Right now, just after purchasing a Cary Xciter DAC and putting it into my system I did an A/B/C on the SAME song ripped the same way that was stored on my NAS and on my computer and then I dropped the disc into my PS3 and started them all at roughly the same time. Dexterity is necessary. ;-)
Anywho, after adjusting for volume difference between the outputs they were all pretty much the same though the fiber tended to be a touch clearer on the highs where the COAX was a touch more rounded. However, the fiber was coming from the PS3. The COAX was from an unmodified Sonos ZP-90. The computer usb vs. NAS (which is being operated through the Sonos and feeds through the COAX) offered no difference in sound at all. I listened for about fifteen minutes to make sure and there was no change. And thats through a standard crappy usb cable.
Being that the CD still sounded as good as it did coming over a rather poor format, being fiber, I figure either I need some serious modifications done elsewhere in the system or CDs are still simply the best format. Hmmmm....
To each his own. That's why there are multitudes of options.
Anywho, after adjusting for volume difference between the outputs they were all pretty much the same though the fiber tended to be a touch clearer on the highs where the COAX was a touch more rounded. However, the fiber was coming from the PS3. The COAX was from an unmodified Sonos ZP-90. The computer usb vs. NAS (which is being operated through the Sonos and feeds through the COAX) offered no difference in sound at all. I listened for about fifteen minutes to make sure and there was no change. And thats through a standard crappy usb cable.
Being that the CD still sounded as good as it did coming over a rather poor format, being fiber, I figure either I need some serious modifications done elsewhere in the system or CDs are still simply the best format. Hmmmm....
To each his own. That's why there are multitudes of options.