CD Player? Really?

[idc]

If is any help my present set up means I have a wireless router and I stream music from varous online services such as Spotify to the PC and then USB to the DAC and phonos to the amp etc. I also used a Network Hard Drive connected to the router and accessed my itunes music files wirelessly through that. I use the computer as the server.

 

[the record spot]

Khaine775:
Hi everyone!

I'm pretty new to all this Hi-Fi stuff and I've been wondering how much of a difference a CD player makes? I've got a Denon receiver (DRA-500AE) and a couple of Dali Ikon 6 in stereo, and everything sounds lovely from my iPhone dock, but I know people who say that a CD player makes a huuuge difference. Is that true?

Assuming that the CDP is a good/great one, then yes, this is true. If it's a bunch of nuts and bolts and sounds like cack, then it's not!

Joking aside, depends on the source you pick and the recordings you have as well as the synergy between the components. Ignore all that and it's just a crapshoot.

 

[caddyhound]

A simple solution for now would be a second hand Wadia iDock(around £200).It has analogue outputs which you could use now into your current amp and a terrific digital output for later if you go down the DAC or Digital amp route.Fairly sure it supports iphone but not certain.

 

[Anonymous]

I have another question. How does a dac work really? Would it be possible to use my current ipod dock (which is the Apple universal dock) and plug it into a dac and then get an improvement in sound quality?

 

[idc]

The only docks that can be plugged into a DAC are docks which take a digital signal from the ipod, by-passing the ipods own DAC and amp. The two on the market are the Onkyo ND S1 at £135 and the Wadia itransport at £350. So the Apple dock would not work as it sends an analogue signal, the ipods own DAC doing the digital conversion.

The DAC converts the digital signal to analogue, so in an ipod it converts the music files from their digital state to analogue for the ipods amp to then amplify. Stand alone DACs are used more and more between a PC and an amp to access music files and online music services so as to listen to them via a hifi.

 

[Anonymous]

Alright, thanks for the answer. Got that cleared up then. How much better are these stand-alone DACs compared to the ipod's DAC?

 

[Dan.m]

IDC - Is your external hard drive connected directly to your router (or to your PC which in turn is connected to your router)?

 

[Anonymous]

I've been testing my PS3 recently and comparing to CD players (including the Rega Apollo) and I'm finding the sound quality is just as good. I'm sure lots of people would disagree, but honestly I don't think you can improve on the sound of a PS3 by spending £200. I tried adding a Beresford DAC and that did didn't give me better results over the standard PS3 line out. So I recommend saving you money and using your PS3. I rip my CDs using EAC to raw and play them from an external hard drive.

 

[Anonymous]

Well my hard drive IS my computer, and that is connected to the router.

 

[idc]

Khaine775:Alright, thanks for the answer. Got that cleared up then. How much better are these stand-alone DACs compared to the ipod's DAC?

Older geneation ipods apparently had an excellent DAC in them. My older Classic with lossless files and connected to my amp via a GQ-24 cable produces a sound that is different, but as good as my PC to DAC to amp and playing Spotify. Newer generation ipods, as the most recent, have apparently had a change in DAC and lost some SQ, but What Hifi Still rate them.

The main reason for me getting an offboard DAC was so that I could access the music streaming services such as Spotify and Last FM, which the ipod cannot do. I also had a major problem with itunes on my PC.

But ipod to to amp to speakers is a brilliant way to get really good music. Consider an ipod to be the equal of an equivalent priced CDP.

 

[idc]

Dan.m:IDC - Is your external hard drive connected directly to your router (or to your PC which in turn is connected to your router)?

It was, when I had one. It was a Buffalo Drive station2share and it was dead easy to setup. Connected to my router it wirelessly streamed to my PC and my PC was connected to my DAC by USB.

The reasons why I sent it back were; I had been sent the wrong size of hard drive, but more importantly, when I put my itunes files on the hard drive and then tried onto the laptop, I was plagued with a cracking sound. That issue was discussed extensively on the forum and I search the internet and did not find a cure.

 

[idc]

hipe:

...... So I recommend saving you money and using your PS3. I rip my CDs using EAC to raw and play them from an external hard drive.

So you find a hard drive to PS3 to your hifi is as good as a Rega Apollo to hifi and when using a Beresford DAC between PS3 and the Hifi? Great for you, but I am surprised!

EDIT - now found and read your excellent thread on PS3 vs Apollo

 

[Gerrardasnails]

Khaine775:
Hi everyone!

I'm pretty new to all this Hi-Fi stuff and I've been wondering how much of a difference a CD player makes? I've got a Denon receiver (DRA-500AE) and a couple of Dali Ikon 6 in stereo, and everything sounds lovely from my iPhone dock, but I know people who say that a CD player makes a huuuge difference. Is that true?

No one seems to have mentioned the obvious to me in that your speakers are not being driven by a good enough amp. You won't get to hear the benefits from your speakers, regardless of source if you are using the Denon receiver. If you balanced things up and had a £600-£700 stereo amp, you would then notice that the iPhone dock solution can be improved dramatically.

 

[Anonymous]

Ok, so I've been doing a little testing with what I have. Turns out that what actually sounds best is steaming music wirelessly from my PC to the PS3, through the television to the amp (the only output on the PS3 is HDMI and optical, and my amp doesn't have neither, so I'm using the HDMI through the TV and then from the TV to the amp). Btw, is there some kind of solution out there so I can go directly from the PS3 to the amp? Some kind of device where I can use the optical output on the PS3 to go through to the amp?

 

[Anonymous]

Gerrardasnails:Khaine775:
Hi everyone!

I'm pretty new to all this Hi-Fi stuff and I've been wondering how much of a difference a CD player makes? I've got a Denon receiver (DRA-500AE) and a couple of Dali Ikon 6 in stereo, and everything sounds lovely from my iPhone dock, but I know people who say that a CD player makes a huuuge difference. Is that true?

No one seems to have mentioned the obvious to me in that your speakers are not being driven by a good enough amp. You won't get to hear the benefits from your speakers, regardless of source if you are using the Denon receiver. If you balanced things up and had a £600-£700 stereo amp, you would then notice that the iPhone dock solution can be improved dramatically.

I think that's because I've mentioned somewhere that I was looking for a cheaper solution than a better amp 🙂. I've been looking at better amps, but they cost quite a lot.

 

[Gerrardasnails]

Khaine775:
Ok, so I've been doing a little testing with what I have. Turns out that what actually sounds best is steaming music wirelessly from my PC to the PS3, through the television to the amp (the only output on the PS3 is HDMI and optical, and my amp doesn't have neither, so I'm using the HDMI through the TV and then from the TV to the amp). Btw, is there some kind of solution out there so I can go directly from the PS3 to the amp? Some kind of device where I can use the optical output on the PS3 to go through to the amp?

An external DAC. For me that solution should sound the best on your system but would sound stunning if you changed your amp. PS3 to DAC using optical and then out to your amp using stereo cables. The Dalis are very good speakers and the Denon is a modest budget receiver amp.

 

[Anonymous]

Gerrardasnails:Khaine775:
Ok, so I've been doing a little testing with what I have. Turns out that what actually sounds best is steaming music wirelessly from my PC to the PS3, through the television to the amp (the only output on the PS3 is HDMI and optical, and my amp doesn't have neither, so I'm using the HDMI through the TV and then from the TV to the amp). Btw, is there some kind of solution out there so I can go directly from the PS3 to the amp? Some kind of device where I can use the optical output on the PS3 to go through to the amp?

An external DAC. For me that solution should sound the best on your system but would sound stunning if you changed your amp. PS3 to DAC using optical and then out to your amp using stereo cables. The Dalis are very good speakers and the Denon is a modest budget receiver amp.

Can you recommend a DAC?

 

[Gerrardasnails]

Khaine775:Gerrardasnails:Khaine775:
Hi everyone!

I'm pretty new to all this Hi-Fi stuff and I've been wondering how much of a difference a CD player makes? I've got a Denon receiver (DRA-500AE) and a couple of Dali Ikon 6 in stereo, and everything sounds lovely from my iPhone dock, but I know people who say that a CD player makes a huuuge difference. Is that true?

No one seems to have mentioned the obvious to me in that your speakers are not being driven by a good enough amp. You won't get to hear the benefits from your speakers, regardless of source if you are using the Denon receiver. If you balanced things up and had a £600-£700 stereo amp, you would then notice that the iPhone dock solution can be improved dramatically.

I think that's because I've mentioned somewhere that I was looking for a cheaper solution than a better amp 🙂. I've been looking at better amps, but they cost quite a lot.

Fair enough. You could get a second hand amp like a Creek Evo for around £300 that would sound beautiful with the Dalis. As for DACs, second hand again, Beresford for around £70 on Ebay should do the trick.

 

[Gerrardasnails]

Khaine775:Gerrardasnails:Khaine775:
Ok, so I've been doing a little testing with what I have. Turns out that what actually sounds best is steaming music wirelessly from my PC to the PS3, through the television to the amp (the only output on the PS3 is HDMI and optical, and my amp doesn't have neither, so I'm using the HDMI through the TV and then from the TV to the amp). Btw, is there some kind of solution out there so I can go directly from the PS3 to the amp? Some kind of device where I can use the optical output on the PS3 to go through to the amp?

An external DAC. For me that solution should sound the best on your system but would sound stunning if you changed your amp. PS3 to DAC using optical and then out to your amp using stereo cables. The Dalis are very good speakers and the Denon is a modest budget receiver amp.

Can you recommend a DAC?

Also, the Music Fidelity V-DAC for about £130 brand new.

 

[Anonymous]

The Beresford Caiman?

 

[Gerrardasnails]

Khaine775:The Beresford Caiman?

That is the latest and most expensive. As you mentioned budget, I was pointing out the Beresford 7510 which can be picked up on ebay for around £70. The Caiman is around £200 I think.

I've just seen on Creek's website that they have an ex demo Evo for £300 with 2 year warranty. If you can afford that, I'd grab it! Sell the Denon and add the DAC when you have saved up a bit more. The difference between the Denon and the Creek with your Dalis would be massive.

 

[Anonymous]

Gerrardasnails:Khaine775:The Beresford Caiman?That is the latest and most expensive. As you mentioned budget, I was pointing out the Beresford 7510 which can be picked up on ebay for around £70. The Caiman is around £200 I think.I've just seen on Creek's website that they have an ex demo Evo for £300 with 2 year warranty. If you can afford that, I'd grab it! Sell the Denon and add the DAC when you have saved up a bit more. The difference between the Denon and the Creek with your Dalis would be massive.

Do they ship out of the UK? You see, I'm from Denmark.

 

[Gerrardasnails]

Khaine775:
Gerrardasnails:Khaine775:The Beresford Caiman?That is the latest and most expensive. As you mentioned budget, I was pointing out the Beresford 7510 which can be picked up on ebay for around £70. The Caiman is around £200 I think.I've just seen on Creek's website that they have an ex demo Evo for £300 with 2 year warranty. If you can afford that, I'd grab it! Sell the Denon and add the DAC when you have saved up a bit more. The difference between the Denon and the Creek with your Dalis would be massive.

Do they ship out of the UK? You see, I'm from Denmark.

Only in the UK I'm afraid.

 

[Anonymous]

******.

 

[Dave_]

Gerrardasnails:Khaine775:
Gerrardasnails:Khaine775:The Beresford Caiman?That is the latest and most expensive. As you mentioned budget, I was pointing out the Beresford 7510 which can be picked up on ebay for around £70. The Caiman is around £200 I think.I've just seen on Creek's website that they have an ex demo Evo for £300 with 2 year warranty. If you can afford that, I'd grab it! Sell the Denon and add the DAC when you have saved up a bit more. The difference between the Denon and the Creek with your Dalis would be massive.

Do they ship out of the UK? You see, I'm from Denmark.

Only in the UK I'm afraid.Do you mean creek or Beresford?

Beresford will ship to anywhere in Europe!!!

http://www.homehifi.co.uk/others/ordering.html