The Future of the Optical Disc, CD, SACD, etc.

Music as represented in 1's and 0's. Discuss anything pertaining to D hardware - CD, DVD, SACD, DAC, etc.

Re: The Future of the Optical Disc, CD, SACD, etc.

Postby egay » Mon Feb 16, 2009 10:18 am

pigdog wrote:for now we can still get good cd tittles here, but it is inevitable that cds will be relegated to the 2nd tier once more music is available for download
for now the choice of tittles for download is limited and i am not into mp3s


with the availability now of hi-res downloads from 2L and ECM, i think i will start setting-up my computer to be a "good" music server and connect it to my traditional stereo... BTW, i was a little irritated when i found that my MCD201 has no digital input :envy: grrr! i guess you can't win 'em all!

my mp3s are only in my SD card that i use in my car. nice and it serves it's purpose.
then my daughters have their ipod and dock them in my car, too - so they now have technically hi-jacked audio control of my car audio :worried:

one of the WS members said: "kung pwede lang mag-LP sa car..." :)
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Re: The Future of the Optical Disc, CD, SACD, etc.

Postby Oldfogey » Tue Feb 17, 2009 7:31 am

This thread has been unlocked!
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Re: The Future of the Optical Disc, CD, SACD, etc.

Postby Squirrelnutzipper » Tue Feb 17, 2009 7:54 am

egay wrote:
Candyman/SNZ :geek: the "squeezebox" could be something o consider, too, but since most of us have the computer already, the most reasonable place to start would be to upgrade our soundboards and the DAC... at least this is what "i think" is the way to go. Any recommendations?



Hi Egay,

You have made some interesting observations concerning implementation of computer audio. While I can understand why considering implementation using an onboard soundcard and DAC seems an attractive alternative, the problem is in the internal environment of the computer. Inside that box is a switching power supply, hard discs spinning at dizzying speeds, fans and all sorts of EMI. Although the quality of soundcards is improving quickly, I do not think that implementation of such a system is particularly ideal. The other thing to consider is the necessity that the PC be in close proximity to the sound system. Unless the PC is particularly silent, it would seem likely that the noise of the PC would interfere with the enjoyment of the music, especially during soft pasages of music. You will also need/want some kind of remote control interface to operate the system, unless you want to use a touch screen that introduces yet more electrical interference and does not offer much convenience.

Given all the foregoing considerations, I elected to go the wireless streaming route. In this way, the sensitive electrical components are not in the PC box, the PC can be located anywhere in the house, where it can be easily used as a normal PC and I do not have to worry about the space the PC takes up on the system rack. I think that if you do a dollar to dollar comparison of cost of implementation, the Squeezebox and its ilk represent a savings and I think, a better all around sonic solution.
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Re: The Future of the Optical Disc, CD, SACD, etc.

Postby pigdog » Tue Feb 17, 2009 9:35 am

Oldfogey wrote:This thread has been unlocked!

many thanks for the moderator for unlocking this thread. this one thread has been very informative to others concerned. so lets keep this a civilized forum please
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Re: The Future of the Optical Disc, CD, SACD, etc.

Postby egay » Tue Feb 17, 2009 10:09 am

pigdog wrote:
Oldfogey wrote:This thread has been unlocked!

many thanks for the moderator for unlocking this thread. this one thread has been very informative to others concerned. so lets keep this a civilized forum please


i gladly 2nd the e-motion
thanks, Oldy :hai: 8)
greets, Chet!
=======

SNZ... hmm, that sounds very reasonable indeed - i guess i was trying a 'short, obvious, and easy' way, having the PC already in my listening room, PLUS, that manufacturer who exhibited his PC-based music system had a very good review :| ... perhaps in another opportunity.

I'm now seeing some Squeezebox implementations and upgrade paths that such alternative is truly becoming a very viable route away from the once-upon-a-time ubiquitous OD... well, at my present music preference, the OD-based music (i.e. CD/SACD/XRCD/HDCD) still occupies the 2nd tier and am still enjoying every bit of it that i was still encourage to get another player.

i supposed, like any product, the OD's fate will be in the hands of the market. it may not totally vanish or become extinct as it will still serve other purpose, the cliche about "neccesity" dictating.

.e.
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Re: The Future of the Optical Disc, CD, SACD, etc.

Postby [L]es » Tue Feb 17, 2009 4:28 pm

places to get info....

http://www.audioasylum.com/cgi/etv.mpl?forum=pcaudio - audio asylum's pc audio section.

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f46/ - head-fi's section on computer as main source

if i may add. the difference between my emu 0404 usb (had a separate power supply from the pc) as transport and the digital out on my current mobo aren't that far apart. sure the emu was cleaner but now that i'm running an alc889a (gigabyte ep35-ds4) > az silver byte > benchmark dac1 > balanced cables > samson rubicon studio monitors.. i couldn't be happier :).

(p.s. - it doesn't hurt that the board has ferrite rings and solid caps and my psu (corsair 620hx) also has solid caps and active pfc).
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Re: The Future of the Optical Disc, CD, SACD, etc.

Postby Mamimili » Tue Feb 17, 2009 5:26 pm

Ok gentlemen, this is going over my head and i assume several of you can save me hours of web surfing seeking answers.
Can someone give some sort of order to all systems, standalone units, upgrades etc listed so far?

I get the basic idea of the Airport Express, the SqueezeBox and the Nova, I love the look of the Transporter.
But MCD's, ECM, EMU, Orcs and Elks sound like some sort of zoo to me. A pace car is something i watch do a lap in front of 20 or 22 single seaters making the most beautiful music in the world.

How about sorting by price so i know what i can afford. Buy item A, can upgrade later with option B etc?
Opinions regarding the quality of sound do not need to be expressed, i can demo items that fall within my budget and ignore the rest.
I already learnt my laptops sound card sounds cheap to me, normal to most, great to some but ran through a CD recorder the sound improves by a very noticeable amount so i can only assume that a dedicated "box" will do even better :D

One thing i will not consider is record using a computer program, i am completely satisfied with recording vinyl to CD, i leave the ticks and pops alone for a vinyl like digital sound 8)
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Re: The Future of the Optical Disc, CD, SACD, etc.

Postby [L]es » Tue Feb 17, 2009 7:27 pm

well for starters you'll need a dedicated pc... i think :)
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Re: The Future of the Optical Disc, CD, SACD, etc.

Postby pigdog » Tue Feb 17, 2009 7:31 pm

[L]es wrote:well for starters you'll need a dedicated pc... i think :)

thats a valid point les, however as SNZ said it would be best to put the computer elsewhere and rely on a wireless setup as the computer noise can be heard during quiet passages
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Re: The Future of the Optical Disc, CD, SACD, etc.

Postby [L]es » Tue Feb 17, 2009 7:42 pm

five years ago i had that problem.. but now i have my pc right beside me.. it's perfectly silent. heck the a/c's louder :)
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Re: The Future of the Optical Disc, CD, SACD, etc.

Postby Mamimili » Tue Feb 17, 2009 7:54 pm

[L]es wrote:well for starters you'll need a dedicated pc... i think :)


Step 1, Done.
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Re: The Future of the Optical Disc, CD, SACD, etc.

Postby JackD201 » Tue Feb 17, 2009 7:57 pm

[L]es wrote:five years ago i had that problem.. but now i have my pc right beside me.. it's perfectly silent. heck the a/c's louder :)


+1 on the AC. Darn I wish they made really quiet split types so I wouldn't have had to spend on ducting :@
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Re: The Future of the Optical Disc, CD, SACD, etc.

Postby [L]es » Tue Feb 17, 2009 8:01 pm

hard disc ? etc ?

step 2 would depend on if you'd like that squeezebox or something like a pc just for playback.. (pc in the room controlling the music.. digital out going to a dac or a reclocker then a dac)

ducting ? you must really love your quiet. me there was a time i couldn't sleep without any steady hum in the background :)
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Re: The Future of the Optical Disc, CD, SACD, etc.

Postby pigdog » Tue Feb 17, 2009 8:04 pm

JackD201 wrote:
[L]es wrote:five years ago i had that problem.. but now i have my pc right beside me.. it's perfectly silent. heck the a/c's louder :)


+1 on the AC. Darn I wish they made really quiet split types so I wouldn't have had to spend on ducting :@

VERY VERY TRUE !!!!
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Re: The Future of the Optical Disc, CD, SACD, etc.

Postby the porcupine » Tue Feb 17, 2009 8:51 pm

For custom PC geeks, external USB DACs and low noise or passive pc cooling does the trick. Its very rewarding when set up right.

Another way is to just get hard disk players like the Naim HDX or Cambridge Audio Azure 640H and integrate them to an existing audio system if you got the dough.
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Re: The Future of the Optical Disc, CD, SACD, etc.

Postby TheAnalogSource » Tue Feb 17, 2009 10:23 pm

[L]es wrote:five years ago i had that problem.. but now i have my pc right beside me.. it's perfectly silent. heck the a/c's louder :)


a little OT...

hi les, can you share how you made the pc run silently. thanks :)
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Re: The Future of the Optical Disc, CD, SACD, etc.

Postby [L]es » Wed Feb 18, 2009 12:14 pm

get a good case (lian li makes many silent models) and a good psu. also fanless video card or something not that high powered para mababa din yung speed ng fan.
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Re: The Future of the Optical Disc, CD, SACD, etc.

Postby [L]es » Mon Feb 23, 2009 4:58 pm

http://thewelltemperedcomputer.com/

just remembered this site, may be of help :).
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Re: The Future of the Optical Disc, CD, SACD, etc.

Postby the porcupine » Mon Feb 23, 2009 7:28 pm

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Re: The Future of the Optical Disc, CD, SACD, etc.

Postby ttommy » Tue Feb 24, 2009 10:04 am

Here's another take on the "memory player"--

cMP (cics Memory Player)
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