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DAC/CD advice for new Solo owner
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Cyreg View Drop Down
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Points: 316 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Cyreg Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15 May 2012 at 8:16pm
Originally posted by CageyH CageyH wrote:

  .....should be able to get an Audiolab 8200CD (and use the DAC) ....
Best of both worlds....?.... just get the DAC, as all CD mechanisms are about the same anyway?
 
 
Just last week I had a Audiolab CD8200 here in my system for a few hours.
CD play sounded pretty good, specially after finding the best sounding Phase/Neutral connection 
and having an accessable USB DAC for convenience is a good extra, I suppose.
 
And believe me > not all CD-drives sound the sameWink
TecnoDec/RB250/MP110>GramAmp2C/PSU1; Cyrus CD8SE; > Exposure 3010S2D INT > Harbeth C7ES-3 '35th Anniversary'
cabling: IC 2x DNM V3; LScable Exposure DMF-two; Furu TP60 + MWaY and BlackCable pc's
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CageyH View Drop Down
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Points: 1751 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote CageyH Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15 May 2012 at 8:22pm
The CD8SE is probably just out of my price range, but I would be interested to know how it compares.
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morris_minor View Drop Down
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Points: 6197 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote morris_minor Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15 May 2012 at 11:37pm
Originally posted by Cyreg Cyreg wrote:

No experience at all with (good quality) streaming, but....Shocked
 
To get best info from a CD you still need a CD-drive at least, plus.....
A lot of those around too with much difference in soundquality.....and...
...not even speaking about the digital cable connection you'll need for transfer.
 
So can you tell me how you do get the right digital stream from your "CD mastersource" to start with?
 
And.... did you ever make a real listeningeffort to give your statement some body, at the least for yourself?
Anybody else who has seriously done this? I am very curious.
 
But than I also went into CDplayers and CD's only after 10 years of existence.
So I am not really a digital addict so to saySmile
 
To get your data from a CD a CD/DVD drive on a computer plus some software is all that is basically needed. But there are rips, and then there are "accurate" rips. The best software uses an online database called AccurateRip for comparing rips. Have a look here for more info on this.

Put simply, if your rip's checksum doesn't match the database the software tries again. This hopefully produces a perfect rip. Unlike a CD player, the software can keep going back over a difficult area; a CD player would have to perform realtime error correction as the disc played. I had a very difficult disc that refused to play without audible glitches which when ripped and then burnt back to a CDR (this was before I was streaming audio) played with no audible problems.

Digital coax cables are the same as other interconnects in that you can pay peanuts or simply stupid money. I use a £25 Mark Grant cable between SB Touch and the DAC and don't see why I should pay more. I did a comparison with an Ecosse digital cable costing four times as much and I could hear no difference.

Before I was "converted" - and I really resisted - a friend loaned me his Linn CD player and a Squeezebox Classic (SB3) along with a Benchmark DAC. After doing some ripping, installing SqueezeServer, and getting the SB on the wireless network, I had about two weeks of comparing the Linn and the SB/DAC combo. (At the time I had a Marantz CD63SE, which also came into the equation). There was certainly a difference between the systems - in terms in presentation. For my tastes the SB/DAC was much more what I was after - it had more weight and dynamics, and tonally was more appealing. The Linn was leaner and a bit "faster", and didn't do anything for me. My Marantz was "better" than the Linn, in that I liked its sound, but this too lagged behind the SB. This was a real "ear" opener for me, and I couldn't wait to get my own Squeezebox. My friend sold his Linn CD soon after because he never used it.

I think I'm right in saying that Linn themselves have now ditched CD players in favour of streaming. (I couldn't see any on their website).

I'm certainly not saying that all CD players are rubbish, because plainly they aren't. But a really good CD player won't be cheap because it has to have the electro-mechanical system sorted, and a lot use custom error correction software. In terms of bang-for-your-buck streaming can offer very good value. That's basically what I was trying to say in a very convoluted manner.

As write I am, of course, listening to some vinyl with my new Reflex and ULDE . . . LOL
Bob

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Accession MC/Enigma, Accession MM, Reflex M, Elevator EXP, Era Gold V
Solo ULDE, Novo, Lautus USB and digital, Libran balanced, CuSat50
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discrete badger View Drop Down
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Points: 482 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote discrete badger Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 May 2012 at 7:26am
It's worth mentioning that the fundamental problem with the CD DA format is that there are no sector headers and very little checksumming built in. This is why such esoteric error correction schemes exist. Contrast this with CD ROM where such an error rate would render it useless for the bit-perfect requirements of data files. This gives a clue as to why you can store substantially less music on a CD ROM as losless files vs burning them directly as CD DA - it's all the headers and checksumming which enables the cheapo CD ROM drive to recover the data with perfect accuracy.

So CD is a flawed format, yes, but there is a lot of it out there and it can sound very good!
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Points: 176 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Jog3004 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 May 2012 at 7:29am
I can't comment on the Audiolab, but I have the Cyrus CD8se with PSXR. I was a big fan of Arcam & expected to end up buying Arcam again, but, to my astonishment as I'd heard Cyrus before & found them too clinical, after auditioning Arcam, Naim, linn & Cyrus, I ended up buying the latter. The Naim give it it's closest run, but the Cyrus was superb, it was the only one that got my foot tapping & singing along, the others I just sat back & listened. I now use the Cyrus with Solo UL connected direct by Cusat50, & thoroughly enjoy this set up with my Grado Sr325is & Phiaton PS500. I would recommend before you buy to take the solo etc to a good hifi store & audition. Just because I liked the Cyrus doesn't mean you will. I'll also point out that if you can't afford the Cyrus 8SE, they offer a good upgrade service that when funds allow, you can upgrade 6se to an 8se for the same price as the difference between the 2, plus you can also add a PSXR at leisure that adds primarily bass weight, but also soundstage & detail. Incidentally, my music preference is sleaze/ heavy metal.
James
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end457 View Drop Down
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Points: 3 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote end457 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 13 Mar 2013 at 11:50am
i am wondering know what you get it finally. I set up system as same as you. but I don't know which CDP OR DAC I can choose.
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11rushgarrick11 View Drop Down
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Points: 55 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote 11rushgarrick11 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 13 Mar 2013 at 11:59am
Lol if you read my post I put just minutes earlier I'm at a similar junction...

I myself because I went the rega route, went rega apollo and I'm thinking this weekend rega dac. I keep hearing good things about the audiolab, the Cyrus and even the musical fidelity. All our directions may help but nothing beats getting them home for a loan or worse case getting a listen in store..

For us here in uk though I can't help but think its good we have some good home soil companies that a churning out good products at the moment!

Peace all...
the real art of conducting consists in transistors :p
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