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Post by John on Aug 13, 2015 17:02:14 GMT
Which particular CD players have been ousted by your streaming devices guys? I had a Nu Vista very heavily modified by Audiocom
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Post by Deleted on Aug 13, 2015 17:13:53 GMT
Still feel a solid CD player (read mid priced) is more than match for most commercial streamers, there are always exceptions.
Most people go the streaming route for convenience and choice of music via streaming and ease of use.
That said a quality render-er and NAS set up running downloaded files of red book quality will obtain very good results.
Which CD transport did the streamer we use oust, an Esoteric D-02 and G-0Rb clock
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Post by Greg on Aug 13, 2015 17:14:38 GMT
I had a heavily tweaked Naim CD3 and have recently used a Sony XB930E. Tidal readily sounds better to both of them through the Pi and Caiman II.
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Post by MartinT on Aug 14, 2015 6:31:28 GMT
Still feel a solid CD player (read mid priced) is more than match for most commercial streamers, there are always exceptions. Most people go the streaming route for convenience and choice of music via streaming and ease of use. My streaming solution sounds very good to my ears and I'm pleased with the SQ of all my supplementary sources like streaming, file playback, Blu-ray and Sky HD.
However, the Ayre C-5xe frankly leaves them for dead in taking that final big step towards palpability, visceral attack, soundstage, structure and in fact any parameter you care to name. It won't be leaving my system any time soon.
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Post by Tim on Aug 16, 2015 10:51:24 GMT
Interesting results, I will never own another CD player - I do have a Technics 1210 now though "palpability, visceral attack, soundstage, structure and in fact any parameter you care to name" What dat mean in Engrish then Martin? Made me laugh out loud! You boys and yer' Hi-Fi lingo . . . .
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Post by Deleted on Aug 16, 2015 14:51:38 GMT
why?
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Post by Tim on Aug 16, 2015 19:59:12 GMT
why? Good question André, as it's still boxed from when I got it and I doubt now I'll use it before heading overseas next year. I'll get a Michell when I get back in 3 years
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Post by MartinT on Aug 17, 2015 0:20:21 GMT
What dat mean in Engrish then Martin? Made me laugh out loud! You boys and yer' Hi-Fi lingo . . . . An attempt to use words to describe what I hear. How else can I describe it? Oh, here's one: "better". Does that do it?
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Post by Steve Toy on Sept 1, 2015 12:41:18 GMT
Better on its own is meaningless.
In what way "better?"
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Post by Steve Toy on Sept 1, 2015 13:00:46 GMT
Still feel a solid CD player (read mid priced) is more than match for most commercial streamers, there are always exceptions. Most people go the streaming route for convenience and choice of music via streaming and ease of use. My streaming solution sounds very good to my ears and I'm pleased with the SQ of all my supplementary sources like streaming, file playback, Blu-ray and Sky HD.
However, the Ayre C-5xe frankly leaves them for dead in taking that final big step towards palpability, visceral attack, soundstage, structure and in fact any parameter you care to name. It won't be leaving my system any time soon.
This has been my experience with my Rega Apollo R CD player used as a transport into my Lakewest MDAC via an Audiomica digital interconnect. The usual pattern is that someone comes round with a computer and a few albums downloaded onto its hard drive with iTunes or some other format for selecting and playing tracks and the belief that this sounds as good or better than a CD player. We plug it into my MDAC via a standard USB lead. We play a track and my guest is suitably impressed with what he hears. I browse through his catalogue on the screen of his laptop and I pick a track that I know I've got on CD. I then find the CD and play that into the same DAC. "Do you still think the computer sounds as good or better?" "No." The only exceptions to this were when Mark from Item Audio brought round the Aurender X10 and X30 and a PC that he'd built himself but even so, I'd expect a CD transport for the same kind of money as the Aurenders to blow them into the weeds. If you like a dynamically compressed, slightly hard, grainy and 2D presentation of your music get a Sonos. :-D
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Post by MartinT on Sept 1, 2015 13:48:11 GMT
There are much better file-based systems than the Sonos now, thankfully. The PC-based system that TonyC has running now leaves me gobsmacked on occasion, so I know it can be done. However, in my own system, where admittedly an unequal amount has been spent on my CD replay system, it still rules and matches LP replay pretty closely.
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Post by Nick on Sept 1, 2015 14:09:19 GMT
If it matches your LP replay it must be a pretty poor CD system.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 1, 2015 14:15:47 GMT
lol. LP's on my record deck are not fantastic 12" singles wipe the floor with my CD player.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 1, 2015 15:07:00 GMT
Steve posting on here, whats up? has pink fish imposed their guardianship of audio intelligentsia and all things flat earth to stridently (naimly) upon your good-self? Nice to see you about even after all these years how is life? Just for the record Steve the CD transport and clock the FBA system make a mockery of was pretty close to £40K with the atomic clock. Mind you I believe aos can deliver a world beating FBA system for thrupence ha'penny lad, I just suddenly feel the need for a whippet to thrash while spinning Champagne supernova on me techie 1200 with cotton reel suspension and uber secret bearing material made from the tears of Frost giant's slain at Ragnarok collected by dwarfs with inferiority complexes and forged between the huge gravitation forces generated by an imploding star on a far distant galaxy in another universe. Whist discussing the hoppiness of Hook Norton ale intersperse with bouts of Pat Barber and Natalie Merchant. Hummmmmmmmmmmmmm Niceeeeeeeee Only to be counter opposed by the milling throng support of Sun Ra and Ornette Coleman taking you to places not dissimilar upper corner flat located off the old Kent road circa spring 1968 way beyond groovvy cats............................Nice I feel the need for big tannoys, Macintosh amp a shaggy rug a 70's style 3 bar electric fire and one of those delightful Poirot era lampshade , large mid terraced house with bay windows and local hostelry that is partial for a jazz night and real ale. Feeling a touch frustrated too much desk jockeying
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Post by Stratmangler on Sept 1, 2015 15:19:24 GMT
We plug it into my MDAC via a standard USB lead. We play a track and my guest is suitably impressed with what he hears. I browse through his catalogue on the screen of his laptop and I pick a track that I know I've got on CD. I then find the CD and play that into the same DAC. "Do you still think the computer sounds as good or better?" "No." The only exceptions to this were when Mark from Item Audio brought round the Aurender X10 and X30 and a PC that he'd built himself but even so, I'd expect a CD transport for the same kind of money as the Aurenders to blow them into the weeds. If you like a dynamically compressed, slightly hard, grainy and 2D presentation of your music get a Sonos. :-D Is this the DAC you're using www.lakewestaudio.com/ ? Did anyone download any drivers for their machine? Going from the information on the Lakewest site the DAC is natively supported by Mac OSX and Linux, and Windows machines need to have ASIO drivers installed. Getting decent results using computers as source is a bit more involved than it might first appear, depending on the operating system and the media players capabilities with respect to using relevant drivers. Then you have the quality of rip to consider - if it's not been securely ripped using a bit perfect ripping tool then who knows how good the rip is. Are we talking MP3 or AAC, ALAC or FLAC? It's a little bit more involved than you might think.
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Post by John on Sept 1, 2015 17:20:53 GMT
I have visited a few people with my lowly based file system who had made similar comments and not come out disappointed like Martin CD system my file based system has moved on a lot since then so I am always up for a Pepsi challenge as good to test in the real world Nice to see you back Steve
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Post by Tim on Sept 1, 2015 20:24:12 GMT
If you like a dynamically compressed, slightly hard, grainy and 2D presentation of your music get a Sonos. :-D Sonos is not what I would call anything other than a mainstream general purpose 'music player' - it's not a match by any means for a good file based audio system, nor is it intended to be. It's good at what it does, but it's not Hi-Fi. I'm not going anywhere near your comment re iTunes, but if that's what you are comparing Steve, you need to hear some good systems. Your argument as a comparison example is rather flawed and for sure a good CD/DAC would sound superior to your quoted demonstration
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Post by Clive on Sept 1, 2015 21:53:52 GMT
There's indeed a whole lot more to good computer playback than the likes of iTunes and standard computer hardware. Some new low cost add on devices are looking very helpful too. I'd be careful Steven not to judge all computer playback as having similar SQ. Bits ain't just bits....
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Post by Sovereign on Sept 1, 2015 22:13:53 GMT
As John and Steve know my only source is a MacBook Pro, playing through iTunes, all sounds very very good, but I have invested over a grand on a DIY DAC, at some point I must try the other computer based options, I'm just to busy making other bits and bobs at the moment
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Post by John on Sept 2, 2015 4:30:35 GMT
When ever I come over I bring my PC just to give you a sense of another different system James
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