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Want to buy Ayre C-5xeMP but...

I have had the Ayre in my system for 4 days and at first I found it to be better than my CDP but after extended listening I am to the point where I don't want to let it go.

My only concern is should I go with a DAC and a server instead?

I do not want to hear a hard drive or the fan of a computer and my display is a DLP and has an annoying fan also, so I never have them on while critical listening. Even the faint noise coming out of the DVR is too much.

I know that music servers are the future of audio but I don't mind changing the CD's. If I want convenience I just burn discs with the songs that I am listening to most of the time and when my mood changes I can throw that one out and burn a new one.

I have thousands of songs on my computer and shuffling through them is great but in my system I am all about sound not convenience.

Are CD's dead and upgrading my CDP a waist of money?

2 channel part of the system consists of..

Krell Evo 707
Krell Evo 400 mono's
B&W 800D's
Meridian G08
Ps Audio PPP
Shunyata Python CX pc's
relentless

Showing 6 responses by perrew

perrew
299 posts
 
Relentless,

even though I have a very good music server and it doesnt make any disturbing detectable noise since its situated away from the DAC/Player the CD drive still sounds better. If I had to choose between the music server and the CD I would choose the CD. If you have the space to store the music physically its always nice to have something in your hand that you can touch and feel and notes that you can read while you listen to a record.
perrew
299 posts
 
Herman,

if you look at my system page you can see what DAC Im using, its the same DAC for the CD transport as for the music server. Software are .wav files.
perrew
299 posts
 
Herman, its a PC with parallel Hard Drive running Win XP and Squeezecenter. Plextor 760 CD/DVD-Drive and Audiograbber for ripping. Its connected to the DAC with Wireless connection. My player has built in WiFi. As I said the sound is very very good and convenience is unbeatable, but if I had to choose I would still pick the CD since it sounds better.
perrew
299 posts
 
Well from my understanding even cheap CD players have good error correction and memory buffering with large enough memory chips, so I dont buy the myth that the reading of the disc is superior with computer vs. CD.

Relentless, I think you should definately ask your dealer what he has to say about what transport(i.e. music server) he uses and how he feels about about electrical noise from the switching power supplies.
perrew
299 posts
 
My conclusions follow my experience and my experience follow the theories Ive been able do dig up so far.
This is not a proof.
I have had the same experience with other good DACs as well. They sounded better when fed with a CD transport than with a computer.

It depends on how you define cheap but I still think most cd players contain large enough RAMs for powerful error correction and memory buffering.

May I ask what server you run and has it beaten your CD transports?
perrew
299 posts
 
Well you can always get a player that has a digital input and then you have both CD and music server. One that comes to my mind is the new Esoteric DV50.
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