Why are server setups so costly relative to CDP's?


I have a Rega Planet cdp that makes great music. It was about $1k new. Why do server setups cost so much more? A cdp must read a digital medium, correcting for errors and so forth, convert it to analog and put it out to an pre- or integrated amp. These are all things that a media server or some other digital solution a la Sonos-DAC must do, yet it seems that to match my cdp quality I have to spend a lot more. I figure there is a logical explanation for this and my ignorance is preventing me from seeing it. Can anyone help?
128x128wsomers
Mrtennis, I don't understand. "I think the ps audio perfect wave transport is better transport than the ps audio perfect wave dac". Do you mean that the ps transport is better as a transport than the ps dac is a DAC? Or do you mean that the ps audio transport is more important than the ps audio dac? We can agree to disagree, but I couldn't disagree more about transports vs DACs. If you run several different quality transports into the same DAC you might hear minor differences. If you take one transport into several different DACs of different designs you will hear large differences due to the output design of the DAC.
our disagreemnet stands. the transport is morer important than the dac. in adddition, the ps audio transport is a better transport relative to other transports than the ps audio dac is relative to other dacs. anotherwords the ps audio transport is a better invetsmnet than the ps audio dac. i can achieve "better" sound using the ps audio transport than i casn using the ps audio dac.

i think i have cleared up any ambiguity.

i am not overly impressed with the ps audio dac.

my reason for attaching importance to the transport is that it is the first device to come in contact with the recording.

does anyone think that differences between transports is insignificant.

there are "good" products of all genres--transports, dacs, preamps, amps, speakers, cable accessories and power conditioners.

the potential range of difference between products is a highly subjective opinion.

most believe that differences in speakers are greater than differences between amps. but such a position is based upon many variables and does not constitute knowledge.

i would rather state the position that there are differences between components and systems and not suggest that one class of components exhibits greater differences than another. my position is factually neutral.
Mrtennis,

You state:

"most believe that differences in speakers are greater than differences between amps. but such a position is based upon many variables and does not constitute knowledge."

This implies that you have a greater knowledge than others. If you believe this to be true, you are arrogant. Thereby only you know the truth.

You state:

"i would rather state the position that there are differences between components and systems and not suggest that one class of components exhibits greater differences than another. my position is factually neutral."

If your position is factually neutral, you would not have stated that the transport is more important than the DAC. I believe that each component has its importance and it is the synergy of the individual pieces, like a recipe, that determines the end result-a transforming event in which you are brought into the performance and imagine that you are there.

We can disagree on many things as long as we agree on our love of music!
hi tgrisham:

the first sentence you quote does not imply i have knowledge,. stating that .... does not constitute knowledge does not mean that i have knowledge.

nowhere in any staement have i stated that i have knowledge.

stating that there is a range of difference between components of the same genre is factual.

i apologize for any ambiguity.
Mrtennis - It depends on the DAC. Jitter rejecting DACs like Benchmark DAC1 might sound different with different transports but perhaps not because of jitter. It was reported many times that it often sounds better with cheap DVD player than expensive transport (that has lower jitter). It might be that cheap DVD player have more sensitive laser optics (DVD players have good tracking) or transport is not bit-transparent (DSP, digital volume control etc) or one of the creates ground loops in the system etc.

For DACs other than asynchronous-upsampling (jitter rejecting) transport is very important - I agree.