DAC/CD advice for new Solo owner

When it leaves the noisy server, the audio is a data stream, not an analogue signal. I think it's mainly a failing of soundcards with analogue outputs that can get compromised close to a computer's circuitry.

As far as CD players go, these use error correction to a greater or lesser extent depending on the state of the disc and the build quality of the player. Free the data from the disc, as in a FLAC file, and you've left behind the error correction circuitry - which will have an effect on the audio long before it actually mutes.

Anecdotally, lots of folk have given up using quite expensive CD players in favour of Squeezeboxes or other streaming devices. A Touch with a linear power supply (say £200), and a good DAC (say £500) can easily compete (IMO) with CD players costing upwards of £2k, maybe more. Even if the costs were exactly the same, the flexibility of file based audio, streaming to multiple devices in many locations (sometimes all sync'd together), with automatic indexing, easy playlist assembly etc to my mind totally outweighs any benefits CDs have. The lack of sleeve notes could be a problem, and I know some people who have the discs stored and the booklets available.

You do have to make sure you back up your music library well, though!  

The only "manipulation" a streaming audio system does is free the data stream from the CD . . . As far as I can see there is no reason why a CD player should sound better than a streaming solution.

I have a pair of active Harbeths, plus a Solo ULDE with 650s and Denon 7000s - so am well able judge quality sound. For me () CD playing is history; any new CDs get handled once when ripping then stored.

Your Mileage obviously varies - which is fine . . 

Best of both worlds....? I get a decent DAC, with a bolt on CD player, or should I just get the DAC, as all CD mechanisms are about the same anyway?

 

As for the argument about which sounds better, where get you get high definition recording for "streamed audio" from? I understand the CD's are often compressed, but if I can't download decent audio, I am stuck with a compressed source.

 

Maybe I should pack all this didgital stuff in, and go back to vinyl!