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Why does my old CD player sound so much better than my new streamer?

Earlier this year I upgraded my system. Briefly, new Prima Luna Dialogue Premium HP integrated, new Lumin D2 streamer/DAC, kept my Tekton speakers, bought a 10 year old Muse Erato CD player, new Nordost Red Dawn cables all around.  After plenty of break in, the Lumin D2 streaming Tidal, even 24/96, does not sound close to as good as the Muse Erato.  I understand the Muse was about $10k new years ago, I paid $650 for it on Audiogon, is that the difference? It replaced my Naim I had for 20+ years and I bought it on the chance I want to listen to something not on Tidal, but now I'm going to CDs when I want to sit and listen instead of streaming. I considered upgrading to the Lumin T2, but will that be more of the same Lumin sound, which is accurate but thin and a little cold compared to the Muse.  I like the Lumin when just letting Tidal shuffle music as I move around the house, but from the opening note in an A/B test the Muse just sounds so much warmer, live and simply more enjoyable. Any thoughts or suggestions?
fsgattuso
hehaw77
43 posts
 
@ggc   all my music sounds better than CD , but its an elaborate system ...  as you noticed changing a power cord made a big difference, interconnects will also make a huge difference, usb cables (high quality) and of course a dedicated music player like an Antipodes or Innuos also make a difference a mac mini while good ; won't compete with those dedicated players... why you may ask... because they are noise treated at the board level and components etc.. special power supplies to eliminate noise... 
hehaw77
43 posts
 
@ danvignau...   see my post above problem solved.....
fsgattuso OP
25 posts
 
To Audiotroy,

I cannot find where to engage DSD transcoding?  There is no manual and on the Lumin website for set up of this product I do not see where to do this.  Can you explain?  Maybe I'll call Lumin.  I am using the stock power cord. I am using Wi-Fi not ethernet because an ethernet cable would have to be about 40 feet long and require holes drilled through walls and a floor.  The retainer recommended TP link range extender that I use, which provides a strong signal.  I read in some posts here about an sbooster power supply so I am looking into that, but still considering reading in the D2 for a T2.

Besides this, there seems to be no clear answer through all the many responses on here.  Some think the difference is in the digital phase, others think its the analogue. But I appreciate all the responses and will keep reading them.
wsrrsw's avatar
wsrrsw
877 posts
 
With out of the box settings I found the opposite.

Granted my gear isn’t yours but my T2 with upgraded power supply (with a good ethernet and power cables but not stratospheric ones) sounds better than my PrimaLuna tube CD player.

Also using WiFi into one of these...TP-Link Wireless N300 2T2R Access Point, 2.4Ghz 300Mbps, 802.11b/g/n, AP/Client/Bridge/Repeater, 2x 4dBi, Passive POE all of $23.

Apples to apples tests at 44k of the same tracks by three of us (nerds?) were done. At 96K to me sound was that of tip top vinyl.

I now now have ripped all cd’s to flacks and run those via the Lumen T2. Happy.

Every thing that’s any sort of cable/cord/power/power supply on my gear has been tweaked and what an audible difference. Your mileage may vary but better connects made a difference over stock. I don’t have anything that’s at the highest tear.
jackd
1,036 posts
 
@fsgattuso 

http://www.luminmusic.com/support-settings.html
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