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02-Jun-2015, 02:38
(This post was last modified: 02-Jun-2015, 02:39 by MusicFirst.)
So I'm Curious. As someone who is still wed to the SP/DIF of my Esoteric UX-1.
Does the best digital reproduction lie in state of the art disc player-DACs; Servers; or Streaming?
Kerry
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computer audio is evolving at an extremely fast pace.
with a bit of knowledge you can make an amazing source for both local and streamed content!
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My opinion may be controversial on a hifi forum but it is that the difference in quality in the various recordings we play is often, almost always, way, way more than the difference between the various inputs you mention.
I get superb results from well recorded CDs and awful results from nasty loudness wars CDs.
I don't subscribe to a streaming service but I slightly prefer my CD transport to ripped CDs.
Higher resolution than 16/44 is a waste of money IME, so I have stopped buying any. FWIW.
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f1eng - you're absolutely right of course about the quality of material & it's the single most important thing IMHO. Poorly mastered music can never sound good.
I get the impression that consensus is CD players still have the edge but it's a very close thing. I love the convenience of streaming personally.
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I just set up an RPI with LMS and Squeezeplug for a seriously picky friend with valve amps and home made KL3 kit speakers he has seriously tweaked and he is absolutely convinced the streaming is better than any DC player he has heard before.
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I use both an Esoteric K-01x and Macbook air for streaming and enjoy both, but the benefit of the actual disc (both red book and SACD) does have it's appeal
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02-Jun-2015, 12:25
(This post was last modified: 02-Jun-2015, 12:26 by Yippedidou.)
I haven't played a cd since I got my Aurender X100 server. I used to have PSAudio PWT and various Meridian players. Honestly, I cannot hear a difference in sound. Never tought I would give up cd players because I have a lot (around 2000) but the convenience of streaming made it for me (and the stability of the Aurender app). I'm in the looong process of ripping all my cds and by doing so rediscovering some hidden gems I had in my collection.
I have pretty much the same opinion as F1eng for HiRes. I have some 24/192, they sound good but I also have 16/44 that sound fantastic like ECM, ACT labels for jazz.
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02-Jun-2015, 12:49
(This post was last modified: 02-Jun-2015, 13:06 by Antoine.)
What's a CD player? Oh wait, I remember it's that mechanical device in which one inserts those little silver discs to enjoy up to around 74 minutes of audio. After that or if you would like to hear something else you would have to stand up, remove the disc and insert an other one.  
And on a more serious note: I feel that streaming audio/music servers MAY have reached the SQ level of CD players/transport or even surpassed it several years ago. Of course I haven't heard all top notch CD players/transports. The best I have owned myself was a North Star T192 CD transport (AES/EBU into D-Premier) and I know that at least that was inferior to AIR. I now use a heavily optimized DIY music server (USB into D250) and that again surpasses AIR (with a large margin).
Of course the North Star ($3000) was probably nowhere near the Esoteric UX-1 level. 
Like Yippedidou I could never go back to spinning discs because of the convenience.
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Streaming is OK for pop music, frustratingly inconvenient for classical. I listen to 80% classical and gave up trying to rip them in some even remotely convenient way so I could listen to them as I wish.
With a CD I put it in and play it. Sometimes I have to get up and put the second CD in the player. Since I only walk 8km per day this is probably just as well!
The classical CDs I have ripped and tagged so they play in a sensible order I still stream. Life is too short, and software too shite, to tag any more
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(02-Jun-2015, 12:25)Yippedidou Wrote: I haven't played a cd since I got my Aurender X100 server. I used to have PSAudio PWT and various Meridian players. Honestly, I cannot hear a difference in sound. Never tought I would give up cd players because I have a lot (around 2000) but the convenience of streaming made it for me (and the stability of the Aurender app). I'm in the looong process of ripping all my cds and by doing so rediscovering some hidden gems I had in my collection.
Same here. My experience with Aurender was a game changer. I rarely use any other source. It gives the SQ and convenience.
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