Why does my old CD player sound so much better than my new streamer?

Tidal sucks compared to CD, which sucks compared to CD rips

streaming is the choice of those who rejected vinyl.MANY are sick of vinyl

If you're tired of vinyl, you're tired of life

My experiences in digital do not include streaming or downloads. My CD rips are to CDs via the Alesis Masterlink. I still prefer the original DAT recordings from the 90s played back through my all tube/analog audio system. I can’t get the bass and dynamics from the DAT (Tascam) machine through it’s outputs. However, CD copies through Masterlink using only MAM-A and JVC audio CDs sound as good as the original CDs. My high end (not SOTA) CD players are very analog-like and certainly provide immense emotional satisfaction and layering of sound. Due to great mastering/remastering of many of my CDs, those CDs become my preference. Occasionally, an LP will surpass the well remastered version. I am speaking of Jazz and Classical, well mastered original rock LPs generally sound better their CD counterparts.

I was thinking of upgrading my best CD player to a COS Engineering H-1 DAC.  I am pending hearing it in my system.  In my friends system, it sounds twice as good in resolution and soundstaging.  I just wonder if it has the tonal richness and pacing of music as my own.

We did spend a lot of time in the diversity (layering) of sound in digital audio. We compared and listened to many DACS and network players. I started with it in 2012. I can say now in 2019 that by far most DACS and network players are all not able to create a satisfying level in emotion.

The level of diversity (layering) is often so limited. For no human being, this will ever create an emotional feeling. Sound has 100% nothing to with any silly kind of personal preference of it. The music which is recorded owns the emotion. So it makes sense that an audio system needs to reveal the details and different aspects of the music on the recording.

Besides the fact that most DACS and network players are poor in the harmonics of the music. They even miss more aspects/properties of sound. This will bring down the level of emotion even more. When manufacturers know very little about sound and music. And even know little about the different aspects which influence both sound and stage negatively.

You all understand now (I hope) why most products can never make you become happy. Because only emotion can lead to happiness in audio. I used and owned the most expensive CD-players in the world. When I started to look in 2012 to find a substitution for my CD-player, I found out that even regardless of money there was nothing I could live with.

An extreme perfectionist is always looking for things that need to be superior. So I made a lot of contacts with people who develope them. After different conversations, I knew that regardless of money I could never become happy. When we became Lumin dealer for the first time I had a feeling that it could be better than CD-players.

But I wanted more, so I wanted to outperform all CD-players and even turntables. So I started to find the best people in modifications in digital sources. I had a lot of ideas to improve digital audio to a new level in sound quality and emotion. Our modifications are not only focused on superior parts. But also focused on the influence of electro-smog, high-frequency noise, and magnetism on sound and stage. People have no idea how extreme the negative influence is of all these aspects on your digital source at home.

Now in 2019, our world has become a very promising and happy one. We made a lot of progress. I could never expect that we could even outperform turntables in layering in sound. When we compare a 180 grams Patricia Barber LP played on an expensive turntable I can outperform it on layering in sound with our DSD recording of it on each modified Lumin. We don’t even need to use our modified Lumin X1.

Dedication and innovation are needed to create new levels in digital audio. I think most manufacturers have been sleeping for many years now. When I compare 2012 against now, the facts still prove that most DACS and network players are very limited in layering in sound even today.

Money will never help you in audio. Regardless of money, most audio products can still not reveal all aspects of sound. Without all aspects of sound no audio system can ever make any human being satisfied for a longer period of time.


EMOTION IS THE ONLY KEY TO SUCCESS IN AUDIO