- Oct 8, 2010
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With a half-hour to myself (for once) I decided to do a bit of comparison between CD and streaming - since I have several components in my system that can handle the movement of songs from my computer to the hi-fi.
I have been storing my CDs and downloads via itunes to a separate hard drive. I now have about 15,000 songs from 1,500 artists, and they have been ripped as AAC, AIFF, Apple Lossless and also, recently, as wav files (eg the new Paul Simon download that comes with the vinyl.
As I have the Paul Simon latest album in various formats, I thought that I would compare the tracks from this via Apple TV, Cambridge Audio BD751 (via ethernet), and also Alison Krauss via CD, Apple TV and CA 751.
Of the streaming solutions (Apple and the BD751) the Apple was by far the most convenient and easy to use, but it could only play the AIFF version, not the wav). Via the CA751 it took me 8 (yes, eight) full minutes to scroll through the artists until I got to P for Paul. However, it could play the wav file, (but not the aiff version) and this was far better than the aiff version via apple. A much broader, fuller sound - the apple sounded thin and constricted in comparison.
Turning to Alison Krauss - via CD was the best option sonically, then 751 then Apple, - and it took only about fifteen seconds to find the CD in my alphabetical collection on the shelf and start to play.
The optimum solution? - not streaming...yet.
Is there a streaming solution that plays all types of files (or at least wav and apple versions) and has an easy-to-use and quick menu/locating system? (oh, and that doesn't need the tv to be on ?)
I didn't try to compare my vinyl version of the albums - that would have been too cruel
I have been storing my CDs and downloads via itunes to a separate hard drive. I now have about 15,000 songs from 1,500 artists, and they have been ripped as AAC, AIFF, Apple Lossless and also, recently, as wav files (eg the new Paul Simon download that comes with the vinyl.
As I have the Paul Simon latest album in various formats, I thought that I would compare the tracks from this via Apple TV, Cambridge Audio BD751 (via ethernet), and also Alison Krauss via CD, Apple TV and CA 751.
Of the streaming solutions (Apple and the BD751) the Apple was by far the most convenient and easy to use, but it could only play the AIFF version, not the wav). Via the CA751 it took me 8 (yes, eight) full minutes to scroll through the artists until I got to P for Paul. However, it could play the wav file, (but not the aiff version) and this was far better than the aiff version via apple. A much broader, fuller sound - the apple sounded thin and constricted in comparison.
Turning to Alison Krauss - via CD was the best option sonically, then 751 then Apple, - and it took only about fifteen seconds to find the CD in my alphabetical collection on the shelf and start to play.
The optimum solution? - not streaming...yet.
Is there a streaming solution that plays all types of files (or at least wav and apple versions) and has an easy-to-use and quick menu/locating system? (oh, and that doesn't need the tv to be on ?)
I didn't try to compare my vinyl version of the albums - that would have been too cruel