CD transport vs.streaming


Many have stated on this forum that the SQ from their CDs is superior to the sound from streaming sources. Others have said the opposite. Weirdly, in side by side identical tracks the sound from my Cyrus CDt sounds identical to my Cambridge CXN v2 streamer. I wonder if anyone else has this experience.

128x128rvpiano

No way would I ever go back to cd or vinyl after purchasing a very high end DAC (more than 5K), ethernet cabling, Roon Nucleus Plus, switch, etc. Streaming from Tidal, Qobuz and Files sounds so wonderful through my rig that I no longer have the desire to play cd anymore.  I'm enjoying the combination of convenience and the amazing sound quality of streaming so much so that I had to ask myself, where have you been all my life????!!!

After starting this thread several months ago, I concur with kennymacc above that streaming sounds so good and is so convenient that I find myself doing that much more than anything else. I still think CDs sound about identical, and that has to do more with the quality of the DAC than anything else.

I know some of the clowns above (and jokers) are able to HEAR, but how many of them actually know how to LISTEN?  The speakers are ALWAYS the most critical component that affects one's perception of sonic characteristics.  And when I hear nonsense where one ranks speakers as number 3 or 4 in the hierarchy of components which are most important, that's when I know I'm dealing with uninformed loud-mouth amateurs.

 

today i compared one of my favorite recordings. Samuel Barber on Telarc Essay for Orchestra to streaming. DAC Denafrips Pontus. the ripped file dusted the Tidal streamed file. my Streamer is a Bluesound Node 2i channeled into the same DAC  i also attend the Symphony on a regular basis. my standards are pretty high. Rega electronics and ATC speakers.