2. digital
  3. 1093493041

CDs vs Hard Drive shootout

I'll always keep a reference CD player for times when I really want to LISTEN, but for convenience I've been considering a cd jukebox (sony etc). However, having all my cd's on a hard drive would be even more convenient.

Speak to me not of mp3, I'd only do it with as close as I could get to EXACT copy of cd original with this. Then for playback feed SPDIF output to the DAC.

1. What audiophile considerations are involved in storing an exact copy of a cd on hard drive? (jitter?)

2. Once I have exact copy, what are the hurdles for accurate playback (assuming digital output to external DAC)? (assumption is that since hard drive data rate is xx times cd read rate, jitter transport stability etc would not be an issue.)

Welcome any comments, and appreciate any links to more info.

thanks!!
new_wes

Showing 4 responses by kana813

kana813
956 posts
 
For a cost effective interface from your computer to a DAC and music data file management, check out :

http://www.slimdevices.com/

FYI- if there's jitter present in the original recording,
an "Exact copy" and the hard drive data rate will do nothing to eliminated it. All you can go is prevent additional jitter from being added.

Finally, if you haven't heard the difference a good transport can make, you haven't heard a good transport.
kana813
956 posts
 
Mmrog-

My comment on jitter pertain to jiiter present in the A/D
conversion during recording process. You can rip, burn and copy all you want and it'll will still be there.

IMO- a CD pressed on warped media may be hard to read, but it not adding jitter like the A/D process. CD pressed from worn out/down masters are more of a problem.

The other main cause of jitter is power supply noise. The power supplies used in computers are cheap and noisy(I'm talking a fan noise), and should be isolated from the audio system.

If you want to control jitter from hard drives devises look for a used Genesis Digital Lens or the Apogee Big Ben.

Finally, I'll put my money on the sound quality of hi end
transport, over the cheap drives inside of computer.
kana813
956 posts
 
Sidssp- Sorry, I meant to say- "I'm not talking about fan noise." The noise I'm referring to is ripple noise from the SMPS units used in most computers. I'll have to start
using the preview feature.
kana813
956 posts
 
Mmrog-
From the article:

"In practice, it is the lack of crisp pit formation in a stamped CD that causes most of the problems. If a clock 'tick' prompts the laser to read the next sample and the wall of that pit isn't interpreted as a wall, the sample isn't misread but read just a little too late. Every transition from pit to flat and flat to pit becomes read as a digital 1. For a purely digital likeness, time delays don't pose any problems since the 1 is properly extracted. During playback, however, you will notice a peculiar harshness often associated with the medium. These offsets in time are called jitter."

Yes- some jitter or read errors from a worn stamper can be improved by ripping with EAC. But once again jitter present during the the Analog to Digital process of the the recording can't not be corrected.

FYI- the new Auric Illumunator will also help smooth out
the digital glare on these CD.
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