Can best optical player rival best computer source

Anonymoustao, thanks for the compliment. It is a result of about 45 years.

Normally, I would entirely agree with you, but the fact that the act of ripping allows repeated efforts to perfect read, while an optical device has to move along and use error correction if it must, makes me suspect a computer source is better.

The issue is largely one of thinking about an Exemplar/Oppo bdp-95 which would allow me to listen to my many sacds. There is now a way to get sacds onto the harddrive using a Sony Playstation 3 and some software. Most of my sacds are hybrids and are already on the hard drive. I am told the pcm versions of the sacds are clearly superior to the cd versions.

Hey TBG,
Your system sounds remarkable I'll bet. How about some pictures?

i'd never heard about the ps3 sacd rip ability, but found this:

http://code.google.com/p/sacd-ripper/

that's pretty cool. given the low cost of a used pre-2007 ps3 on ebay or craigslist, i would think it would be worth trying out before buying the exemplar oppo. if you're happy with the results, end of story. if not, you can always go buy the exemplar and you're just out $100 and some time. if you do go the ps3 route, please post about the results. i may try it too. seems like a fun project and i love open source stuff. wow. very cool.

I'm looking into hard disc based digital myself. Having talked to a few people, had a personal reply to my query from the editor of HiFi+, which was nice of him and been to demos, this seems to be my current take on it and the people I have spoken to.

Good computer audio is very much up with very good, middling expensive CD players. I went to a demo of Olive O6 and Naim HDX at the last weekend. I think both were up there with my Leema Antilla, a good $4000 CD player. The Naim rep said as much. The Naim DAc + Uniti serve, that combination being better than the HDX, were about equal to the Naim CDS3, not the 555.

That is good enough for me, as I could'nt swing for a Naim 555, Zanden or Nagra anyway. That's my view, I am sure others will disagree

Anonymoustao, it is not easy to find the right Play Station 3 with the right software. Most PS3 owners are not very knowledgeable about their units and know nothing about sacds or what version of the software they have.

David12, I have yet to hear the Naim 555 but would be unwilling to pay anything like that price, especially as the Exemplar/Oppo has a much improved power supply and cost a fraction of the Naim's price. I really don't know anything to do but to try it versus my Empirical Audio server.

I am also about to experiment with putting my LPs onto my server using Pure Vinyl. This entails which devices I will use to digitize the analog feed. The benefit is, of course, to do the RIAA corrections in digital. I have many 45 rpm records of old jazz that are lovely but a pain.