Why are server setups so costly relative to CDP's?

i disagree. i think the ps audio perfect wave transport is better transport than the ps audio perfect wave dac. i own both and am reviewing a dac which i prefer th that of the ps audio.

the most important component is the component followed by the transport and the dac is last. use logic it is obvious that if you have a master tape, you will recognize its sound over a boom box.

i would rather own a great recording and a poor stereo system than a great stereo syetm with a poor recording.

They're not. I guess it depends on what price point you're aiming. My headless Mac mini and external drive coupled to an Ayre Dac is a whole lot less than my Naim CD5x with Flatcap 2 PS. And the Ayre sounds incredible.

Mrtennis, I don't understand. "I think the ps audio perfect wave transport is better transport than the ps audio perfect wave dac". Do you mean that the ps transport is better as a transport than the ps dac is a DAC? Or do you mean that the ps audio transport is more important than the ps audio dac? We can agree to disagree, but I couldn't disagree more about transports vs DACs. If you run several different quality transports into the same DAC you might hear minor differences. If you take one transport into several different DACs of different designs you will hear large differences due to the output design of the DAC.

our disagreemnet stands. the transport is morer important than the dac. in adddition, the ps audio transport is a better transport relative to other transports than the ps audio dac is relative to other dacs. anotherwords the ps audio transport is a better invetsmnet than the ps audio dac. i can achieve "better" sound using the ps audio transport than i casn using the ps audio dac.

i think i have cleared up any ambiguity.

i am not overly impressed with the ps audio dac.

my reason for attaching importance to the transport is that it is the first device to come in contact with the recording.

does anyone think that differences between transports is insignificant.

there are "good" products of all genres--transports, dacs, preamps, amps, speakers, cable accessories and power conditioners.

the potential range of difference between products is a highly subjective opinion.

most believe that differences in speakers are greater than differences between amps. but such a position is based upon many variables and does not constitute knowledge.

i would rather state the position that there are differences between components and systems and not suggest that one class of components exhibits greater differences than another. my position is factually neutral.

Mrtennis,

You state:

"most believe that differences in speakers are greater than differences between amps. but such a position is based upon many variables and does not constitute knowledge."

This implies that you have a greater knowledge than others. If you believe this to be true, you are arrogant. Thereby only you know the truth.

You state:

"i would rather state the position that there are differences between components and systems and not suggest that one class of components exhibits greater differences than another. my position is factually neutral."

If your position is factually neutral, you would not have stated that the transport is more important than the DAC. I believe that each component has its importance and it is the synergy of the individual pieces, like a recipe, that determines the end result-a transforming event in which you are brought into the performance and imagine that you are there.

We can disagree on many things as long as we agree on our love of music!