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Digital Dilemma

I purchased an inexpensive Onkyo C-7030 CD Player more as just a transport, but also to use as a benchmark to compare to streaming music on-line. With intentions to get the streamed content to sound as good, if not better, than the CD player could muster.

After sitting my wife down for a listen (she has better ears than me) and playing Tidal, Quboz and then the same tracks on a CD, the CD was the clear winner every time. It also seems the CD playing without using the Gustard R26 DAC didn’t even sound all that much better than when played through the CD Player only, bypassing the R26. That doesn’t say too much for the R26 DAC or alternatively, it says a lot for the DAC in the CD Player!

I am using the R26 as the renderer via a LAN connection that is optically isolated. There are a few filters and adjustments on the DAC, but tweaking those still didn’t get the sound quality up to that of the CD Player.

A lot of you say you have achieved streaming that sounds as good as your analogue systems. What do you think, do I need a betted DAC?

128x128navyachts
ghdprentice
7,051 posts
 

What is your streamer?

Since you found the CD to sound better than the stream using your DAC that points to the streamer. I think also it seems your DAC is not much if at all better than the one in your CD player.

 

Ok, no insult intended here. But let’s review the pieces:

CDPlayer = spinner, streamer, and DAC

Streaming system = network, streamer, DAC

 

I find that streaming is roughly equally dependent on the streamer and DAC. If you have a good quality streamer then the network is taken out of the picture (as it will isolate the system from noise and cache the file in some way before streaming). So, the resultant sound requires both roughly equal in investment. Sounds like you need both.

 

 

navyachts's avatar
navyachts OP
640 posts
 

@ghdprentice - the DAC has a streamer built into it. I am using it via LAN connection. The DAC/renderer comes highly recommended through many hi-fi reviews and forums, that why I purchase it. It's kind of disappointing.

soix
9,585 posts
 

Get a better streamer and it’ll make a huge difference.  My streaming now far surpasses the quality of spinning discs using an Oppo as a transport.  Also, get a good USB cable (DH Labs, etc.) to connect to the DAC as that matters too. 

navyachts's avatar
navyachts OP
640 posts
 

@soix - thanks, any streamer suggestions, without breaking the bank?

DH Labs has a couple of USB cables, do you have a preference?

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