PC-Audio vs. High-end CD Player-GAME OVER


Hi All,
I just auditioned the Wavelength Audio Cosecant DAC on a very nice system at the local dealer. It was run through a Hovland 200 preamp , a Plinius amp and Avalon Eidolon Diamond speakers. This is all in a very well treated, good-sounding room.
It was, in a word spectacular. Beautiful tone, excellent bass, imaging soundstaging, etc. What was really amazing was a sense of space, or ambience that was imparted. We then compared the same CD's (Diana Krall, Jennifer warnes, some jazz), on a Levinson CDP. I'm not saying that the levinson is the last word in players, but it was what he had on the shelf.While it sounded good, it was much more bright, and "constricted".
Control was through an Imac using I-tunes, and the CD's had been nurned using Apple Lossless.
I ordered my Crimson on the spot.

David
deshapiro
I just started trying this with an Apple TV 160GB. I ripped my library (again) in Apple Lossless onto a drive in my PowerMac then it sync's to the Apple TV over my wireless network. Any use of the library then is independent of the computer and the Apple TV doesn't have a fan. Comparing the sound of a CD through transport to a Genesis Digital Lens then a Theta CB II for DAC with the Apple TV to Digital lens and on reveals some very subtle loss of air but it is so damn convenient I've listened to more music in the week since I did this than in the last 2 months. I'll be looking for a better way at some point, but am pretty happy to appreciate the music and perhaps ignore a little of the sound.
Congrats on your new purchase. I've been following your posts on getting into PC-based audio. Sounds like you found a winner. If more people experienced hard drive based audio done right, there would be a lot more converts.
I purchased an arcus DAR300 music server which features a 160GB Harddisk, a CD/DVD PLAYER/RECORDER and software rip to Flac and to pull music from outside devices through USB and Enet. It has USB, Ethernet, Scart, digital in and out and analog out. It connects to internet radio stations automatically, pull CD data from freedb (if connected to the web ) and has no fan.
I am ripping CD's to Flac on my computer using Exact Audio Copy and Accuraterip, and then transfering the files to the DAR300 through ethernet. The DAR300 has a remote and the sound is better than from my CD player (MCD205). Very convenient to use and easy to transport anywhere and take all you music along.
Anything better out there? And for a cost of about 1800 Euros.
Ok, do we now park our computers next to our preamps? Amps?
I'm still using CD player.