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I read Gordon Rankin's 2/16/07 post (about the positive reaction of musicians and a mastering engineer to a high quality system with a Mac/USB DAC source) with great interest.My current system has a single source (Ayre Cx-7e into a Wavelength Sine linestage) and I've been thinking of adding vinyl to the mix. I've also thought about a Meitner or Ayre universal player.
The absence of vinyl and CD/universal player sources, at least in the particular system that Gordon was discussing, got me thinking about source choices for my system going forward.
If funds were unlimited, I'd love to have them all! But that's not the case, so I'd appreciate hearing advice and comments from other members about source choices they've made or are considering.
Thanks in advance for your comments.
Follow Ups:
Gordon, given your recent work in the USB DAC arena, has your opinion of vinyl, and its role as a source component in a high end system, changed?I'd appreciate hearing any thoughts you might be willing to share on this. Thanks.
With Vinyl, be prepare to fork over some DOUGH to get it sounding where it needs to be.4th turntable in the last 5 months in testing..and a plethora of cartridges and phono pres..and I am not quite there yet.
Vast differences in:
1. Phono preamps. Big time differences.
2. Cartridges.
3. Resonance control, isolation from loudspeakers.
4. Platter stability.
5. Tone arm physics.
6. The Vinyl itself (first runs sound so much better than last presses. 5 copies of the same album can sound 5 different levels of quality)
7. Phono cables. Capacitance and resistance (loading) is HUGE with compatability.
8. Setting it all up to work together.Shall I go on?
You might get lucky..but then again..it is a teasers game..when it is close, you know it is all coming together..and is it worth it all?Time, money, time, more money..lots and lots..
ontrack, thanks for the reply and the cautions about going vinyl. While I'm not sure I'll take the plunge, it's good to hear unvarnished input from folks who have.
Latest purchase.
Very nice! While I haven't heard this table I've read a lot of very positive comments. How do you like it?
So far so good!Certainly is a thing of beauty.
Thomas is a very dedicated builder.
Many believe that CD is the last hard format we'll have before the delivery medium changes to downloads entirely. So if you're software-centric in your consideration, i.e. ask in what form your current music library exists and where, going forward, most your new music will be coming from, I think it's reasonable to build a system around a superior CD player that's got a superior USB input. I'll finally get my review Abbingdon Music Research CD-77 that fits that particular bill - one box, optimized Redbook, top loader, 24/192 capable, PC link via USB. I haven't heard it yet, obviously, so the "fits the bill" comment refers solely to the paper specs and features.Hard-drive data retrieval or memory cards (a friend of mine is already doing it with the new high-capacity cards) is probably the new form of playback but to get your existing music to these carriers still requires importation. You could use a standalone DVD/ROM drive but with a big existing library, that could be a royal pain re: time.
So if you've got a few 1000 CDs you cherish, my vote is still for a superior CD player, simply one that's future proof as it were (what really is) by interfacing via USB with the new data carriers that'll be computer or card based.
Just my opinion of course...
connection such as the Resolution Audio Opus 21 offers.Would there still be an inherently inferior result even with a very high quality sound card thru the digital out into the digital input of the Opus 21?
I was mentioning USB as the interface with your computer or WiFi component which will become your portal to download music files from the Internet. Some computers and WiFi component do and will offer coaxial outputs but some may not. To insure that a CDP is future-compatible to play back files that are stored on a device with only USB outputs, I recommended that someone concerned about the long haul insure his new CDP has such a USB input.On the subject of what gives better performance, I'm not in a position to say. Gordon Rankin at Wavelength Audio has given the subject considerable thought and if I understand him right, he feels USB is superior. Thorsten Loesch at AMR doesn't even provide a coaxial digital input on his new player but only a USB port, suggesting he feels the same.
As a consumer, more options equals more freedom is what I think.
I had a short e-mail conversation with Weiss, of Weiss Medea and Jason fame. He and I agreed that the medium will be downloads, but he wasn't sure either of the method of transport. Sounds like many different people are pondering the same issues. Unfortunately, my Esoteric X-01 Limited has no digital input, and will relatively soon be a doorstop. OTOH, it also allows me to listen to my SACD collection, so for now it will stay.
Srajan, thanks for the reply. I enjoy reading your reviews and look forward to your piece on the Abbingdon.
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