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Who listens primarily to Redbook CD?

My primary (only, actually) source is a CEC TL5 Transport feeding an Audio Note Kit 1.1 NOS DAC through a Cerious Technologies Graphene Extreme AES/EBU digital cable. They are both decked out with CT GE power cords, Synergistic Research Quantum Black fuses, Herbie's Audio Lab Tenderfeet isolation footers, plus other misc. tweaks.

Sounds great, and I have very little desire to add another source. Pretty much all the music I want is available on CD, and is usually quite cheap. I hope to upgrade to an AN factory DAC (3.1x/II, or better, would be nice), and a Teo Audio liquid metal digital cable (I have their Game Changer ICs, and absolutely love them!) in the future.

Who else is happy with Redbook CD as their primary source?
tommylion

Showing 2 responses by bigkidz

bigkidz
3,311 posts
 
I build my own components so I use a Direct Heated Triode DAC.  Power supply is 35lbs alone.  Use an older Audiomeca CDP as a transport (same as the CEC).  Have you compared your CEC to anything else?  I wanted the 3 series but its not made anymore.  I have heard my DAC with the top CEC and it was amazing.


I also have a HDMI connection with the DAC and build a converter and a server, its very close but I have not perfected it yet.  Working on it.

For a Digital cable I have come back to using a Moray James.  For some reason it just has a tone that I really like.  I also have a Shunyata Cobra but that seems to make everything sound smoothed out, and seems to hold back some dynamics in direct comparison.  It seems to mask the digital glare that some system may require, but that is not my system with my dac.

Happy Listening.
bigkidz
3,311 posts
 
The Schiit is an R2R but not discrete so IMO still is a chip type of processor.  You can buy discrete R2R for under $300.  I have also build a DAC with the sigma and I found it so sound excellent also.  The discrete R2R was more analog sounding to my ears, but I also liked what the Sigma offered.  Its a matter of ones own taste.

Happy Listening.
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