Yup. Here's a picture of my collection:I have bought and played CD’s over the years. For the last 10 years or so, I play them once to rip them into flac’s then store them in boxes/rack in the closet, another backup.
Most of my newer purchases are now downloaded from hdtracks. View attachment 74292
Analog vs digital formats, of course. There is no difference between a bit perfect download and a cd from a media perspectiveFor those who don't understand the word antigua, it believe it means "ancient". Without any bias towards any media, if CD's are ancient, what are LP's (33, 45, and 78 rpm) and R2R tapes?
The Golden Age.For those who don't understand the word antigua, it believe it means "ancient". Without any bias towards any media, if CD's are ancient, what are LP's (33, 45, and 78 rpm) and R2R tapes?
What's a compac
What's a compact disc?
I havent till today Streaming that sounded as good as my Cd Transport Dac i am using a Metronome Audio Kalista Reference Cd transport owned many cd transports and think that Zanden P2000 and Kalista are the best that i heard.
As i live in Netherlands i am planing to visit Taiko Audio soon to see if this very acclaimed server/streamer can catch my CDs and Kalista Transport...
X2 ..............Physical media is all I play - SACD's, CD's, and vinyl. Don't see that changing anytime soon.
Hello and good evening to you, Ron.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?
Hello and good evening to you, Ron.
Question #1 and my answer - I have CD's from since I was knee high to a duck (so to speak) all of the way up to a CD purchased and delivered today (one that I have been waiting on from Japan for a month or two). I have probably a thousand or more on my wall in the main rig room, with many more in the closet. Some of them, you will never hear anywhere else (on ANY medium).
They are going nowhere, except for when I pass from this blue globe. In that case? They will be inherited to my son and no one else. Some of the CD's (SACD's/XRCD's/HDCD's and the like) are limited edition/rare/highly sought after and some are simply unobtainable anymore. To find some of what I have, it would be easier to win the mega million lottery. Even on other formats (if the versions I have are even available on other formats).
Question #2 and my answer - The advantages are described above. That's just one point of why. There are other aspects as well. Sometimes (just sometimes), one does not want to go through the ritual of LP cleaning and everything that is entailed with pure reproductive efforts of a vinyl rig. Sometimes, when the LP portion of the stereo is under construction, in the process of upgrading or the like? Sometimes, it's nice to (while you are working on upgrading/modifying) just put in a CD and listen while you are working.
Every once in a while, even though it may not be as pure as vinyl? One just wants to listen to zero snaps, crackles and pops.....just what one of the the original reason for CD's were about....purity. (Laughable, I know). This is just me though. But that's beside he point. Your question was why I would want to play a CD versus streaming.
So, on to my answer on that....
In my travels, I have heard many a streamer. Many DAC's at all kinds of price ranges and on many different systems. Every single one of the streamers have what I refer to as a "mid-bass" suck out. Do they sound great in the room you are listening in? Some of them/many of them? Yes. Are they comparable to physical media? No. Not in my experience. At all. Is it close? AbsoF'nlutely. (Please excuse my "French")
For many out there, I am full of it. For me? Sorry man, they just don't do it for me....sound wise. There is something missing (always) and I can hear the difference. Price of gear does not seem to make me change my observations.
Just for S&G's.....take the same "audiophile album" that is full range, demanding with respect to frequencies (not some easy audiophile album that is just acoustic). Play that album or song in your listening room. Sounds great, right? Well, it may or may not depending on your rig/setup. Now, take that same album/song and listen to the same thing about 100 feet away in your home.
Does it have the same frequency output? In my experience, there is something missing. There is a "mid-bass" suck out. Something (the very thing that gives music "life" to me is missing.
Now, go back and put that same album/song in with physical media and not your streamer. Listen in your room and enjoy all of the wonderful bliss that it brings. Now go back out 100' away and listen to the change from that position from what you heard before. Sounds a little bit more "full", right? Perhaps a little bit more "complete" in the frequency range.
Well, this is that "mid-bass" suck out I am talking about. I really do not know how else to describe it. I could be WAY off with my description, (Self admitted) but that's about the best way I (personally) can describe it. All I know is that I do not like it and now that I know what it is I am missing? It does not matter where I am or what I have listened too? I hear it on streaming systems versus physical media.
With that said, some streamers have certain attributes that I desire with certain songs/albums/reproductive efforts but we are not doing an apples to apples comparison here. Different animals making different sounds......but I guess that's my point. While streamers may get you "perfect" bit for bit (or whatever the latest audiophile phrase of the week is) reproduction of the original? It simply isn't the same to me.
I can still appreciate it though. I'm not knocking it at all.....and as I type this, I am actually listening to a streamer with a DAC......from 40 feet away. Hardly ever in the sweet spot. To me, it's just a convenient aspect of the rig. One I can appreciate but I am not about covenience. I am about the end result as to what hits my ears.
Question #3 and my answer - Marantz Reference Series SA-7S1, Nerve Audio PC and Transparent Reference RCA IC to my Canary Audio pre.
My apologies for the long winded answer. Please forgive any typos....I wanted to say what was on my mind quickly without distractions.
Tom
Interesting Tom and thanks for this. My experience has been innuos ripped files compared to gryphon scorpio player. My self and another heard no difference while testing otw i would have kept the player. Maybe my ears, dont know, but i was ready to keep the player. And we did back to back. This is what has me a bit befuddled why I did not hear a difference but your experience says its not subtle. I honestly do wish it were so.Hello and good evening to you, Ron.
Question #1 and my answer - I have CD's from since I was knee high to a duck (so to speak) all of the way up to a CD purchased and delivered today (one that I have been waiting on from Japan for a month or two). I have probably a thousand or more on my wall in the main rig room, with many more in the closet. Some of them, you will never hear anywhere else (on ANY medium).
They are going nowhere, except for when I pass from this blue globe. In that case? They will be inherited to my son and no one else. Some of the CD's (SACD's/XRCD's/HDCD's and the like) are limited edition/rare/highly sought after and some are simply unobtainable anymore. To find some of what I have, it would be easier to win the mega million lottery. Even on other formats (if the versions I have are even available on other formats).
Question #2 and my answer - The advantages are described above. That's just one point of why. There are other aspects as well. Sometimes (just sometimes), one does not want to go through the ritual of LP cleaning and everything that is entailed with pure reproductive efforts of a vinyl rig. Sometimes, when the LP portion of the stereo is under construction, in the process of upgrading or the like? Sometimes, it's nice to (while you are working on upgrading/modifying) just put in a CD and listen while you are working.
Every once in a while, even though it may not be as pure as vinyl? One just wants to listen to zero snaps, crackles and pops.....just what one of the the original reason for CD's were about....purity. (Laughable, I know). This is just me though. But that's beside he point. Your question was why I would want to play a CD versus streaming.
So, on to my answer on that....
In my travels, I have heard many a streamer. Many DAC's at all kinds of price ranges and on many different systems. Every single one of the streamers have what I refer to as a "mid-bass" suck out. Do they sound great in the room you are listening in? Some of them/many of them? Yes. Are they comparable to physical media? No. Not in my experience. At all. Is it close? AbsoF'nlutely. (Please excuse my "French")
For many out there, I am full of it. For me? Sorry man, they just don't do it for me....sound wise. There is something missing (always) and I can hear the difference. Price of gear does not seem to make me change my observations.
Just for S&G's.....take the same "audiophile album" that is full range, demanding with respect to frequencies (not some easy audiophile album that is just acoustic). Play that album or song in your listening room. Sounds great, right? Well, it may or may not depending on your rig/setup. Now, take that same album/song and listen to the same thing about 100 feet away in your home.
Does it have the same frequency output? In my experience, there is something missing. There is a "mid-bass" suck out. Something (the very thing that gives music "life" to me is missing.
Now, go back and put that same album/song in with physical media and not your streamer. Listen in your room and enjoy all of the wonderful bliss that it brings. Now go back out 100' away and listen to the change from that position from what you heard before. Sounds a little bit more "full", right? Perhaps a little bit more "complete" in the frequency range.
Well, this is that "mid-bass" suck out I am talking about. I really do not know how else to describe it. I could be WAY off with my description, (Self admitted) but that's about the best way I (personally) can describe it. All I know is that I do not like it and now that I know what it is I am missing? It does not matter where I am or what I have listened too? I hear it on streaming systems versus physical media.
With that said, some streamers have certain attributes that I desire with certain songs/albums/reproductive efforts but we are not doing an apples to apples comparison here. Different animals making different sounds......but I guess that's my point. While streamers may get you "perfect" bit for bit (or whatever the latest audiophile phrase of the week is) reproduction of the original? It simply isn't the same to me.
I can still appreciate it though. I'm not knocking it at all.....and as I type this, I am actually listening to a streamer with a DAC......from 40 feet away. Hardly ever in the sweet spot. To me, it's just a convenient aspect of the rig. One I can appreciate but I am not about covenience. I am about the end result as to what hits my ears.
Question #3 and my answer - Marantz Reference Series SA-7S1, Nerve Audio PC and Transparent Reference RCA IC to my Canary Audio pre.
My apologies for the long winded answer. Please forgive any typos....I wanted to say what was on my mind quickly without distractions.
Tom
So a Minidisc should have been the Ultra Compact Disc?It's compact because a lot of music has been compressed onto a small space
Very interesting...I stopped investigating a number of years ago after spending several years looking. But the one discovery I DID make was how remarkably good the Metronome Kalista Ref transport was...and this was when i had just an older Zanden DAC and before I bought the matching Zanden 2000P with a latest spec DAC. I very nearly had the Metronome matched with the Zanden permanently...but someone else wanted it a bit more and offered our dealer a price I would not match, and I let it go.I havent till today Streaming that sounded as good as my Cd Transport Dac i am using a Metronome Audio Kalista Reference Cd transport owned many cd transports and think that Zanden P2000 and Kalista are the best that i heard.
As i live in Netherlands i am planing to visit Taiko Audio soon to see if this very acclaimed server/streamer can catch my CDs and Kalista Transport...
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