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

I have a Rega Planet cdp that makes great music. It was about $1k new. Why do server setups cost so much more? A cdp must read a digital medium, correcting for errors and so forth, convert it to analog and put it out to an pre- or integrated amp. These are all things that a media server or some other digital solution a la Sonos-DAC must do, yet it seems that to match my cdp quality I have to spend a lot more. I figure there is a logical explanation for this and my ignorance is preventing me from seeing it. Can anyone help?
wsomers
mrtennis
3,295 posts
 
hi tgrisham:

the first sentence you quote does not imply i have knowledge,. stating that .... does not constitute knowledge does not mean that i have knowledge.

nowhere in any staement have i stated that i have knowledge.

stating that there is a range of difference between components of the same genre is factual.

i apologize for any ambiguity.
kijanki's avatar
kijanki
4,443 posts
 
Mrtennis - It depends on the DAC. Jitter rejecting DACs like Benchmark DAC1 might sound different with different transports but perhaps not because of jitter. It was reported many times that it often sounds better with cheap DVD player than expensive transport (that has lower jitter). It might be that cheap DVD player have more sensitive laser optics (DVD players have good tracking) or transport is not bit-transparent (DSP, digital volume control etc) or one of the creates ground loops in the system etc.

For DACs other than asynchronous-upsampling (jitter rejecting) transport is very important - I agree.
tgrisham
1,291 posts
 
This is such a fun hobby/addiction that we do get lost in the small details. To return to the original question...there will always be a debate regarding which road to choose to bring us to the "best sound" and before it was (and is) vinyl vs CD, and now computer vs CDP. It all depends on the implementation and what sounds good to you. As a beginner in the exploration of computer based audio my experience tells me that for less than $1000 a dedicated CDP is better (today's dollars). Over that it is possible to expand into computer audio and achieve better results using computers. Just like with vinyl, there is a point in which CDs can closely approximate the sound of good vinyl, but it costs more.
chazzbo
1,007 posts
 
if you take out the computer cost I thin it's actually cheaper.You can get a $3K system that will rival a $20K Lin Or Meridian CDP.But if you want a Sooloos and to spend you can.And when you look at what you can do with it functionally you get more.I see a number of companies like Linn that are integrating a whole CD player with a wireless system which is fun and can save huge amounts of hard wiring a house
Chazz
the_smokester
174 posts
 
I have SlimServer installed on my PC in another room. All my seedees have been ripped to the PC (the hardest part of the process). I have a SqueezeBox attached to the DAC on my Wadia seedee player through a S/PDIF optical fiber. Music is wifi'd from the PC to the DAC.

Can't tell the difference between this and a seedee played directly on the Wadia.
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