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Who listens primarily to Redbook CD?

My primary (only, actually) source is a CEC TL5 Transport feeding an Audio Note Kit 1.1 NOS DAC through a Cerious Technologies Graphene Extreme AES/EBU digital cable. They are both decked out with CT GE power cords, Synergistic Research Quantum Black fuses, Herbie's Audio Lab Tenderfeet isolation footers, plus other misc. tweaks.

Sounds great, and I have very little desire to add another source. Pretty much all the music I want is available on CD, and is usually quite cheap. I hope to upgrade to an AN factory DAC (3.1x/II, or better, would be nice), and a Teo Audio liquid metal digital cable (I have their Game Changer ICs, and absolutely love them!) in the future.

Who else is happy with Redbook CD as their primary source?
tommylion
georgehifi's avatar
georgehifi
10,312 posts
 
teo_audio113 posts06-09-2017 2:01am
I tend to listen to redbook, for the most part, but I’m using a ladder or R2R DAC. No delta-sigma single bit DAC here.
Which makes a huge difference, IMO. When folks hear it they keep asking me how to get that incredible sound out of digital.

+ more than 1 on this teo_audio, as DSD dacs (Delta Sigma) don’t do pcm Redbook (cd) justice, as it’s just presents a facsimile of what a pcm (cd) really is.

Cheers George
68pete
1,001 posts
 
CD and SACD is all i use can do computer audio, but have no reason to 1500 CDs and 100 plus SACDs
timrhu
2,779 posts
 
Primarily redbook cds ripped to hard drive via Mac mini. My usual routine now after buying a new cd is to listen to it then rip it. The cd goes on the shelf after it's ripped and that's pretty much the last time I touch it. 
I don't stream music, nor do I download music. I do have a turntable setup and about 75 lps, but rarely listen to them. The ripped cds sound better to me than the lps.
hifijunky
126 posts
 
Using a Consonance Reference 2.2 cdp recently updated with OPA627 Opamps, Auricaps and Furutech IEC. The updates really improved detail image, and soundstage. 
I have pretty good vinyl setup also (Eurolab, Lehmann, Morch, Allaerts).
To replace the cdp now seems too confusing too many choices and changes, Oppo205, Marantz SA8005, Computer DAC, Music Server. Real expensive cdp Esoteric, Ayre, PS Audio etc. Even though new equipment would be a sonic improvement. 

gammajo's avatar
gammajo
844 posts
 
I use an Ayon CD5s (which includes transport, DAC and Preamp) with NOS Russian Tubes. I music I hear from Red Book on well recorded discs is top notch, with no desire to go into downloads, computer audio or turntable in terms of sound.
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