Redbook Keeps Surprising

Redbook ripped to WAV, FLAC or AIFF sounds amazing on my system!  It makes up a lot of my listening and plays a big part in my review that just went live this morning:

http://ayllonmedia.com/news/the-lampizator-dsd-komputer-an-audio-expo-in-your-living-room-or-not

Another weekend, another revelation.

I have a rear panel usb A-port on my dac for a thumbdrive transport. Over the weekend, I compared thumbdrive in series with the AQ jitterbug ported to the rear vs thumbdrive ported to the PC which relays the usb signal to the B-port of my dac via the iFi USB 3.0. The USB 3.0 isolates usb power from the noise and regenerates the usb signal. 

Well, the result is a jaw-dropping experience with night and day difference between the direct thumbdrive-AQ Jitterbug-dac approach and the previous PC-USB 3.0 - dac set-up. More clarity, dynamics, open soundstage, airy highs, fleshed out instruments, musical.....!

That said, I return to the title of this thread by exclaiming that Redbook is absolutely stunning with this direct thumbdrive-AQ JB-dac configuration. When I listen to Redbook now, I am truly amazed at how far dac's have come to make it so, so wonderful. At no point at all when listening to Redbook ripped to FLAC, do I feel that I am missing hires pcm/dsd. 

There is no need today to fidget over new formats or pay more for hires pcm/dsd/MQA when Redbook can sound so gorgeous! We can all just sit back and enjoy our vast CD/Redbook collection with the technology of today's dac's.

A truly breathtaking revelation! 

J. :)

So jon2020, are you saying you plugged the JB into the back of your DAC and then the thumb drive into the JB and that was the superior sound?

What do you use to rip your CD's if you don't mind me asking. I have a huge collection of cd's with new ones arriving weekly and I'm considering getting busy ripping this winter.

Hi donjr,

Yes, that is correct. The thumbdrive is ported to the JB which in turn is ported to the dac. Makes a whole lot of difference! I thought the iFi USB 3.0 was good for the PC set-up but apparently not good enough.

I use JRiver to rip but others have recommended dbPoweramp. I have not compared the two directly but either way, you will be so glad you did once all the ripping is done.

Sounds like a great winter ahead for you. Enjoy!

J. :)

Should I expect much better sound quality if I connect my midfi CDP to a good quality DAC, similar to the method described above - instead of the thumb drive? I have Bluesound Node2 but not sure it takes input from a CDP. They both have optical input/output that I could try.....