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Streaming vs CD transport direct comparison


Yesterday we had a day at a friends comparing the title to this thread.
System consisted of:
  • Speakers — Wilson Alexia series 2
  • Amplifier — Gryphon Audio Antileon EVO
  • Preamplifier — Supratek Cortese or Lightspeed Attenuator LDR passive or source direct (we used the Supratek for instant a/b ability)
  • Sources — Digital: 432Evo Music Server Roon Core (owner has found Roon to be the best)
  • Yamaha CD-S2100 as transport,
  • Totaldac d1-core DAC.

We A/B both (levels matched) CD to 432Evo (streamed, saved and/or to H/D) with a number of albums same versions, classical, jazz, soft rock, hard rock.
The overwhelming consensus of all 5 listeners (some that "were" originally very pro streaming) was that the CD was firstly clearly more dynamic, had better separation and was blacker background between notes and it was also clearer through the vocals that were hard to hear what was being said, than what came out of the 432Evo.
This is the third time I’ve sat in on this kind of A/B on different systems all were similar on how the differences came out.
I can say the streamer would be a slightly better late night low volume level system to play, as it’s dynamics wouldn’t wake other people in the same building. Where the CD you’d be running for the volume every time there was a big dynamic passage.

Cheers George
georgehifi

Showing 1 response by mike_in_nc

mike_in_nc
1,175 posts
 
What conclusion can one reach? A group of audiophiles in a sighted test with a specific system in a specific room unanimously preferred a specific CD source to a specific Tidal source? That tells me very little, other than they probably were influencing one another (or it wouldn't be unanimous).

One obvious question is, were both sources using the same input to the DAC? It's been reported often that DACs perform differently from different inputs (and that varies by DAC).

And if "top tier Tidal" include MQA, all bets are off.
I have no problem believing that this group preferred one source over another. What I cannot take from the anecdote is any generalizable conclusion.

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