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Is computer audio a bust?

In recent months, I have had several audio acquaintances return to CDPs claiming improved SQ versus their highly optimized computer transports (SS drives, external power supplies, etc, etc).

I wanted to poll people on their experiences with computer "transports." What variables have had the most impact on sonics? If you bailed on computers, why?

I personally have always believed that the transport, whether its a plastic disc spinner or computer, is as or more important than the dac itself and thus considerable thought and energy is required.

agear
foster_9
1,638 posts
 
Remember when CD spinners were a bust? It was not that long ago. They have gotten a LOT better just over the last 5 years. Steve N.
Empirical Audio
Audioengr

Name some, always curious about the better sounding cd players.
tbg
5,263 posts
 
Foster_9, I was curious about that also, but I do think the BMC transport and the Oppo drives plus the Esoteric drives are also good; no where near the cds ripped to hard drives, however.
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,479 posts
 
My turntable started to be mostly relegated to the sidelines when I started using old Roku Soundbridge to my current DACs a few years back prior to moving to Squeezebox. Now with nothing new happening with Squeezebox, I am forging ahead for now with PLEX.

I still have two Roku Soundbridge devices around in original packaging that I do not use anymore. Sound quality of those even was top notch into my preferred DACs, very much like Squeezebox. ANyone interested in testing the waters on the cheap with those let me know. They and one of my two Squeezebox Touch devices are sitting unused today. They connect to built in Windows MEdia player on Windows (that is what I used them with mostly) and most other standards compliant music servers for .wav files.
agear OP
1,362 posts
 
08-21-14: Tbg
Agear, I have continually wondered about the fundamental question in this thread, which frankly I think is absurd. Now with your new restatement, I can comment more.

Tbg, I find you are spending more and more in the irritable professor mode as of late (going off on brain dead cyber students). :) My Dad was a prof and I come from a long line of profs so I am VERY familiar with said behavior.

As I have stated before, the question is a rhetorical device or quasi-Socractic in nature to generate discussion. Taken literally, yes, the question is absurd.
agear OP
1,362 posts
 
08-22-14: Mapman
My turntable started to be mostly relegated to the sidelines when I started using old Roku Soundbridge to my current DACs a few years back prior to moving to Squeezebox. Now with nothing new happening with Squeezebox, I am forging ahead for now with PLEX.

That has been my paradigm since 06. It does help he enduser bypass the computer silliness and the inherent Brownian motion of faux programing with nominal changes in SQ that would fail any good A+B test. I just got an Aries, and so far, so good.
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