Sonos VS CD Transport

Just setup my sonos with a new NAS hard drive, so I don't need to have computer running for sonosnet to work. I have noticed that I have more sissle in the music thru my California Audio Labs iCon MK II. So I too will be looking for a dac. I am commiited to simple clean install. Not alot of tweaking. Any DAC suggestions would be helpful here too. I do love the sonos controller it is worth whatever else I must do to make it all work.

I just finished switching to a Sonos setup for my house and my two channel system. I have three ZP80s and four ZP 100s, all of which run nine sets of speakers in seven zones. I looked at integrating my current Crestron controller to provide whole house audio, but it was going to cost $30,000, whereas the current arrangement cost less than $4500.

For my two channel system, I have a ZP80 with its coaxial digital output going into the Sim Audio Evolution SuperNova CD player to take advantage of the Sim's DAC. The balanced outputs of the Sim then go to the pre-amp (BAT-51SE) and then out to Parasound JC-1 monoblocks. I rippped my CD collection to a Buffalo Technologies NAS drive using Apple Lossless.

If I put a CD in the SuperNova CD player and switch up and back between using its transport and using the "digital in" input fed by the ZP80, I can't tell the difference. I invited my friend "high end Dave" (Mr. MBL 101E) over for a listen and his jaw dropped. He decided to sell his analog gear and get rid of CDs.

I couldn't be happier with the Sonos system. The controllers are fantastic, Rhapsody is great, and now that my CD collection is in a box, I don't have to mess with discs anymore. The ZP-100s drive in-wall and in-ceiling speakers just great-- but I also have a ZP-100 in my bedroom driving B&W CDM-1-SE speakers and an M&K subwoofer-- and the ZP-100 can drive this gear with power to spare.

If Sonos came out with a unit that had a USB output, I might be tempted to replace my Sim SuperNova CD player with a DAC that had a USB input, but right now the SuperNova's DAC performs spectacularly well and it is occasionally nice to be able to test drive a CD in the transport.

The access to organized music files, new releases, top artists and tracks, and different genres is great. Being able to play different music in every room or the same tunes everywhere is also great--- all through a controller that my wife and kids can use without my help (priceless!)

lsbenson, I am glad you are having success with the Sonos. I have been a long time user (2 years) and absolutely love it! I am hesitant to replace my cd player though. First of all, I do not encode in lossless because I have too many cds (10K) so that would take too much storage. Secondly, I like the convenience of being to play a cd right after I get it and not having to wait to rip it. Finally, I "think" the quality from a cdp is better. I am not sure if this is true but that i my perception so I feel comfortable having Sonos and a high end cdp. Good luck!!!

Tboooe, agree completely about keeping the CD player-- it's can be handy on occasion and the DAC in the Sim SuperNova is comparable to many of the stand alone DACs that I looked at.

I have been using a Sonos system for about six months. I run the ZP-80 into an external DAC as the internal DAC in the Sonos is mediocre at best. Into a good quality DAC using Apple Lossless, I found the Sonos to be the equal of the Levinson 390S as a 'transport' - couldn't hear a difference.

Sonos system, $1,100; Bel Canto DAC 3 with a volume control, $2,000; the convenience and ease of having all my music available at a touch via remote from my easy chair and not having to constantly get up to find and load CDs, priceless. I sold the Levinson.