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When did you digitize your CDs and LPs? I still haven’t...

I’m a 46 year old guy who came up on LPs and cassettes, got into CDs and then stumbled into the world of online music where I’m still trying to figure out what to do.

20 years or so ago when people started getting excited about digitizing their CD collections, I never bothered. I have maybe 900-1000 CDs and the idea of having to “rip” them never appealed to me. Heck, I never even liked the word “rip” and the action seemed time consuming and boring as heck to me. Same for LPs.

These days, I still have all my obsolete media but I’m a Tidal HiFi subscriber and have come to love streaming. Still, there’s a lot I have on CD and LP that Tidal doesn’t have and I’m wondering if it’s time to step into the present and get something like an Innuos Zen Mk III so I can stream, rip, and store at least all of my CDs.

Is it time to step into the present, or will I be fine rocking my Nakamichi CDP-2A until it dies and then just buying another CD player or transport? That certainly seems less expensive these days than a fancy streamer/server/“ripper”.
pip_helix
pip_helix OP
30 posts
 
Re:   Your comments about the Node2 .  You didn’t need to buy it.
You can stream direct from a computer to a DAC that accepts USB
(you do have a DAC, right?  Check for inputs on your CDP if you don’t).

Well, I don’t have a desktop but I have a MacBook from 2011 and a new iPad. I guess I could repurpose the seldom used MacBook as a streamer for it’s end of life phase. I have a DAC coming in the next week or 2, my first standalone one and it has USB input. My CDP only has analog outs, no inputs. At least the Node is cheaper than a new laptop. 

The IT issues are what made me strongly reconsider something like the Allo USBridge or any other component that requires any degree of computer networking competence. 

It’s been almost three weeks and the Node just sits there and does its thing without issue so far. 
mahler123
3,573 posts
 
I think you are done.  I use a 2011 MacAir in one on my systems as a streamer, it’s a great use of an aged PC.  I would burn the files to hard drive with the PC and play them with the Node2, since you already have it, but if you sour on the Node the Mac&DAC will do the job
falconquest's avatar
falconquest
1,108 posts
 
I just completed ripping all of my CD's to my newly acquired Aurender ACS10. I can't explain it but I get more detail than from my CD transport. I could hypothesize why but that would be a different thread. I used a high end transport btw.
georgehifi's avatar
georgehifi
10,312 posts
 
I can’t explain it but I get more detail than from my CD transport
Impossible, it can’t make extra bits that are not there.

Probably hearing some form of hf colouration/distortion or maybe even even jitter or more error correction if that’s possible.

Cheers George
kijanki's avatar
kijanki
4,453 posts
 
I can’t explain it but I get more detail than from my CD transport
Transport connection to DAC can add more jitter (noise) and also scratches on CD can force CDP to interpolate data since CDPs, working in real time, cannot re-read each questionable sector again, like ripping programs do (often hundreds of times).  Ripping program can effectively renew old scratched CD making it sound better - like new.  Even CD-R made from such rip will likely sound better than original CD.
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