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Who has found happiness giving up cd player?

My system consists of Amati Anniversario speakers, Boulder 865 integrated amp, and Esoteric X-03 player. I like it. But I want to move to computer based sources. And if I do that, I'd like to go completely computer based, trade in my X-03 while my dealer will still give me full credit for it.

I've explored a lot of options. I know about the options with Mac or PC, through XLR or asynchronous USB or firewire, but I still don't know what to do. Go with something relatively cheap like the Ayre QB-9, and wait for the SOTA to advance? Invest in a dCS dac, upsampler, and clock, and expect to keep that for a long, long time? I like the idea of investing for the long term, but I don't want to end up enjoying my ripped CD's less than through my X-03.

It doesn't help that auditioning opportunities are somewhat limited, especially with my speakers and amp. Or that my dealer is adamant that I won't be happy replacing my X-03 with any computer based source, for redbook.

So my question is, has anyone found happiness replacing a mid range player like mine (or better) with an entirely computer based source? Anyone miss their transports?

Thanks!
Daniel
daniel_a
mordante
511 posts
 
I do not consider the Ayre QB-9 cheap at €2700,- not cheap by a long shot. When using streaming audio do you need a DAC that can handel a higher sample rate then 16-bit/44.1kHz?
camelboy
50 posts
 
I will never give up simple CD playback. Anything to do with computer based music, is just one big pain.
bar81
791 posts
 
Mbhintz,

The QB-9 also does 192.

Camelboy,

Precisely. Why give up the ease of a CD player, particularly when you can buy a model with quality digital inputs and have the best of both worlds. In any case, computers don't do SACD and the selection of high resolution music for download is, if we are going to be generous, limited. I would love to build a computer based delivery system to augment CD replay, but, unfortunately, there just is not currently an adequate selection of high resolution music to push me over the edge. Maybe in 3-5 years things will be different.
herman
2,256 posts
 
Right, it sure is a pain to have all of my music arranged by any of about 30 different ways (artist, genre, album, etc.) and be able to access any of them with just a few clicks of a mouse and the ability to do this from my comfy chair, the ability to play any or all randomly by shuffle play by album or song, to make and save playlists of any songs in my collection in any order, the ability to access hundreds of streaming radio stations and other music services, the ability with Pure Music to apply plug-ins for a variety of EQs or tone controls if I wish as well as triamp with no passive crossovers and time align my drivers, and many other things.

I didn't realize what a pain it is to have a computer based system! Now that I do I'll be sure to go back to a CD player and lose all of those painful features.

.
bar81
791 posts
 
Sounds like fun? Well, I guess if it's not about the quality, then more power to you.
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