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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
charles1dad's avatar
charles1dad
10,250 posts
 

@mahler123 

What can be off putting is when beliefs are stated as dogma-usually in this case as “streaming always sounds better than CD”.  This dogma has become so prevalent that people think there is something wrong with them or their systems if they conclude other

Spot on comment. Multiple threads on these comparisons with the same replies. Of course if you increase the quality of the audio streamer your sound quality will escalate. The exact same case holds true as you increase the quality of a CD transport. It is possible to achieve superb sound quality with either type of digital source. It just depends on which direction one chooses to follow.

It you’re drawn to the “vast library at your fingertips “ then digital streaming is obviously alluring and desirable. If you really enjoy and into physical media then a high quality CD transport is the ticket.

Charles

ggc
178 posts
 

IMHO - the technology is not there...Yet. I have always seen streaming being marketed and applied more as a tool of convenience used in phones, cars, refrigerators, lightbulbs, earpods etc... Very seldom is the emphasis on quality. 

There is alot of great advice given here to maximize what you are attempting to achieve. Perhaps, most probably, in time the technology will get there.

That said my direct experience has been... 

a  $4K investment - in a Mojo audio build out, which included top rated drivers, storage, a seprate power supply,  master clock, dac and cables.

And after all that - it still was not as good as playing redbook CDs. The Mojo is  very good as streamers go, But the closest it ever came to sounding almost as good as red book CD -  is when I connected a $9k power cable to it. 

 

navyachts's avatar
navyachts OP
640 posts
 

Lot of great comments and advice, thanks.

@luisranger2bn - What?

@riie - suggestions?

@antialiased - I'd like to PM you on this.

@ggc - "is when I connected a $9k power cable to it" - Love it!

 

 

 

riie
219 posts
 

That looks like china fi level man you can do better. I suggest California fi - MSB Discrete with renderer.

 

very natural relaxed sound quite impressed with MSB.

 

as always try before you buy and make sure you sleep on it

what do you use for optical isolation?

navyachts's avatar
navyachts OP
640 posts
 

@riie - $12K, outta my range Captain, but thanks.

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