Bluesound Node 2: Should ripped CDs sound as good as my CD player?

[adamos]

I recently purchased a Bluesound Node 2. Overall I really like it, however to my ear my CD player sounds better. When I compare the same songs on my CD player and the Node 2, the Node 2 sounds good but the CD player sounds sharper and fuller and there is better separation of the instruments. The difference is not night and day but it is noticeable.

Generally speaking, should 16-bit FLAC files ripped from a CD sound as good on the Node 2 as the original CDs on my CD player?

I realize this is a difficult question because there are a lot of variables, but I'm trying to get a rough sense of how close in sound quality the two should be. I'd love to move away from using CDs on a regular basis but obviously I don't want to take a step down in quality.

Based on my setup, do you think that should be the case?

-Arcam Alpha 8 integrated amplifier (18 years old)

-Node 2 connected to Alpha 8 with AudioQuest Golden Gate RCA interconnect

-NAD 512 CD player (also 18 years old) connected to Alpha 8 with Kimber Kable PBJ RCA interconnect

-Paradigm Monitor 3 speakers (also 18 years old, maybe v1 but I'm not sure)

-FLAC files ripped on PC with dBpoweramp, Lossless Level 5

-FLAC files stored on WD MyCloud

-Node 2 accesses them over wifi (router is in next room)

-BlueOS app indicates wifi signal is excellent; no issues with dropouts (16-bit or 24-bit)

-No noticeable improvement when FLAC files played from USB thumb drive plugged into Node 2

Any input and suggestions for improvement would be much appreciated!

I also considered the Cambridge Audio CXN but opted for the Node 2 partly for price, partly because I like the idea of putting Bluesound speakers in other rooms over time.

 

[muljao]

I think the sound will depend on the DAC that is in your cd player and bluenote. If there is a better dac in the cd player it may sound better and vice versa

 

[iMark]

If you look at the technology of the CD, ripping the CD with error correction on should give you the best possible copy of the original sound files. Since a CD player has to do the error correction on the fly there might always be non-corrected errors remaining. Ripping software will take as much time as needed to correct the errors and will give you better sound.

The quality of the playback however is dependent on quality of the DAC. But if you can play the CD and the ripped CD through the same DAC, the ripped files should sound better.

In the past I have ripped CDs that had some scratches on them and didn't play well. I have ripped these CDs with error correction and I was able to get perfect sounding files. I could then burn these files to a CD-R, which sounded better than the original CD.

 

[MajorFubar]

Generally speaking, should 16-bit FLAC files ripped from a CD sound as good on the Node 2 as the original CDs on my CD player?

Not if you just simply prefer the sound of your CD player's DAC to the one in the Node 2.

 

[Leeps]

It's not just a case of comparing the DACs of the CD player and the Bluesound. Seeing that you intend to use their analogue outputs, it would also depend on the quality of the analogue output components. So one benefit (a newer more comprehensive DAC) might be cancelled out by a superior analogue output in the CD. So there are quite a few variables at work.

I found in my amp that the digital inputs sounded clearer and less muddy than the analogue inputs, so I use these, making use of the amp's DAC regardless of the source. Any system tends to be as good as the weakest link in the chain, whatever that might happen to be.

 

[adamos]

Thanks muljao, I should have made that more clear in my post. I'm hoping that someone is familar with the DAC or other elements in the NAD 512 vs. the Node 2, or perhaps the different interconnects. Although specific to the interconnects I swapped them between the two devices as a test and it didn't seem to make a significant difference.

 

[MajorFubar]

It's not just a case of comparing the DACs of the CD player and the Bluesound. Seeing that you intend to use their analogue outputs, it would also depend on the quality of the analogue output components. So one benefit (a newer more comprehensive DAC) might be cancelled out by a superior analogue output in the CD.

When I use the term 'DAC' I mean the whole caboodle: everything in the circuit which turns the 1s and 0s into sound, including what you're calling the 'analogue output components'. It's not like there is an option to separate the two.

 

[adamos]

Thanks Mark, that's interesting. When I was ripping my CD collections some of my older CDs did have a few tracks that did not get good AccurateRip scores, I'll double check on error correction.

 

[adamos]

Thanks Leeps. My integrated amp is fairly old and I don't believe it has any digital inputs, which is why I'm using the RCA interconnects. I may eventually upgrade but I've been happy with my Alpha 8 for a long time so I haven't been in a hurry. Also I'm just now getting into playing FLAC files on my main system.

 

[adamos]

Generally speaking, should 16-bit FLAC files ripped from a CD sound as good on the Node 2 as the original CDs on my CD player?

Not if you just simply prefer the sound of your CD player's DAC to the one in the Node 2.

I do acknowledge that some of it may be that I've been playing this CD player > integrated amp combo for 18 years, so I'm certainly very used to the sound.

 

[MajorFubar]

I do acknowledge that some of it may be that I've been playing this CD player > integrated amp combo for 18 years, so I'm certainly very used to the sound.

Yep and there's nothing wrong with that at all. Other than you're £500 lighter but still on the hunt for a streaming solution which you enjoy listening to as much as your old CD player. Bit like me I guess. My old Mission PCM II is in a different sonic league to the HRT II+ DAC I bought in 2012 for £300, despite the former being some 23-24 years older.