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CD Transport VS Streamer

I recently purchased, and returned an Audiolab CDT 6000, because compared to my Bluesound Node 2i, the highs were rolled off and the bass wasn’t as strong.  Im comparing 16/44 tracks to a cd.  I figured it was just the Audiolab CDT 6000 so I returned it and bought a Cambridge CXC instead.  Well, it appears that the CXC is doing the same.  
To clarify, I am using the same dac and the same digital coaxial cable.  I am actually unplugging the digital cord from one device and then plugging it into the other.

The high hats and cymbals seem pretty set back and harder to define on the transports vs the bluesound.  The bass isn’t quite as full on the transport either.

I don’t think I would have ever thought that the CDT or the CXC sounded inferior until I switched back to the bluesound and noticed a difference.  The bluesound really puts forth these high frequencies and allows me to really hear high hats and cymbals as well as putting a pleasant sheen on vocals.  The bass is slightly fuller on the bluesound as well.  The sound through the CDT and the CXC is slightly dull.

This is a bit disheartening because I figured that a $600 transport playing hard copies of an album should match if not surpass a $500 streamer / dac playing files from wifi.

Has anyone else experienced this?  Im to the point where I’m questioning if the transport needs to be burned in or if It is possible that streamed files (cd quality, not high res) just actually sound better than cd’s.

My only reason for buying a transport and buying cd’s is because I don’t want to be reliant on an internet connection or my phone, in order to listen to music.  If my internet goes down while in a listening session or if I ever lost my phone for an evening, I’d have no music.  But, and this is a big BUT, I don’t want to spend $600 on a transport and hundreds on CD’s in order to end up with something that sounds inferior to a $500 streamer streaming music.

Any shared experiences with this will be helpful so Thank You ahead of time!

-Bruce

128x128b_limo
auxinput
2,920 posts
 
It could be that the Bluesound is generating a brighter sound with accentuated highs.  The Audiolab and the Cambridge CXC could be producing a more neutral sound (yes, digital transports do not all sound the same).  One additional reason could be due to the switching power supply on the Bluesound.  Both the Audiolab and Cambridge appear to use fully linear power supplies.

Burning in the CXC should help, but I'm not sure if it will produce more high frequencies.
b_limo's avatar
b_limo OP
2,288 posts
 
I figured it out.  I tried 4 other sources and they all sounded more similar to the cxc than different,

I went into my tone controls on my bluesound and turned them on snd heard no difference, which was strange because my bass and treble were up 6 db.  I then shut the tone controls off and then it returned to flat.  
Turns out that whole time, my tone controls were on +6 db’s for treble snd bass and thats why I haf that big smiley face sounding eq.  
My friggin bluesound was glitchin out and said tone controls off abut they were on.

I feel kind of stupid now because I was saying how much better it sounds, lol, and it turns out I had the bass and treble cranked up.  
Huh, I guess I just found out the importance of tone controls for me.  Where’s Kenjit to revel in his wisdom?
b_limo's avatar
b_limo OP
2,288 posts
 
Thats hilarious.  I double blind / tricked myself on accident and have been listening with tone controls for God knows how long and actually prefer it.  Thats crazy. So much for being a purist. I always bragged about not needing tone controls and building my set-ups to sound awesome / full set to flat.

Dang, what’s next?  The Earth isn’t flat??
kennyc
1,634 posts
 
If you've changed the source component CD transports and still have a sonic problem, it's likely that the problem lies further down the chain.

Even though it may be within a single component, the CD transport and streaming are at some point separated into "2 different audio chains", so may likely be the source of the differences you are hearing.


mesch
3,529 posts
 
I took interest in your thread due to owning a CXC. 

The tone control issue is funny. I can understand how that could happen. Do you listen at somewhat low volume levels? The boosted highs and lows would be most beneficial at lower levels, like a loudness switch.  
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