2. digital
  3. 151745-137348

Help an old fool upgrade his digital thing.

I’m pushing sixty and my brain is feeble and sometimes doesn’t work at all.

I have some fairly good gear but I want to upgrade my digital playback and I can’t decide the best approach. There’s too many options out there and my brain just can’t process it all.

I want to be able to improve the SQ from digital and at the same time open up new sources of music that doesn’t involve lots of storage and expense.

I’m stuck in the world of reading about DAC’s, streamers, servers, roon end points and rippers and thinking about what I would need to spend to actually improve my system.


Here’s the key points:

I ‘misplaced’ 70% of my CD collection a couple years ago when relocating X-Country, so I only have a couple hundred CD’s at best. 

I’ve held off investing heavily in more CDs as it seems to be a diminishing format.

I have a reasonable vinyl collection and I’m fairly content with vinyl playback via my Dr. Feickert TT

I have a Cambridge Audio Azur 851C which has upsampling and several input options including USB. It sounds just OK to my ears. It’s perhaps a little lean sounding compared to others I’ve heard and I want to improve on that.

I’m a MAC user, and may have a spare MacBook Pro (2013) which could be used in some dedicated capacity, though I’d rather not have to mess with it if possible.

I live in the boonies and don’t have HSI. I have an unlimited data phone plan that isn’t actually unlimited, but I have about 18 different phones that I switch between each month to keep me going with episodes of Shark Tank. I do get a good 4G signal. Despite this limitation I do take kindly to the idea of being able to stream HQ music from places without having to pay for every track or recording. But I’d also like to be able to download and store stuff that I like, so I don’t have to burn up data every time I replay whatever recording is my flavor of the month.

I’d also like to be able to rip my humble CD collection so that I can play back my own music alongside stuff from the web. I’d like to shove a CD in a slot then just wait for it to be ripped to wherever it goes, rather than futz around with JRiver or any other software that requires a capacity for normal cognitive function.

I must have a worthwhile step-up in sound quality from my old Cambridge player.

I don’t care so much about artists’ info and all that stuff in Roon. I just want to sit in my chair, listen to good music, drink bourbon and only move when my glass needs refilling. I’m old and life is too short to have to reboot my shit every ten minutes. I can do technology at some level but I’d rather not have to. Plug and Play is preferred.


What should I buy for under $2500 used?


I run a Edge NL10.2 amp, CJ CT-5 preamp and Tyler Acoustics speakers, but also have a tube amp setup that I throw into the mix when it’s cold out.

Any help/direction would be much appreciated,

Thanks y’all.


YW

yeah_whatever
yeah_whatever OP
1 posts
 
Thanks y’all

I’ll keep looking around and I’m sure something will jump out at me... an all in one solution with ripper, high quality DAC, on board storage and something that allows streaming from popular services like Tidal. 
gdnrbob
4,444 posts
 
You can go with Bluesound and get a better DAC for higher fidelity, if you want to go on the 'cheap'.
You can also go with Aurender and a good DAC and get even higher fidelity, but at a higher price. Though Aurender only supports Tidal and Quobuz.
As far as 'good' DAC's go, I would consider the Ayre Codex or Schiit Yggy or Gungnir. Both are under $2K used and perform beyond their price point. IMHO.
I am currently using Bluesound, but as soon as Aurender offers its' new software for network capability, I will probably move to them. When I visited my dealer, he compared the two. I have to say the Aurender was much clearer, cleaner and detailed than the Bluesound.
Bob

pengun
79 posts
 
Yes indeed. I'm 73 and just rebuilt my system.

 Music sounds best off an SSD, it really does. So I have already ripped hundreds of my CDs, to WAV of course, and have that backed up well. I have many more, but I can play em' with my $35 DVD burner. Or I can rip them with that same burner, a much more capable thing for that than any fancy player.
 Digital is bits. There is no such thing as digital noise. Jitter is not noise. As this is true the bits will arrive at your DAC in the right order with whatever timing. Any decent DAC will immediately clock the stream and eliminate the jitter, before it processes the bits into sound.
 The DAC is important. The transport not at all. The preamp as always is crucial and that combo is not lovely.

 A nice DAC is essential now and if money matter the Music Fidelity V90 punches way above its price, Stereophile thinks so too, and is why I have one.

 Trade the CD etc player for a nice DAC. Get a decent preamp, spend your money on it.
 Feels a bit weird to listen to my record player while typing digital advice. Neil Young and the Bluenotes ... This Notes For You. ;)
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