CD vs Lossless

[SteveR750]

chebby:

For whatever reason, I now have a CD player that I 'click' with and no doubt a significant part of that is the 'same manufacturer synergy' going on with the amp too. For this reason I did a U-turn and decided not to give up on 'traditional' CD replay.

I have also not discarded the DAC either, It has many enjoyable uses apart from just playing lossless CD rips. (iTunes downloads, internet radio, Freeview radio, BBC iPlayer, youtube, sound from DVD etc.)

I could probably find a better/more expensive DAC that would outperform my CD player and then. further down the road. find an even better CD player that will out-perform the even better DAC.. and so on... ad-infinitum.

I would end up (maybe) being able to announce two things here eventually..

(a) Which means of replaying CD files is ultimately superior.

(b) That I had become bankrupt.

This is part of the reason I am looking into getting the naimuniti. CD player and lossless streaming. downloads, internet+freeview radio, sound from DVD/Blu-ray etc etc, (FM + DAB too) all sharing the same box and the same DAC. No 'this vs that' but just whatever takes my fancy. Maybe a bit of vinyl now & then.

Which is fine if you like the sound of ther Nait 5i stuff, I don't so this isnt an option!

JD - what CD player are you comparing your PC too? Giuven the Cyrus's supposed superior disc reading performance, am I really going to hear any benefit by ditching the real time CD6SE for a potentially more accurate PC, but losing what must be a pretty tasty DAC in the CD6SE for somehitng that simply isn't as good - I can't beleive that a DACmagic is as competent as the onboard DAC in the Cyrus....so, the obvious question is, what are the obvious mid range DAC's worth looking at assuming a price limit of around £500.....more searching in the dark side it is then.

 

[John Duncan]

SteveR750:JD - what CD player are you comparing your PC too? Given the Cyrus's supposed superior disc reading performance, am I really going to hear any benefit by ditching the real time CD6SE for a potentially more accurate PC, but losing what must be a pretty tasty DAC in the CD6SE for somehitng that simply isn't as good - I can't beleive that a DACmagic is as competent as the onboard DAC in the Cyrus....so, the obvious question is, what are the obvious mid range DAC's worth looking at assuming a price limit of around £500.....more searching in the dark side it is then.

Primare D20, so same sort of level as the Cyrus. I plugged the Primare into the DACMagic and it sounded exactly the same, so concluded they're on a par DACwise - the difference came when comparing disc replay to hard disc replay - the HD won overall (not every single time, but mostly)

Re: the quality of the DAC in the DACMagic, I'd wager that you would be very hard pushed to tell the difference between the two...

 

[SteveR750]

Well I'm trying to organise a dealer demo as we speak type oops yes!

Wish I'd known this before I'd spent soooo much money on the Cyrus, makes me wonder when it will be the norm to offer a free laptop with every new CD player to counteract the whole lossless "movement" as its potentially a lot cheaper and of course I cant send and receive emails on my Cyrus....

On the issue of the Primare, does this mean then the WHF review of the CD6SEis a little tongue in cheek:

"....Quite simply this player is astonishing. Not astonishing for the price, you understand, but astonishing: full stop. In its areas of strength - timing, dynamics and punch - this player is comparable with the very best machines around, regardless of price. We should repeat that: regardless of price...."

vs

"However, if you fancy a sonic workhorse with a chilled-out sound, try this. And not comparing this stolid Swedish import with another unflappable Swede hasn't been easy. Okay then: the CD21 is the Sven-Goran Eriksson of CD players."

It's a rhetorical question, as I know the answer having read WHF for many years

 

[pete321]

Steve, have a look at this thread