I like to have shelves full of LPs and CDs! It gives me pride of ownership and looks impressive! Something that can't be said about a hard-drive! And when your HD crashes what are you going to do then?
Who is ditching their shiny disc spinners?
I want to upgrade my digital side … (currently Bluesound Vault 2i feeding the DAC of Oppo 105) … plan to spend around $2k … since I’ve ripped all my CDs to the Vault, thinking of spending it all on a DAC, and retire/sell the Oppo while it still has some value. I do have a few older CDPs I could retain as backup, but not sure why I would ever need.
Alternatively, was considering a better combined CDP/DAC like a newer Marantz or Yamaha … upgrades DAC performance some, and a reliable spinner for quite a few more years … but I have very few SACDs, so feeling like this would be the tail wagging the dog.
In what direction have you been migrating?
Alternatively, was considering a better combined CDP/DAC like a newer Marantz or Yamaha … upgrades DAC performance some, and a reliable spinner for quite a few more years … but I have very few SACDs, so feeling like this would be the tail wagging the dog.
In what direction have you been migrating?
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I'm perfectly happy with my Mojo Audio DAC and SimAudio CD transport, they aren’t going anywhere. My head spins every time I read about what folks go through to get top notch streaming sq, from segregating certain equipment in a different room, to multiple components and cables in between before you eventually get to the DAC. Glad that "the process" works for them, it’s just not for me. The one downside for me to not streaming is that there are some artists that only provide there music via a service. |
I would keep one SACD/CD player active in the system, remember to use it occasionally to keep it’s lubrication/moving parts from becoming problematic from disuse. I did LP’s exclusively for over a year, then I bought an Oppo 105, and re-discovered many great CDs. Compared prior player to Oppo. It too sounded amazing. Kept it, prefer it’s smaller size, features and remote, sold the Oppo. I don’t stream. I realized, the CD’s sound amazing, better than ever, because of all the other improvements I made: new power filtering new 6 nines copper: speaker connectors/silver solder; speaker cables; spades; interconnects with locking rca connectors new 16 ohm L-pads in speakers (replacing incorrect 8 ohm pots). re-coned 15" woofer new gold rca inputs for vintage preamp Any CD Player you keep will get the benefit of any future improvements. I buy LP versions of favorite amazing music, they most often beat the CD, but I’d rather buy ’new to me’ music than churn LP version for CD version. did I forget to mention, I have a heck of a lot of CDs. |
My Moon transport + Aqua DAC combo sounds great to me. I have no desire to spend the time ripping cds. I like physical media. I've read many posts by people saying how much better purely digital playback sounds only to discover their "benchmark" for physical media SQ is an Oppo or something similar. I already have enough screens/menus to navigate in my life, thank you-- I have 0 interest in adding more. Get my drift? |
plan to spend around $2k … since I’ve ripped all my CDs to the Vault, thinking of spending it all on a DACExcellent idea. Ditch the spinner/buggy whip. There are a bunch of great DACs in the $2k range that’ll dramatically improve your overall sound quality from the likes of Denafrips, Soekris, Gustard, Audio gd, Musician, etc. Best of luck. |
If you are renting your music from Qubuz, etc @ $20 mo.(for now) then streaming MAY be the better route with a good dac. However, IME playing your own music from a HD is ripe with problem usually due to network and software issues. I have 200mbps internet connection, top tier router, 3 Ter. HD with at least 1 Ter, of FLAC & WAV files, & new computer. I bought my 1st com,puter in 1991 and my 1st stereo 50 yrs ago. Still, I've had nothing but trouble.. So a $2K streamer/Dac has sat idle for 2 mos. due to frustration. Thankfully I have a Theta Miles CDP which sounds excellent. Plus vinyl. I'm ready to try some more software for the streamer soon. |
artemus_5 Thanks @cleedsYes, it works out to $12.49/month if you choose to pay annually. ($149.95), @artemus_5 . I'm in the US. Details here. |
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I ripped all my CD's to a Bluesound Vault and never use my CD player now. I have several backups just in case and run it through an outboard DAC now, which did improve the sound. I have once in a while though about buying a newer CD player, but can't seem to find a good reason. And now I don't have shelves filled with CD's. More room for books.... |
@deadhead1000 exactly what I am doing now and planning, although still have the CDs and probably have a harder time parting with them (though I should). For all practical purposes the Vault IS the CDP, and don’t think an upper level CDP’s DAC will be as good as ripped and fed back to a stand-alone DAC at same price point. We dinosaurs find it hard to break old habits 😁 |
Not me. I'll play my CDs until my player dies and just get another one. Back ups always go bad which is why you need to copy and backup even more. It's a never ending process. Every day I read of how sound improvements pop up with better this and tbetter hat for all the boxes and cabling needed. Instead of simplify, it's more complicated way to do it with so many variables to go wrong. I don't mind handling CDs. I don't get why people do mind. If you're not handling a CD, you're handling some app instead on your phone or tablet. Never wanted to be a DJ and scroll thru tons of songs I'll never listen to just to say "look how much I have stored but never listen to". By the time you're all set and ready to go, along comes a better way to do it but it'll cost you even more and require better cabling or some new software or app. And in the end, lots of pro reviewers talk of how their CD always sound better than their streaming set ups. I'll take their word for it and save myself the hassle. All the best, Nonoise |
What can I say? I like to wander over to my CD/SACD rack and ponder what I might want to listen to. The same goes with my LP shelves & boxes of singles. I just find it easier to stroll through physical media than to squint at a website. By the same token, though, maybe I'll bite the proverbial bullet and cruise Qobuz or Primephonic for something I've never heard before. How 'bout a new performance of a Mozart Symphony, an oddball outtake of an old REM tune, or something mentioned in a record review? |
maybe I'll bite the proverbial bullet and cruise Qobuz or Primephonic for something I've never heard before.Finding new music, a lot of which I’d never have found otherwise, is the best thing about streaming IME. In fact, I find myself listening more to new music than my own stuff, and frankly I’m enjoying and have more fun listening to music than ever before. Beats the crap outta wandering over to my CD rack for more of the same old stuff, but that’s me. |
@edcyn +1 The physical media is nice, often, in settling me into a continual experience. It helps one "commit" more often to an extended listen with an album or artist. The streaming is a discovery tool like no other; a cornucopia of newness. I opt for BOTH and think I'll stay with the CDs for a while but would not give up the streaming. |
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I did just that ripped all my CDs to the Bluesound Vault and gave away my CDs I'm using Ayre Codex Dac upgraded the Bluesound to Aurended N10 and will upgrade my Dac to Aesthtix Pandora I think with the Pandora I will surpass my analog setup you don't have to worry about the drive crashing because you back it up on another drive Enjoy the Music Tom |
@david_ten - funny you should say that because as I was writing I was thinking that exact thing. People who never experienced analog probably think that the vinyl thing is a separate hobby unto itself. Look - everything we do is far beyond what the average person does in bringing music into their home. If they do it at all. And all of us take it to the degree we find interesting. I have a very nice analog setup, but I could never spend 30 minutes cleaning a record on a Kirmuss, but some people live for it. Enjoy yourself how you like while you can. |
This is an interesting discussion…I have been focusing on my vinyl collection and had planned on completely ditching my CD collection and rely on a streaming solution…then I had a conversation with someone about how much they enjoy their SACD recordings and I had the opportunity to acquire a Modwright modified Sony SACD player. The player arrived a couple of weeks ago and I am stunned by the sound quality. I have reversed my stance completely (in fact I have ordered about a half dozen SACDs this week) and have been playing CD after CD. As others have said, I really do like the physical media and the liner notes and, maybe, a bit of the nostalgia as I harken back to when I got into higher end audio as the CD was making its emergence. For me, the CDP is here to stay. |
I’ve got 2 Marantz sacd 30n’s that can also be used for streaming that I purchased within the last year. I love having physical media and have collected a lot of cds over the years. Before that, it was cassettes and before that was vinyl. The cds have survived my youth and subsequent moves much better than either (though I am discovering the joys of vinyl again). Who, knows perhaps I’ll refurbish my old Nakamichi cr-2a and revisit cassettes? My old Nakamichi om-s1 is still kicking, though the new Marantz units sound much better to me. I realize that there are superior options for streaming and the convenience of having a digital juke box has its appeal. Though I’m too set I’m my ways and quite satisfied with my gear. I like the streaming aspect of the sacd 30n best for sampling new music before making a purchase. Thrive |
Many are migrating to all digital streaming and hard drive, and there is no doubt a good DAC can extract a lot of detail and make a great system. But the problem I see is that, because everything is at hand, your listening changes too and you just jump around rather than listening to a CD/LP that often the artist put a ton of time into to create a musical arc. It’s instant gratification time. So I still prefer to keep my CDs and Vinyl as physical music I put on and play through. So, like some other posts have mentioned I’d keep both the ‘shiny spinner’ and digital hard drive. Like you too I have a few SACDs but given there all but one playable as CDs too, opting for a new SACD is probably not the ‘best’ option. So it all comes down how you listen and interact with your music collection, but I’d buy the DAC and see how it all sounds before ditching anything! |
I have ripped more than 1100 CDs with my Cocktailaudio X45Pro. Just stick the CD into the slot and it rip's away to the HD. The X45 automatically downloads meta data from web. I have ripped to FLAC with no issues. Occasionally the X45 finds the wrong meta data. This can be easily corrected manually from several sources on the web. I no longer use a preamp. The X45 has all the features needed included digital balance, a feature that I find useful. I just connect it to my Classe amp with balanced cables and my audiophile friends are amazed. |
