Computer Audio with DAC? Worse than CD?

[squasher100]

:think: As digital music becomes more and more common, can people share their experiences on whether a high end stand CD player sounds better vs. a computer feeding a digital signal to a high quality DAC or Processor? I just bought a Krell S1200U processor for my system which I was planning to use as my DAC using the feed from my HTPC. Would I be better off (sonically) investing a high end CD player? Thanks!

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http://www.martinloganowners.com/forum/showthread.php?t=10963

 

[Hocky]

Listening to them back and forth on CLX's, I couldn't tell a difference.

 

[amey01]

Go the music server I say.

I have done extensive comparisons with my Squeezebox and transport (feeding the same DAC of course) and I'm jolly hard pressed to tell the difference. If anything, sometimes the streaming media has a slight advantage over the transport.

As for comparing a CD player to streaming media/DAC, it is not really comparing "apples with apples" - in my opinion, the DAC (specifically the analogue output stage contained therein) has more of an effect on sound quality than anything else. So if you want a fair comparison, you need to feed the transport's output to the same DAC.

What you do need to consider though, is a proper streaming player versus feeding the signal straight from a HTPC. The HTPC will be noisy and may cause you control problems in your listening room. A streaming player (such as a Squeezebox) will solve both of these issues by giving you a purpose built display/player/remote and running silently, allowing your PC (and all the mechanically noisy and electrically noisy rubbish) to be placed in another room.

 

[squasher100]

Thanks guys. Wouldn't the DAC in the Krell S1200U be as good (or better) as the Logitech transport? If that was the case, since the computer signal is digital, would it really matter if I had a squeeze box or Sonos wireless solution?

 

[amey01]

Thanks guys. Wouldn't the DAC in the Krell S1200U be as good (or better) as the Logitech transport? If that was the case, since the computer signal is digital, would it really matter if I had a squeeze box or Sonos wireless solution?

The DAC in the Krell would no doubt be better than the Logitech DAC, yes. There are differences with digital, and I'm sure out of the Squeezebox or Sonos one would be better. But I've not compared them myself, I haven't seen any comparison, and I'm sure the differences would be so small as to be negligible. The Sonos and Squeezebox are both great.

 

[mosttoysrk]

The DAC in the Krell would no doubt be better than the Logitech DAC, yes. There are differences with digital, and I'm sure out of the Squeezebox or Sonos one would be better. But I've not compared them myself, I haven't seen any comparison, and I'm sure the differences would be so small as to be negligible. The Sonos and Squeezebox are both great.

I have the Sonos system and am currently running the digital feed from my zp80 to a ps audio pw-DAC. It does sound very good but am looking forward to the bridge adapter that will allow a direct feed from a NAS or USB harddrive directly into the DAC. I am very curious to see if the hype from PS Audio concerning the bridge to DAC card is all that it is cracked up to be.
Will keep you posted on how it compares to the Sonos.

 

[tonepub]

Even though my dCS Paganini stack sounds better with the transport, the playback through the SPDI/F with the Sooloos or Naim HDX music servers is awfully good.

Sounds great with the Squeezebox touch as well....

 

[gordonmenninger]

I purchased the amazing Krell S1200U processor about 7 months ago (I was one of the first people to receive it) and also use the Squeezebox thanks to many great recommendations on here and I have never looked back! You really owe it to yourself to spend $300 on a squeezebox and hook it up to your krell! The sound is utterly amazing! I do not "play" any cd's anymore - I play everything through the SB... There are other neat features like internet radio (in surprisingly good audio quality) that I use alot for background listening when having cocktails on my deck!
Yes, the Krell Dac's are better of course and the SB has coax digital outs which feed the Krell's internal Dacs. I also had a HTPC years ago but threw that thing out a long time ago due to noise, lack of ease of use, etc...
Let me know how you like the Krell (and be sure to do the Firmware update of the newer software if yours does not have it!).

gordon

 

[sleepysurf]

Even though my dCS Paganini stack sounds better with the transport, the playback through the SPDI/F with the Sooloos or Naim HDX music servers is awfully good.

Sounds great with the Squeezebox touch as well....

Jeff, assuming the Sooloos, Naim, or Squeezebox Touch all deliver bit-perfect digital streams to your dCS Paganini, and assuming the dCS is relatively immune to low-level jitter, WHY would there be any discernable difference between any of them vs. the transport?

 

[Jimna]

Jeff, assuming the Sooloos, Naim, or Squeezebox Touch all deliver bit-perfect digital streams to your dCS Paganini, and assuming the dCS is relatively immune to low-level jitter, WHY would there be any discernable difference between any of them vs. the transport?

This is my question as well, aren't high res/bit rate 1's and 0's all the same?

 

[Bernard]

This is my question as well, aren't high res/bit rate 1's and 0's all the same?

They are the same, but funny thing is that digital cables do not all sound the same, as I found out when I upgraded from Cardas to MIT - coaxial, not optical, cables that is.