Are you still playing CDs after, comp based syst?

I just set up my new music server this week (Naim NDS Server/DAC, Uniti ripper, Qnap NAS) so I have begun to rip my CD collection. This is going to take quite a bit of effort, particularly, the editing of metadata. In addition to ease of accessing and browsing my collection, I am looking forward to buying high resolution downloads.

But, in terms of the sonic quality of CD play vs. CD ripped to a server, I think I like my current CD player a little bit more (Naim CD555). The CD playback has a little bit more weight and fullness and does not have quite as much of an artificial hardness or edge to the sound. I know this is not exactly a direct comparison because the DAC in the server is different from that of my CD player, even if it is the same brand, but I expect that there should be a lot of similarity.

Don't get me wrong, I like the sound and I am excited about high rez download capability, but, I am not hearing superior sound from the server vs. the cd player where both are top of the line models from the same company.

C D players soon prehistoric items whith the quality dacs on the market,
I own hegel hd11 and PS audio perfect wave.
Playing files from itunes on AIFF, excellent results
Remote control for macbook pro and lets the music play.

It sounds like a lot of folk are settling for a computer based system and extolling its virtues, proclaiming the death of CDPs.

It's only when I read reviews like this: http://www.stereotimes.com/ (on the Laufer Teknik Memory Player 64) that I realize said folk are settling for less.
Granted, present day PC audio might be better than some, or most, CDPs out there, but there is still a long way to go.

It seems there is much more to jitter than thought and what arrives at the DAC is far from perfect and the DAC can't reconstruct what is already riddled with jitter due to a host of things. Even standard memory players can't make whole what is damaged to begin with.

Reading data, transmitting data, and converting data is not all there is to it, or so the designer of the Laufer MP would have you believe. Jitter is introduced at each and every step you can imagine. There is no perfect signal that is captured so when jitter laden data enters the DAC, no matter the pedigree, it remains there when outputted.

At least that is what I got from the review. The price of the unit is right up there where I can't afford it but those who have heard it swear by it (so says the reviewer) . Does anyone here know of or have heard this player and is the article correct?

It seems that some kind of reconstructing of the data has to be done AFTER going through a DAC. If this is so, then all bets are off and folk here are merely settling for something incrementally better.

All the best,
Nonoise

Still getting mixed results comparing CDs with Computer based Systems- sound quality wise. I see no reason for
either/ or contest between the two. Next Solar Flare wipes
out all software for word processing, you are going to be hurting for that Typewriter. Computer Audio is flaky, fragile, susceptible to fragmentation, not to mention all
manor of viruses/ malware/ spyware/ and magnetic fields.
Despite this Computer Audio is still usable, but I certainly would use CD as a back-up. I have never had to
back-up a CD. Music Files are disposable Computer trash, much like disposable lighters. Back-ups are only lipstick
on this Pig. Sneeze and you would fragment half of your
Music Files. They are only temporary, and certainly not
made to last. They are only cheap, and inexpensive- not
unlike magnetic cassette tapes! Remember those? A good
magnet can wipe out both, how reliable can that be?

I still love the sound of a CD played on my modded CEC TL-1X transport through PWD MKII DAC. Generally use a Byrston BDP-1 digital music player, but sometimes there is a warmth to the CD playback that analog fans probably love about their LP's.

Neal