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why still buy a cd player?

I'm relatively new to the audiophile world, and I'm trying to understand why anone who has a sonos system (or alike) and has stored his files on a server in a lossless format would still want to buy a CD player for best audiophile music quality.

here's my thinking:

if a lossless rip format is used, the data stored after ripping on a digital hard-disk is as good as cd quality - by definition-,...

with sonos i can get that data anywhere in the house without errors

so the only thing that matters is the conversion from digital to analog and the follow-up amplification.

Now,

i can go from sonos to a pre-amp using a digital port, then the pre-amp determines the DAC quality.

or I go from sonos to an amp after using the DAC in the sonos (and use the analog connection to the amp)

If I were to have a CDP connected digitally to a pre-amp, the pre-amp DAC would determine the quality of the sound. In that case I might as well skip the CDP and fall back on my sonos and connect it digitally to my pre-amp.

So the only benefit from a CDP player would come from using the DAC and thus the analog out of the CDP. Is my logic correct?

If this is correct, than I would only have better sound quality with a CDP if the DAC of the CD player exceeds the quality of the DAC of my sonos and of my pre-amp. Is my logic correct?

If it is, and since I can imagine that most $500k CD would have better DAC than a sonos, the real comparison is to figure out of the DAC of my pre-amp is better than the DAC of my CDP. If it does, than no need for a cdp, just use sonos. If it doesn't then a cdp would still provide better quality. Is that correct?

So, the decision to by a
I can imagine that a good cdp would exceed the
mizuno
sammie
220 posts
 
Wow, not this again.....well, here goes: It depends on what equipment you use. IMO, Sonos's primary objective is interface and usabiltiy, not sound quality. With some research, anyone can find computer gear and an accompanying DAC that will rival most CDP's or tranport/DAC combinations. Or at the very least, offer better value.

I have used/owned a few "hi-end" CDP's and none of them can touch the Macbook + DAC set-up that I have now. Plus, the added conveniance factor and ability to access all music instantaneously is such an improvement!
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,153 posts
 
Tend to agree with Sammie.
nyctc7
91 posts
 
I've been into CD's for 20 years and have no plans on changing. I don't need a zillion songs. But I acknowledge that hard-drive systems are the wave of the future--and that future is here and now. They offer even more convenience than CD's, and from what I've read, the sound is superior when done right, and it really doesn't take a whole lot of money to do it right.

OTOH, perhaps like turntables, cartridges, and phono amps, which became more and more awesome even after vinyl declined, CDP's will become more and more awesome even as people shift their loyalties to hard drives. I just wish that the people who produced and mastered CD's (not just the specialty labels), would utilize them to their full potential.
nyctc7
91 posts
 
Just wanted to add: having an SACD player, I realize that the redbook format is a limiting factor of CD's. Eventually, I guess, all the high quality music will only be available to those with music servers. Is that correct?
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