you know I quiver agreeing with a salesperson my hands are trembling... but there are some incredible cd players that bring out DSD :)-
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?
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audiotroy so i gather you don't sell cd players anymore? how could i tell? "Do you honestly think that the thousands and thousands of audiophiles across the world are getting rid of their CD players because their new streamers suck?" yes .i know because iv'e a\b'd it myself. when transistors (home audio , guitar amps)emerged in the early 60's they were the bomb ...for a while, thousands and thousands of audiophiles across the world got rid of amazing tube amps for transistors. it took some time for people to acknowledge what they lost . guitar players wouldn't stand it for a second (it was changing their artistic voice not what they consume as listeners)so they and mainly audio research(r.i.p) kept the flame going while salespeople made the whole world believe that transistors are better and now the audiophile community is back to tubes decades after. streamer users are fashion victims just like the first transistor users. it's your client that thinks the streamer sucks compared to a 10 year old cd player. the fact that he is surprised is due to being brainwashed by salesmen like you.(he knew from the first second it doesn't sound near as good because he has been using this cd player before buying the streamer so he got used to a better sound) i have no doubt and would't even bother comparing them . i have my ears and don't need salespeople quoting pseudo science . if you were men enough you would encourage all your streamer buying clients to a\b against their old cd players(not 10k cd players that will easily smoke any streamer 10 years ahead ,the common stuff oppo onkyo denon sony whatever ). the pro idsd will sound much better than the lumin but calling it "warm" is just wrong. it's a well balanced crispy sweet open sound. he already has a preamp so it's a bit of a waste. i don't think that the lumin is a particularly bad sounding streamer i think(also most sound engineers i know) that steaming will never sound as good as playing cd's |
F917 please tell me how good your 1988 Sony trinitron looks compaired to todays best TVs look. We have been replacing CD players for years with streamers and the better streamers sound way better. Go listen to a good flac file ripped on an Innuous being feed to a good dac or dac streamer set up with good cables smokes the comparably priced CD. |
fsgattuso Simple! I don’t doubt it sounds better when playing cd as that’s pcm and your Muse uses the best converter for that, and it’s R2R Multibit Ladder. MUSE ERATO 4 x PCM1704 (being the last best ones in chip form) Your Lumin D2 uses Wolfson Delta Sigma converters, good for doing DSD if you into it, but not as good for doing PCM Redbook or DXD 16/44 or 24/96. Cheers George |
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