CD transports - do they matter?

[Filterlab]

Hehehehe, yeah they can be a bit tricky to program for so I've heard.

[Phil Bishop]

Oh well, got outbid for that Sony CD player on ebay anyway, which is fine...gives me more time to evaluate options.

Ali - sounds like we are treading a similar path as I have a Beresford DAC. How do you find it? I think we should stay in touch as we are moving in the same direction.

Tim - sounds like you have already trodden that path!

Marco - I will still keep a weather eye on those CDPs, but having lost this one is fine ... gives me more time to research!

Phil

[Audiocom AV]

Hello

To all those looking for an explanation of why & how CD transports sound different here is a very good article from Stereophile;
http://www.stereophile.com/features/368/

Regards,
Mark Bartlett

[Marco]

Great link, Mark! I shall be saving it for future reference

I'll make some specific references to it later and offer my further thoughts on the subject.

Marco.

[Phil Bishop]

Even I, the terminally tight, recognize the wisdom in what Marco is saying. I sure couldn't give anyone a technical explanation, but basic logic, to the extent that is available to me, says that an over-engineered, highly stable transport of a spinning disc reading data is bound to be a good thing. The foolishness of the endeavor comes in when you buy one new. What does such a transport cost these days? $2,000? $4,000 (I really do have to get a pounds to dollars calculator on my desktop)?

Mac mini - $500
small lcd monitor - $150
a terabyte of HD - $250
software - free

It's really easy math. So easy, in fact, that audiophiles seem to be getting it much faster than I thought they would. They can be a stubborn lot, hell bent on justifying every dollar they've spent. But they seem to be catching on to this one very quickly. For my part, I intend to print out Marco's list of over-engineered mass market transports and keep an eye out for them. It can't hurt to have one tucked away. Are any brands better than others when it comes to stocking parts for old models?

I still think audiophiles are holding on tightly to some digital illusions that are costing them dearly, but this one seems to be fading fast. A good thing if it results in better sound for more people.

Tim

Tim, Earlier on you posted the above interesting reply. Now I am thinking of getting into computer-based audio and two things interest me - "terminally tight" and mac mini. The mac mini is a cheap option and a neat one - does not take up much space! One can rip CDs, etc, using monitor etc from existing PC I assume. But how do you control mac mini when connected to hi fi system? Tell me more about the small LCD screen, etc. Is this what you are using? Phil.

[tfarney]

Tim, Earlier on you posted the above interesting reply. Now I am thinking of getting into computer-based audio and two things interest me - "terminally tight" and mac mini. The mac mini is a cheap option and a neat one - does not take up much space! One can rip CDs, etc, using monitor etc from existing PC I assume. But how do you control mac mini when connected to hi fi system? Tell me more about the small LCD screen, etc. Is this what you are using? Phil.

I don't personally use a Mini, but an older iBook. If I had it to do from new, I would start with a MacBook, which would bundle cd ripper, control and screen, and open up the possibility of building a pretty inexpensive multi-room/system wireless network with the MacBook as the world's most elegant and complete remote control.

Where your internet modem is -- Airport extreme ($179 US), hard drives holding your music and backups (2X$120 US)

Behind each room system, plugged via optical into your DAC -- Airport Express ($79 US).

MacBook ($999 US) - anywhere, any room, controlling the systems or with a portable headphone amp/dac plugged in for private listening (a really great, slightly overkill solution is the Apogee Duet - $500 US)

Even if you needed an Express behind three systems, my math gets me to just over $2000 US, including the Duet for headphones and two 500 gig hard drives for storage and backup...less than the price of an audiophile cdp.

The only drawback I can see is the optical from the Express to DAC, and that's only a drawback if you believe in jitter. Personally, until someone can point me to an ABX or at least tell me what it sounds like, I'll go with the data, which indicates jitter is minor timing errors measured in picoseconds being thrown at a brain responding in long, slow minutes. I don't doubt that optical is more jittery than coax. I just doubt that anyone can hear it.

Tim

[Phil Bishop]

Thanks Tim, I think at the stage I am at, I am just looking at the potential for a computer to replace the CD transport side of things, not multi-room systems (yet!). From talking to various people including yourself, the iMac and MacBook seem to be the main contenders. My interest in this type of system stems from:

(1) The arguement that a computer may be a better digital source than a CDP as it reads CDs more accurately, playback from RAM, etc.
(2) Lifestyle! With youngish kids, record decks and even CDPs are a bit of a liability. As the kids grow up, they and me (!) want ipods and this can gel with a computer based system.
(3) The convenience of having a collection held digitally - being able to select random play from 100's of CDs, playlists, etc.

I would not be interested if the sound quality was inferior, but I hear it can be better than a conventional system on a £ for £ ($ for $) basis.

So at present, I am selling my old analogue gear to raise funds for a Mac and possibly a better DAC than the one I have now - see the "Private Exhibitions" page!

Thanks again

Phil

[Mike]

After reading through this again and again I've come to a conclusion.

I think the answer is 'NO'.

[Phil Bishop]

Shian,

Your answer to what is "no"?

If it is "shall I investigate further all this computer mullarky" then my answer has been yes, then no, then yes again!

Phil

[Mike]

hehe...

My answer 'no', is in response to the thread title.