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Network Transport vs. CD Transport

So I decided to conduct an experiment. I pulled the old Marantz cd player circa 1999, around $400 retail, from storage along with few CDs. Using a coax digital cable with a $4.97 rca to bnc adapter from amazon, I sat down to listen. I played the CD, the ripped version (AIFF) of that CD, and a Qobuz redbook version thru my zmac Mini. Long story short...the reason why I did it was because there is something missing in the Mac Mini sound quality and I got tired of trying to figure out what the heck is going on. 
Anyways, that old cd player used as a transport into the Qutest DAC sounds considerably better  than the Mac Mini that right now I will need a few days break before I can can listen to the Mac again. I figured (assumed) that a dedicated network transport will pretty much better the Mac Mini and be comparable or better than what I heard with Marantz player as transport. Eyeing Auralic G1, Lumin D2 and Lumin U1 Mini as candidates (I need wifi capability), will any of these be comparable or better than let’s say a decent CD transport feeding the Chord Qutest? For example a Cambridge CXC, or a used high end player?
I can go back to spinning CDs, but figured I don’t want to give up on streaming just yet.
What are your thoughts - Auralic G1, Lumin D2, Lumin U1 Mini, or a dedicated CD transport for high quality playback. Forget convenience, let’s talk purely sound quality...thanks!

System:
Rogue RP-1, Rogue ST-100, Martin Logan Montis, Chord Qutest dac. 
128x128audphile1
georgehifi's avatar
georgehifi
10,312 posts
 
Luckily I still have all my CDs in boxes up in the attic.
You are either very smart or lucky, many sold them and are now cutting their throats, or giving up on hiend audio.

Marantz CD6000 Original SE
Should be "ok" and uses the Sony KSS213, the other model CD6000's used the better Philips VAM1201 but I’d would say the CXC would be quite a bit better than both, I taken oscilloscope pics of the output of the CXC wave form, and even Lampizator was impressed, very little jitter, and a well formed wave form with not much rounding or distortion, I’ve posted these up you’ll have to search Audiogon’s digital forum for them

Cheers George
georgehifi's avatar
georgehifi
10,312 posts
 
Here’s reviews on the Cambridge CXC Transport
https://www.tnt-audio.com/sorgenti/cambridge_cxc_e.html
https://www.whathifi.com/au/cambridge-audio/cxc/review
https://www.audiotrends.com.au/cambridge-audio-cxc-v2-cd-transport-lunar-grey.html
In Australia we can get them for as low as $600aud, that about $380usd.
There’s a mk2 out, but I believe it’s the same just cosmetic differences.

Cheers George
kzs70
31 posts
 
Well, I have a different experience with Network Transport based on the tests I did in my system.

I have Aesthetix gear, a Romulus CD/DAC (standard version) and Atlas/Calypso amplifiers (both Eclipse versions) and ML Montis speakers.

By adding a Lumin U1 Mini in front of my Romulus CD/DAC I could easily compare the actual CD quality with the streaming sound quality of the ripped version of the exact same disc.

My network streaming setup at the moment:

Qnap NAS (Roon core) -> Supra CAT 8 cable - > Etherregen Switch -> Lumun U1 Mini -> Siltech CA USB cable-> DAC…..

Initially I just added the Lumin U1 mini without the Etherregen and I was using cheaper cables too.

At that point I was not satisfied with result, the pure CD sounded better. The streaming version was too harsh to my taste and sounded more “digital” compare to the Aesthethix itself.

As I did not have the budget to replace the U1 Mini with the U1 or any other high end streamer I decided to upgrade the network transport step by step.

First I added a Kenneth Lau “Signature” LPS to the U1 mini, later I bought the Etherregen switch and finally put Quadraspire Qplus reference supports under the Lumin.

The combination of these 3 resulted a much better streaming experience. Now it is clearly superior to the pure CD version, the harshness has completely gone, it is very fluid and has more resolution, I hear more details. I am very happy with the final result, although at the end I spent more on the “tweaking” than on the original Lumin itself :)

I am sure there are far better CD players than mine, and those sound much better than a Lumin U1 Mini.

But with today’s computer technology I am convinced that even the best CD transport can be “bested” with a high end streamer, comparing them in the same system…so I am selling all my ripped SACD’s now, no turning back for me :)


mahler123
3,068 posts
 
I still like to spin CDs and I listen to my streamer, so I am not dogmatic about either.  I have used a Mac Mini in the past and it is possible to get excellent sound.  It may help to use a program like Audirvana Plus or J River.  These programs, among other features, try to optimize the computer for  playback and do, in my experience, make a difference 
audphile1's avatar
audphile1 OP
4,332 posts
 
I run Roon on the Mini. It is bit berfect and definitely sounds better than iTunes. Also as I mentioned in my post, the Wyred USB reclocker helped as well.
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