Do You Still Play Compact Discs?

[Ron Resnick]

Did you donate your compact discs to the Salvation Army or use them for target practice, or do you still have them on your shelf?

What are the advantages, if any, of playing compact discs, rather than streaming the exact same title and recording through a streamer + DAC?

If you still have and play compact discs, what CD transport do you use?

 

[Cellcbern]

Did you donate your compact discs to the Salvation Army or use them for target practice, or do you still have them on your shelf?

What are the advantages, if any, of playing compact discs, rather than streaming the exact same title and recording through a streamer + DAC?

If you still have and play compact discs, what CD transport do you use?

Physical media is all I play - SACD's, CD's, and vinyl. Don't see that changing anytime soon. My wife plugs her streaming devices into the USB port on my Modwright-Marantz SA8005 SACD player.

 

[HughP3]

Ron i presume ripping and playing counts as a no tho i still bought it?

 

[Ron Resnick]

Ron i presume ripping and playing counts as a no tho i still bought it?

What does "ripping" mean? Copying a CD to a computer hard drive?

You still have the compact disc on your shelf, so you satisfy the "have" condition. But you do not insert the CD into a transport to play the music on the CD, so you do not satisfy the "play" condition. I would apply your facts to the instant question and conclude "no."

 

[GSOphile]

Yup, CDs and SACDs on an Esoteric K-03X (K-01XD on order). Simple system, sounds great.

 

[HughP3]

What does "ripping" mean? Copying a CD to a computer hard drive?

You still have the compact disc on your shelf, so you satisfy the "have" condition. But you do not insert the CD into a transport to play the music on the CD, so you do not satisfy the "play" condition. I would apply your facts to the instant question and conclude "no."

which is how i voted as i have no transport

edit ps: lol ron i appreciate you humor as i did not really read your first post. i took playing as still buying cd’s ... and all my shoes are slip on to help avoid the old cliche

 

[Ron Resnick]

Pro-Ject came out with a new CD transport, the CD Box RS2 T. And Paul McGowan just released his PS Audio PerfectWave SACD Transport.

These days do all disc transports play SACDs, or has some manufacturer focused on optimizing its transport strictly for RedBook CDs (and maybe also reducing cost thereby)?

LL21?

AL M?

 

[matthias]

These days do all disc transports play SACDs, or has some manufacturer focused on optimizing its transport strictly for RedBook CDs (and maybe also reducing cost thereby)?

Ron,
Schiit Audio will launch this year a CD transport for Redbook only.

Matt

 

[Ron Resnick]

Ron,
Schiit Audio will launch this year a CD transport for Redbook only.

Matt

I bet it will be very good! (I hope he doesn't use some cheap, off-the-shelf transport mechanism!)

 

[matthias]

I bet it will be very good! (I hope he doesn't use some cheap, off-the-shelf transport mechanism!)

AFAIK, it uses the the same transport as dCS Rossini CD player: Stream Unlimited JPL-2800 SilverStrike with aluminium tray.

Matt

 

[Al M.]

Pro-Ject came out with a new CD transport, the CD Box RS2 T. And Paul McGowan just released his PS Audio PerfectWave SACD Transport.

These days do all disc transports play SACDs, or has some manufacturer focused on optimizing its transport strictly for RedBook CDs (and maybe also reducing cost thereby)?

LL21?

AL M?

Ron, I use a Simaudio Moon 260 DT transport (with transport mechanism developed by the company itself), which is Redbook CD only. It is followed by an Empirical Audio re-clocking system that brings down jitter to computer audio levels.

Yet absent are the RF noise issues that often plague computer audio, and which apparently can be completely avoided only with sophisticated DIY solutions, which I don't want to invest time and effort into, or expensive off-the-shelf server solutions.

That is also the reason why I stick with CD playback. I wanted to invest my money in other areas of my system, rather than a server. Rather than chasing "hi res" (as if CD wasn't high resolution) with limited availability of titles, I wanted to optimize my CD playback, and I am very happy with my choice.

I stream on YouTube over headphones, but for serious sound quality it is CD playback on my system.

So yes, I still play compact discs, and that is all I do on the audiophile level. I don't need to stream on my system since I can't even listen properly to all the CDs that I have. I have an embarrassment of musical riches at my disposal.

 

[Ron Resnick]

AFAIK, it uses the the same transport as dCS Rossini CD player: Stream Unlimited JPL-2800 SilverStrike with aluminium tray.

Matt

That's good enough for me!

 

[chuck]

Yes, of course. That is what they were made for.

RBCD and SACD on Playback Designs Dream Series MPT-8/MPD-8 and a Sony SCD5400ES, DVD-Audio on Classe CDP300. The transport usually sounds better than the streamed version and original CDs can sound better than the later re-masters. It is fun to play the silver discs, to look at shelves and pick some to play. I have quite a few CD Box Sets, too. Sometimes it is better to pick music to play myself rather than let computer algorithms do it.

 

[XV-1]

No. Vinyl and streaming. CD's are DEAD

 

[MTB Vince]

Strictly physical audio media on my big rig too. While I stream Apple lossless playlists from my laptop as background music in my shop and in the livingroom, when I'm listening "for real" in our dedicated music and cinema room, I still love the ritual of putting on a record or a CD. CD transport is per my signature, a Jay's Audio CDT2 MkII. Alternately I spin vinyl on a sweet Oracle.

 

[BruceD]

Yes I still play CD Redbook--I use the Naim CD555 Player-I'd say the finest one box player I've heard and bettered all my previous player and DACs
in my music room.
My sole in house musical experience now-
BruceD

 

[BlueFox]

Haven't played my CD player in a year. If I want to hear a CD I rip it to my Lumin, and play it there. However, l now mainly buy 2-3 downloads from HDTracks every Friday.

 

[HungarianPal]

I do.
I haven't made the effort of ripping my CD collection. I play CDs through my MARANTZ SA14S1 SE. I have ripped some CDs though and play the files through different DACs. A different experience.

 

[spiritofmusic]

Ron, the Eera Tentation player you so loved is still here, I've heard the Extreme twice, two custom servers, one with quad switch, and I'm not even tempted to move from CD to streaming.

I still find it telling that there is no big shootout between the very best servers and the best CDPs or CDT/dac.

 

[analyzer]

Here I'm Sir!
I still play the compact disc; it's my primary source; followed by a vinyl TT.
Sometimes also FM tuner and deck are used.
Player: Emmlabs CDSA-SE-X (unit previously in the hand of spiritofmusic Who wrote just before me on this thread).
In 2022 I think to go (at last) with a decent streamer/DAC with access to online music services.