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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
eljaro
27 posts
 
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.
psacanli
535 posts
 
Ok, do we now park our computers next to our preamps? Amps?
I'm still using CD player.
splaskin
170 posts
 
I park my laptop, a MacBook Pro, right next to me on the couch when I listen.
bigamp
219 posts
 
I park mine in the next room (quieter) and use a tablet PC as a wireless remote. Never have to leave the couch again to change CDs.
hatari
94 posts
 
Questions from an old school, open minded guy:

So how far a run of USB cable do you have. Is there a similar issue as with analogue cables as far as runs go? Do you run an equal cable of firewire to use a dedicated hard drive?

Assuming your CDs in lossless format don't fit on your laptop drive, do you then buy 2 external hard-drives? One for the data, the next for backup?

Do you get an external CD player too? Doesn't the internal one just heat up and make lots of noise when ripping or playing? If someone brings a CD over that you don't want to download, but you just want to play it.

Just curious... If I can control my music from my listening position and have it sound better than my CDP, and have all my collection at my fingertips... this becomes quite compelling.

Thanks - it's interesting to explore this.
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