting. Why weren’t you ripping every CD for 25 years?
b. They do not sound ANY different with equivalent quality playback gear. A more important comparison would be ripped vs streamed. Don’t worry about it.
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as others haver noted SQ shouldn't be an issue with decent equipment. I would get a decent DAC streamer combo that will allow you to use the Rotel as a transport while you rip those CDs. It is easier to include the storage as part of the streamer, but if you have the storage on a server then you can change servers at will, or stream to a second player elsewhere in the home. I recommend the Melco N100 as a NAS/Streamer. You would have to get an external DAC but the3re are lot of options here
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I wouldn’t worry too much about ripping CDs if you subscribe to something like Qobuz as most of your CDs will likely be available there and some even in hi-res. I rarely spin a CD anymore. I’d recommend looking at the Innuos Zen Mk3 for a streamer/server. Best of luck.
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My Innuos Zenith Mk3 rips CDs. I figure that's what I'll use if I ever want to listen to a CD again. Haven't used it. Jerry
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I’m currently using the new Node N130 with a NAS as my server and am very happy, but I have updated the power supply and and am using an external DAC.
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Innuos (and done). Very easy
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DBPoweramp does a fine job of ripping and the making sure that the ripped file is bit perfect. The Aurender, or similar streamer/server will provide a quality stream and the rest is up to you.
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The sound quality you get from a CD, ripped CD files, purchased file, file on USB drive, NAS, or streaming entirely depends on your equipment.
Assuming the same file, it makes sense to get it through streaming as it will cost an order of magnitude less than other sources. Also, streaming is now offering the most high resolution copies of music. Qobuz has over 1/2 million albums in high resolution… for $14.99/ month. So, a screaming deal.
My streaming typically sounds better than a physically played CD even though I have an incredibly good sounding CD player ($17K)… because higher resolution files are available. My streaming often sounds better than my great vinyl rig… so, streaming is the way to go. I gave away all my CDs (2,000)… as streaming usually bested them.
Streaming will only get better… put your intellect and money into streaming.
You can see my systems by clicking on my UserID. I have been working on them for fifty years.
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I use the HifiRose RS150B with their external cd ripper and I added a several TB Samsung SSD drive inside. I use this as my DAC as well. Works great, sounds great and I really love the screen. It’s very flexible.
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+1 Innuos.
Free Sense app sounds better than Roon and its free. Use the money saved for Qobuz. Sense directly integrates with Qobuz, so no Qobuz app needed.
My ripped files sounded better than from CD so I sold the player and put the CD's in storage.
Rip in WAVE not FLAC.
Listen in Off-Line mode.
Qobuz Hi-Rez can sound as good or better than ripped CD's.
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A cd is not as accurate for it is rotating and harder for the laser to read
and error correction is used as needed. Good digital cost 💲 monies at least $2k bare minimum. Just for decent Ethernet, fiber optic and or usb cables ,plus
a good Ethernet hub like the uptone audio ether regen , a very good value for under $650. Good cables can cost well over$1k each then you still have to buy
a Good dac,streamer . What is the total budget $5-$10-15 k ?
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Probably a silly question,but after ripping my several hundred cds into my Bluesound Vault2,in Flac,how can I convert them to WAVE? My current "system" is the Bluesound Vault2,wifi connected and played through optical connection to Ruark MR1 MK2 speakers.I don't subscribe/pay any hi res platforms.Even though I find the music really good,I am annoyed about the poor Metada-I have numerous boxsets ripped which are track 11111,track 2222 etc,plus lots of unidentifed cds/artists.I find all your posts great,but I'm in the hundreds of (Australian) dollars budget,rather than the thousands
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@tony, conversion from flac to wav can be done using your computer and, for example, Foobar2000 (free) or JRiver Media Center software (there is other software available). However, as flac is a compressed (but lossless) audio codec, it could have been more favorable to rip directly from cd (from the original source) to wav. But, would it be audible to you?
I did some testing transferring flac to wave and from cd to wav using JRiver. With my setup; I could not hear any difference between these 2 formats. They are both lossless.
Be aware, that metadata is not as 'good' with wave compared to flac. Flac has a better tagging .If you use Foobar2000, you can convert FLAC to WAV without losing metadata or album art, it uses ID3v2.3 (RIFF ID3v2.3).
Cheers, eagledriver
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They sound different! A ripped cd can sound amazing depending on your system. I agree with some posters advocating a separate ripper via a computer with dbamp. A nas and separate streamer can make or break the end result! With that said, I don’t thing a ripper streamer dac combo is the way to go. Do your homework and enjoy the performance and flexibility of a separate streamer and dac. Consider fiber cable in the mix and you’ll be very happy. Good luck.
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I can recommend very highly the Innuos Zenith MK III. Takes about 3-4 minutes to rip a CD. The streamer sounds as good as my Bartok. The Innuos Sense app is intuitive and VERY stable.
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Thank you eagledriver_22 et al.Very helpful and kind suggestions/info.I will continue to try and improve my music and self.Best wishes for the upcoming holidays/celebrations etc
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Another recommendation for the Innuos Zenith Mk III. The Innuos Sense app works great, is straightforward to use when streaming or ripping CD's, and sounds significantly better than Roon. If your network is set up properly with attention to noise mitigation, Qobuz streaming will sound as good or better than CD playback.
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How quiet is the Zenith mkIII ?
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