Best Source for a stereo setup.

[dhimant negandhi]

In search of convenience and ease, moved my.living room setup to a soundbar so that the family finds it easier. Very novice in audio .

In my study ( approx 120 sq ft room ) , I now have a Harman Kardon 980 integrated amplifier paired with Cambridge Audio Aeromax 2 speakers. They pair really well. Now there are 3 source options

1. Connect Aux to RCA ( via echo dot 3.5mm out ). Works pretty well with Amazon music. Also helps activate voice.

2. Connect Aux to RCA via my macbook pro. I use it to play my FLAC and WAV collections. Have heard that the macbook pro has a decent DAC but not sure. Also spotify and normal.mp3 collection. ( not via cd )

3. Not tried but google chromecast audio as a source to play spotify premium as Alexa still doesnt.

Questions are
1. Which among 3 would give me the best quality source.

2. Do a need a cd player to experience slightly better quality than the above mentioned sources. If yes, is it ok to go with an entry level cd player as I just have 20 25 cds I would like to hear.

3. Lastly , if I ditch using the ce player completely. Is any there any better source.

Dont want to ideally go with an external DAC as want to keep the setup simple.

Please help with suggestions.

 

[ravindrads]

Nothing can Beat a CD player output. no streaming and USB stuffs,
If u want a good CD player please go for Rega Appolo. The DAC inside is fantastic so no need of external DAC

 

[dhimant negandhi]

kool. thanks, I was looking at a budget player. something like harman kardon 980. it would pair well with my harman kardon 980 stereo amp

 

[dhimant negandhi]

Just managed to find a HK HD 980 CD player. I think it pairs well with the 980 AMP. Trying to get. Will update if this goes through.

 

[dhimant negandhi]

I had seen an old post where someone had a HK 980 CD player. Had good reviews . If someone has more information, it would be great

 

[ravindrads]

Rega Appolo R IMO

 

[MaSh]

Source depends on the medium on which your content is? If you have a ton of CDs, get a CD Player, if its digital files, you need a PC, USBridge, Digione, media player, etc, if LPs you need a TT. More information on this should help.

MaSh

 

[dhimant negandhi]

Just 25 cds
That's it.

 

[MaSh]

Rip those cds into wav/FLAC and Give the digione signature player a shot.

MaSh

 

[Deleted member 15865]

Questions are
1. Which among 3 would give me the best quality source.

2. Do a need a cd player to experience slightly better quality than the above mentioned sources. If yes, is it ok to go with an entry level cd player as I just have 20 25 cds I would like to hear.

3. Lastly , if I ditch using the ce player completely. Is any there any better source.

1. MacBook Pro
2. A decent CD player around Rs 25-30k will give significant improvement over any of those three rigs.
3. A streamer with hi-res capability.

Reading your question and noticing that you are a MacBook Pro user, I feel you may soon outgrow any rig on shoestring budget. Do consider a more long term solution for your entire system.

 

[kapmish]

I have been using Marantz CD 6005 over last couple of years. It can play CDs as well as can take in devices (iPhone, iPod, HDDs) via USB port. Very satisfied with SQ and performance. It has a better DAC than amp (imo) so I take RCA out to amp.

 

[spirovious]

Can think of Khadas as dac-

Tone Series | Khadas

Hi-Res Audio Board Designed for Music Fanatics | Hi-Fi 2.0 | XMOS XU208 | ESS ES9038Q2M DAC | Volumio | DSD | S/PDIF IN | USB Sound Card

www.khadas.com

 

[newlash09]

Hi Dhimant

Surprisingly I got my first CD player this year. And borrowed some CD's from my friends.

And I also run a roon setup running off my Intel NUC with a dedicated metrum Ambre roon end point. And when I play flac's from my NAS via roon, and compare to the CD play back. It is absolutely no contest...the CD player triumphs all the way. And I still haven't got into the vagaries like LPSU, and usb cables that cost a bomb. So from my experience for best pristine digital playback, invest in a CD player for once

 

[dhimant negandhi]

Thanks Guys. I am new here but the responses are so encouraging and helpful.

I invested in a used HK 980 CD player on a good deal as it goes well with my existing HK 980 Stereo Amp. Both these will play with my CA Aeromax 2 speakers. Just installed it and took a demo with MJ Dangerous. It is absolutely a no contest like u guys suggested ! Will now invest in buying some more cds , especially Jazz which is what I am hearing these days

Thanks Again !

 

[Deleted member 15865]

Thanks Guys. I am new here but the responses are so encouraging and helpful.

I invested in a used HK 980 CD player on a good deal as it goes well with my existing HK 980 Stereo Amp. Both these will play with my CA Aeromax 2 speakers. Just installed it and took a demo with MJ Dangerous. It is absolutely a no contest like u guys suggested ! Will now invest in buying some more cds , especially Jazz which is what I am hearing these days

Thanks Again !

That’s nice to hear! Owning, organising, handling and listening to physical media is a wonderful experience in itself. And then you add the superior sonic quality of CD to it, and one is hooked. I have a Tidal subscription which I use extensively to explore newer (to me) music. But for serious listening, it’s always CDs from my collection. Physical media also instills the discipline to listen to an entire album which has its own bliss.

Slowly you’d start discovering ways and channels of acquiring new and used CDs and build your collection which can provide you hours of listening and relistening joy for years.

 

[renjith lal]

Hi Dhimant

Surprisingly I got my first CD player this year. And borrowed some CD's from my friends.

And I also run a roon setup running off my Intel NUC with a dedicated metrum Ambre roon end point. And when I play flac's from my NAS via roon, and compare to the CD play back. It is absolutely no contest...the CD player triumphs all the way. And I still haven't got into the vagaries like LPSU, and usb cables that cost a bomb. So from my experience for best pristine digital playback, invest in a CD player for once

Even I felt local playback is better than streaming using TIdal/Qobuz. Now if we rip a CD and play the flac files using NUC or Mac will it give same
performance as CD playback? I doubt. Is there a CD player which can be used for CD/SACD and use digital inputs ( hard disk) which will give good performance?
If I use Roon and use a dedicated NUC as core and control it with a phone will it be close?

Problem is the availability of CDs and all are moving to digital files. Please let me know which is the best way to get CD quality with digital files, NUC with roon or with a dedicated streamer like Auralic or Aurender?

 

[mpasanthosh]

Rip those cds into wav/FLAC and Give the digione signature player a shot.

MaSh

I have been using the same and it sounds amazing.
Just a little bit of hassle with Volumio library getting corrupt.
Never found or used a digital transport that is close to the Digione Signature.
I have been using Digione/Hifiberry as well, currently i have retained the digione and got the signature as well.

But to use the digital transport the OP needs to have a DAC, not sure how he plans to use it, as his need is to not to go for a external DAC.

I have never been disappointed with my external DAC the BelCanto DAC 3.7, it is a very good upgrade to keep the DAC external and not clutter it with other electronics, mine has a seperate power supply unit that supplies 12v to the DAC inputs, this helps reduce noise and distortion.

The output of the Digione Signature Player is fed to the DAC 3.7.
My entire 5TB collection is accessed through my NAS storage device in the Digione Signature Player.

 

[newlash09]

Even I felt local playback is better than streaming using TIdal/Qobuz. Now if we rip a CD and play the flac files using NUC or Mac will it give same
performance as CD playback? I doubt. Is there a CD player which can be used for CD/SACD and use digital inputs ( hard disk) which will give good performance?
If I use Roon and use a dedicated NUC as core and control it with a phone will it be close?

Problem is the availability of CDs and all are moving to digital files. Please let me know which is the best way to get CD quality with digital files, NUC with roon or with a dedicated streamer like Auralic or Aurender?

Hi renjith

Loong time since we spoke . Happy to see your post here.

Coming to your query...the play back quality of a CD or even its rip, will largely depend on its recording quality. The CD's Iam listening to are from a forum member sajjad4joy. And they are all painstakingly collected original first issues. So Iam not surprised to find their SQ awesome when played through my esoteric CD player.

The flac rips of the same track I have could be from a different source. So when I play them from a WD 4 TB my cloud drive acting as a NAS, through a roon core running on a Intel NUC, feeding a metrum Ambre roon end point, feeding the same CD player via coaxial, it is not sounding of the same SQ to me. Now this could be because the rips I have are probably not of the same CD. I really don't know. So I feel Iam not in a position to give a blanket statement that a CD player will trump a rip played via a dedicated roon setup. Too many variables in the mix I feel.

That said, Iam very happy with roon as it is. And it easily warrants its 10 dollars a month annual subscription, for its hassle free use and sound quality. I was using tidal from a USA based subscription, which was costing me 20 dollars a month. And I feel roon is a bargain for what it offers

 

[jigarpatel]

The flac rips of the same track I have could be from a different source. So when I play them from a WD 4 TB my cloud drive acting as a NAS, through a roon core running on a Intel NUC, feeding a metrum Ambre roon end point, feeding the same CD player via coaxial, it is not sounding of the same SQ to me. Now this could be because the rips I have are probably not of the same CD.

If you can rip CD using EAC and try out AB comparison between CD player and roon. it will be good comparison.
I think for fare comparison following if signal path can be used to reduce variables.
CD Player -> DAC -> Pre -> Power -> Speaker
Roon End Point -> DAC -> Pre -> Power -> Speaker

Currently I am running Intel NUC ( Daphile + External HDD ). I am also searching for
what would be better source ?
Is starting to collect build CD collection would be better ?

if CD player is better then at least I can burn my favorite songs on CD and use it.

 

[bornfi]

This can be an endless debate but I cannot overlook the the convenience and for me, a computer wins always. I would not have come across the variety of music out there in the world had I not switched to computer as data cruncher and Internet as source. I rarely go to my library of 400 CDs that I ripped in past.