Who is ditching their shiny disc spinners?


I want to upgrade my digital side … (currently Bluesound Vault 2i feeding the DAC of Oppo 105) … plan to spend around $2k … since I’ve ripped all my CDs to the Vault, thinking of spending it all on a DAC, and retire/sell the Oppo while it still has some value. I do have a few older CDPs I could retain as backup, but not sure why I would ever need.

Alternatively, was considering a better combined CDP/DAC like a newer Marantz or Yamaha … upgrades DAC performance some, and a reliable spinner for quite a few more years … but I have very few SACDs, so feeling like this would be the tail wagging the dog.

In what direction have you been migrating?
inscrutable

Showing 1 response by rooze

I’ve just moved to a SMG i5 sonicTransporter, ultraRendu and ultraDigital into a new Denafrips Terminator (new to me).
1 - SQ is good (better than a direct comparison with my CD transport via SPDIF.)
2 - There’s pain involved in getting the network side up and running and getting everything to play nicely together.
3 - support for the kit isn’t like it used to be in the good old days when you bought from a local dealer. Having problems with kit purchased new and is but a few days old, I’m told by the supplier to go register on a forum to seek help. I spend hours looking for answers, surrounded by masses of negativity concerning the equipment I JUST PURCHASED AT FULL MSRP. So now I don’t feel so good about my new investment, given that so many people are having issues.
 I can’t find the specific help I need after spending hours sifting through all the sorry s***, so I try to register an account so I can make my own post and join in the fun. I’m then told my account needs moderator approval, and I’m still waiting for that to happen. My advice to others -  don’t throw away your old CD Players.
4 - when it does work I find myself constantly distracted by the iPad and sifting through the catalog of information on hand. Sure, I read liner notes when I buy a new vinyl, but all of this data via Roon is just distracting. I put together a two hour playlist and find that I’ve barely listened to the first half hour of music as I’ve been futzing around in Roon creating lists and searching for stuff.
I’m old and somewhat senile but during rare moments of lucidity I still recall times when listening to music was relaxing, soothing, meditative and utterly pleasurable. Now I feel like I’m piloting the space shuttle, and if I’m not constantly pressing buttons and responding to blinking red lights the whole thing will crash into the ocean.
OK, I got a bit carried away there at the end.

Rooze