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#1
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CD transport, archival on hard disk and DA question
Hi all,
I want to simplify my life and the organization of my 800CDs so i am thinking of archiving on a computer. I have 4 basic questions: A) I hard many arguments about CD transport differences and am wondering how that is possible? B) How is the CD stransport different in an audio CD player and computer CD drives. If I read the sound files from the CD onto my computer I can use different computers and get always the identical sound file (yes, i compared the bits). If the transport would be different, then the bits should be different, or ? C) If i store sound files uncompressed on a hard disk of an able computer (500MHz G4), then shouldn't I be able to play these files via a good DAC (i.e. M-audio firewire audiophile, 96kHz) and get CD sound back??? D) any other "computer intrefacable" DACs that are better than the M-audio? I have a Linn Majik, Nakamichi CD/DVD player, Blueroom speakers, B&W sub. I really enjoy the sound from CDs. I went to a dealer and they claim that $1000-$2000 CD players (Rega planet, Linn Genki) sound way better. Is that just the DAC in the player ? Thanks a lot! Pat |
#2
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CD transport, archival on hard disk and DA question
Pat wrote:
Hi all, I want to simplify my life and the organization of my 800CDs so i am thinking of archiving on a computer. I think more and more people will be doing that. I have 4 basic questions: A) I hard many arguments about CD transport differences and am wondering how that is possible? If you are ripping CD's into your hard disk and storing them as either ..wav files or compressed files, there is no way the CD transport could make any difference. B) How is the CD stransport different in an audio CD player and computer CD drives. Computer CD drives can read much faster. They do not have good analog-to-converters necessarily. Software such as EAC (Exact Audio Copy) can do an excellent job of making sure that the tracks are ripped correctly onto your hard disk. If I read the sound files from the CD onto my computer I can use different computers and get always the identical sound file (yes, i compared the bits). Yes. If the transport would be different, then the bits should be different, or ? No, unless one of the transports is broken . C) If i store sound files uncompressed on a hard disk of an able computer (500MHz G4), then shouldn't I be able to play these files via a good DAC (i.e. M-audio firewire audiophile, 96kHz) and get CD sound back??? Yes. I recommend that you send digital out from the computer via a sound card. Sending digital data out is an easy task for any computer, unless the computer has to do a lot of other intensive tasks. You may also try to use a good music manager like iTunes. And try compressed formats to see if they are good enough. Hard disk space is very cheap these days, and 800 discs uncompressed will probably take up about 400 MB. I saw a 250GB on sale for $139 this week, after rebates. You can use lossless compression to save space, too. D) any other "computer intrefacable" DACs that are better than the M-audio? Any recent receiver should have built-in DAC's and accept S/PDIF signals (toslink or coax). My recommendation is try those first instead of getting an external DAC. I have a Linn Majik, Nakamichi CD/DVD player, Blueroom speakers, B&W sub. I really enjoy the sound from CDs. I went to a dealer and they claim that $1000-$2000 CD players (Rega planet, Linn Genki) sound way better. Is that just the DAC in the player ? Certainly if there are differences, the DAC's will likely contribute the most. But realize that information the sales people get you may not be always technically accurate. I came across a couple of products that you might find interesting: http://us.creative.com/local/1/newsl...Specifications http://www.slimdevices.com/ Both of these are wireless-ready music servers. They allow you to place the receiver anywhere in your house, away from the computer which is a source of acoustic noise. I believe these products will become very popular, as well as cheaper in the next year. They both have internal DAC's if you don't have a receiver with built-in DAC's. And you avoid the problem of running optical/coax cables. Thanks a lot! Pat |
#3
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CD transport, archival on hard disk and DA question
chung wrote:
Yes. I recommend that you send digital out from the computer via a sound card. Sending digital data out is an easy task for any computer, unless the computer has to do a lot of other intensive tasks. You may also try to use a good music manager like iTunes. And try compressed formats to see if they are good enough. Hard disk space is very cheap these days, and 800 discs uncompressed will probably take up about 400 MB. Oops, I meant 400 GB. I saw a 250GB on sale for $139 this week, after rebates. You can use lossless compression to save space, too. |
#4
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CD transport, archival on hard disk and DA question
chung wrote in message ...
so this confirms a lot of what i have thought.... snipped If you are ripping CD's into your hard disk and storing them as either .wav files or compressed files, there is no way the CD transport could make any difference. B) How is the CD stransport different in an audio CD player and computer CD drives. Computer CD drives can read much faster. They do not have good analog-to-converters necessarily. Then why are computer CD drives $39 and CD transports $1000? Doesnt seem to make much sense to me. Software such as EAC (Exact Audio Copy) can do an excellent job of making sure that the tracks are ripped correctly onto your hard disk. Is there a Mac OS-X version or could I just drag the files into itunes? If I read the sound files from the CD onto my computer I can use different computers and get always the identical sound file (yes, i compared the bits). Yes. If the transport would be different, then the bits should be different, or ? No, unless one of the transports is broken . which goes to the above.. why is the transport in cheapo CD Rom players so much better than in hifi CD players ? For sure a decent DAC can be build for $500? is the rest just design/marketing ? I mean, $3000 CD players ? C) If i store sound files uncompressed on a hard disk of an able computer (500MHz G4), then shouldn't I be able to play these files via a good DAC (i.e. M-audio firewire audiophile, 96kHz) and get CD sound back??? Yes. I recommend that you send digital out from the computer via a sound card. Sending digital data out is an easy task for any computer, unless the computer has to do a lot of other intensive tasks. You may also try to use a good music manager like iTunes. And try compressed formats to see if they are good enough. Hard disk space is very cheap these days, and 800 discs uncompressed will probably take up about 400 MB. I saw a 250GB on sale for $139 this week, after rebates. You can use lossless compression to save space, too. D) any other "computer intrefacable" DACs that are better than the M-audio? Any recent receiver should have built-in DAC's and accept S/PDIF signals (toslink or coax). My recommendation is try those first instead of getting an external DAC. I have a Mac G4 with 500GB HD space and was thinking of an extrenal firewire sound/DAC card as my amplifier (Linn Majik) doesnt have a digital input. I have a Linn Majik, Nakamichi CD/DVD player, Blueroom speakers, B&W sub. I really enjoy the sound from CDs. I went to a dealer and they claim that $1000-$2000 CD players (Rega planet, Linn Genki) sound way better. Is that just the DAC in the player ? Certainly if there are differences, the DAC's will likely contribute the most. But realize that information the sales people get you may not be always technically accurate. I heard people claim that they use different CD transports on the samer DAC and hear differences.... I came across a couple of products that you might find interesting: http://us.creative.com/local/1/newsl...Specifications http://www.slimdevices.com/ Both of these are wireless-ready music servers. They allow you to place the receiver anywhere in your house, away from the computer which is a source of acoustic noise. I believe these products will become very popular, as well as cheaper in the next year. They both have internal DAC's if you don't have a receiver with built-in DAC's. And you avoid the problem of running optical/coax cables. those seem cool. wonder how they sound. Actually, my computer is almost silent as it doesnt ahve any fans in it and the WD hard disks are also pretty low noise. So I huess I have to hunt for a good DAC now and then start putting my CDs on the hard disk... Which external DACs with USB or firewire interface sound good ? Pat |
#5
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CD transport, archival on hard disk and DA question
Pat wrote:
chung wrote in message ... so this confirms a lot of what i have thought.... snipped If you are ripping CD's into your hard disk and storing them as either .wav files or compressed files, there is no way the CD transport could make any difference. B) How is the CD stransport different in an audio CD player and computer CD drives. Computer CD drives can read much faster. They do not have good analog-to-converters necessarily. Then why are computer CD drives $39 and CD transports $1000? Doesnt seem to make much sense to me. You're comparing apples to oranges. The CD transport has a nice enclosure, display, remote control, power supply and S/PDIF output circuitry. It also plays CD's in real time, so it has to be desgined with low jitter in mind. And finally, they sell millions of computer drives. But it is very possible that the CD drive in a $1K transport is a $39 drive! Software such as EAC (Exact Audio Copy) can do an excellent job of making sure that the tracks are ripped correctly onto your hard disk. Is there a Mac OS-X version or could I just drag the files into itunes? If you just want to rip to .wav files, iTunes does it all for you, Mac OS-X or Windows. You set up the preferences and just import. If I read the sound files from the CD onto my computer I can use different computers and get always the identical sound file (yes, i compared the bits). Yes. If the transport would be different, then the bits should be different, or ? No, unless one of the transports is broken . which goes to the above.. why is the transport in cheapo CD Rom players so much better than in hifi CD players ? Better in the sense that it can read fast? For sure a decent DAC can be build for $500? is the rest just design/marketing ? I mean, $3000 CD players ? Yes, a lot of it is marketing. Then there is mark-up. But you can't compare a computer CD drive against a hi-fi CD player. They are different products. The computer drive may not have a good DAC, too. Ripping to hard disk and playing in real time are two different tasks. C) If i store sound files uncompressed on a hard disk of an able computer (500MHz G4), then shouldn't I be able to play these files via a good DAC (i.e. M-audio firewire audiophile, 96kHz) and get CD sound back??? Yes. I recommend that you send digital out from the computer via a sound card. Sending digital data out is an easy task for any computer, unless the computer has to do a lot of other intensive tasks. You may also try to use a good music manager like iTunes. And try compressed formats to see if they are good enough. Hard disk space is very cheap these days, and 800 discs uncompressed will probably take up about 400 MB. I saw a 250GB on sale for $139 this week, after rebates. You can use lossless compression to save space, too. D) any other "computer intrefacable" DACs that are better than the M-audio? Any recent receiver should have built-in DAC's and accept S/PDIF signals (toslink or coax). My recommendation is try those first instead of getting an external DAC. I have a Mac G4 with 500GB HD space and was thinking of an extrenal firewire sound/DAC card as my amplifier (Linn Majik) doesnt have a digital input. Well, you have choices here. You can get a relatively inexpensive AV pre-amp or receiver that has the DAC's, plus all the switching and circuitry for stereo as well as home theater. Getting an expensive dedicated 2-channel DAC, is, frankly, expenisve. But you can buy an external USB 2.0 sound card that should work quite well. Creative Labs makes one that is well reviewed. http://www.tomshardware.com/video/20031114/index.html I have seen this one on sale for about $100. You have to check Mac compatibility, though. The added advantage of this type of sound card is that it will do a good job of tranferring your vinyl and cassette music to hard disk. I have a Linn Majik, Nakamichi CD/DVD player, Blueroom speakers, B&W sub. I really enjoy the sound from CDs. I went to a dealer and they claim that $1000-$2000 CD players (Rega planet, Linn Genki) sound way better. Is that just the DAC in the player ? Certainly if there are differences, the DAC's will likely contribute the most. But realize that information the sales people get you may not be always technically accurate. I heard people claim that they use different CD transports on the samer DAC and hear differences.... It is possible if the DAC is poorly designed. On the other hand, some people can hear differences from using magic CD pens, so who knows? I came across a couple of products that you might find interesting: http://us.creative.com/local/1/newsl...Specifications http://www.slimdevices.com/ Both of these are wireless-ready music servers. They allow you to place the receiver anywhere in your house, away from the computer which is a source of acoustic noise. I believe these products will become very popular, as well as cheaper in the next year. They both have internal DAC's if you don't have a receiver with built-in DAC's. And you avoid the problem of running optical/coax cables. those seem cool. wonder how they sound. My guess is that if you use the digital output, they will not degrade the sound at all. Check out the measurements in the review. Actually, my computer is almost silent as it doesnt ahve any fans in it and the WD hard disks are also pretty low noise. The big advantage of those products is that you can place the server wherever you want, away from the PC. Another advantage is that you can listen to music stored on any computer on your LAN. So I huess I have to hunt for a good DAC now and then start putting my CDs on the hard disk... Think about getting a AV receiver/preamp. It may be a more flexible solution. Which external DACs with USB or firewire interface sound good ? See above. Pat |
#6
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CD transport, archival on hard disk and DA question
Pat wrote:
Is there a Mac OS-X version or could I just drag the files into itunes? Pat As suggested before, you can use Itunes. Or, just drag the files from the CD like a word documnet. OSX has the built-in ability to extract audio from CDs straight from the finder. CD |
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