Streaming vs Physical Media


I have a decent digital front end with a Lumin U1 Mini (w/ external power supply) and a Border Patrol SE dac.  Have some CDs, but no transport.  Would a CD transport sound better than a streamer of similar quality/price?  

mdonda

@larsman

Yes, you are correct. It was the Warfield. It is very confusing in the credits on all my media, but is correct on the vinyl box set. Fantastic recording and performance by Jerry. I have a feeling his daughter was responsible for getting it released on vinyl last year.

 You can also find this on video via YouTube. A fun watch/listen.

Certainly, comparing a single transport to a single streaming solution will bring about many different results. It seems to me, SOTA cd transports today limited to just a few. Streaming solutions are extremely varied, and so many reportedly getting great sound out of all these variable solutions. So, between far greater choices in equipment, and the music, allied to so many preferring streaming sound quality, preference for streaming a no brainer to me.

@bkeske 

Nice system.

If you love handling the physical media that is certainly a reason to stick with it. When I want to I have my vinyl… but long since have given up on CDs and files.

@ghdprentice 

Nice system.

If you love handling the physical media that is certainly a reason to stick with it. When I want to I have my vinyl… but long since have given up on CDs and files.

Thank you, as is yours. 

I get it. It was only about 3-4 years ago I dragged up my boxed LP’s from the basement, and old Kenwood TT, and rediscovered vinyl for the first time in over 30+ years. I was also heading towards a purely digital domaine prior, but that changed everything for me.

Now, as I get even older, that may flip back again, and I do not close my mind to it. It will always there there as an end solution. But for right now, I fell in love again with my physical media. 

@bkeske

I understand where you are coming from, so here's my whole, long story:

I started with records in the 1970's and had maybe 400-500 of them. I would use the Allman Brothers double album to pick the seeds out of my stash while it played...the good old '70's. Anyway, I recorded cassettes for bootlegs (I had a Nak also, there was never a better sounding tape deck) and copying my friends albums.

When my rather nice CD player died about two years ago, my audio guy said to drop the CD player and get yourself a Bluesound vault/streamer. I was very unsure, but he had always given me good advice, so I got the Bluesound vault/streamer and I have never looked back. The convenance of every CD just a click away, finding that special single song in seconds, making your own playlists on the fly, being able to schedule a whole evening of music, was much better then separate CD's and since then I have only brought CD's to burn into the Bluseound. I still play albums, but I cut back my albums to just about 100, and I only buy a few special albums a year.

I have now upgraded to an Aurender with Streaming and I never miss the CD's at all. The quality is better with the Aurender, but that's also due to having a high-end DAC now rather then the built-in DAC chips in the old CD player. 

Again, I still have and love the physical media also, just not as much. From your picture I think you're about the same age, maybe younger then me! So you're not  too old yet to change. And yeah, that Jerry album is great, but right now I am hooked on the Pizza Tapes. It's like you are in the room with Jerry and friends. 

All the best to you!