Comparing digital files/sources to each other and to vinyl...

[bruno2009]

Originally Posted by Dr Tone

It's a USB/DAC issue with the McIntosh. McIntosh doesn't know how to fix the popping noise on sample rate change in their USB implementation so they just silence or fade in the first second of playback.

You won't have the issue with the Lumin you are going to try or the Yggdrasil if you decide to go that route.

Ah - thanks, that’s actually very useful info. Cheers

[nicoff]

Originally Posted by Dr Tone

It's a USB/DAC issue with the McIntosh. McIntosh doesn't know how to fix the popping noise on sample rate change in their USB implementation so they just silence or fade in the first second of playback.

You won't have the issue with the Lumin you are going to try or the Yggdrasil if you decide to go that route.

What is surprising is how many old staple brands such as McIntosh have been slow or unable to rise up when it comes to digital equipment. Obviously newcomers such as Lumin and Yggdrasil understand it.

[bruno2009]

After ripping a few 100 CDs and continuous listening sessions in comparing ripped files to original CD (trying to find out whether to keep or sell my CD Transport) I come to find, that the most astonishing thing of all is how minimal the differences in digital playback actually are. It`s not only "oh, CD sounds so much better or oh, ripped files sound so much better" ... but more like "hmmm, they actually sound pretty much the same"

In consequence, this must count not only for the source material, but also for the hardware.

We are talking different source-material fed in two totally different signal paths - one being a ripped flac (lossless) streamed to the media transport (Auralic Aries Streamer) and then to the DAC via USB, the other being the original CD via Moon CDT to DAC via Coax... difference - none (at least non I could hear)!

Only bigger difference I could really make out was when I brought Vinyl/analog playback into the equation (better to me) or decreased the quality of the digital file drastically (say mp3 format - clearly inferior)...

I found this to be very enlightening - thus I will go down the streaming road completely for digital music.

I react very receptive to high end audio products - but when completely honest to myself, a lot comes down to "wishful thinking". I believe that you can "fine-tune" and change "nuances" in digital playback - but from a certain level of quality no new worlds can be found... I will still upgrade my digital path for streaming - but this is mainly for haptic reasons...

[bigblue]

+1
In my set up (and most others that I have listened to over the last decade) a CD or High res file make the woofers move - but it takes vinyl to make my feet do the same

[bruno2009]

I also find vinyl to be superior „if“ the analog setup is up to it - and that’s just the point. I‘ve easily spent 25k on my analog playback to reach this quality… I find it very much easier to reach a decent level in digital playback - whilst I‘ve constantly upgraded analog I find myself traveling the other direction with digital... now to a point where I have to admit that I can‘t even make out a big difference between streaming and CD playback - something I‘ve always denied. It took me a while to accept - but streaming via a decent streamer, which can be owned at around 2k, is really really good and I see no advantage in expensive CD transports anymore… AND I am really enjoying it… I‘ve played music that I‘ve not touched on CD for decades… mainly because it‘s so easy to start a track via iPad and with Roon it all comes to live… In started out convinced I would prove myself that CD is still superior… I find not though and now I‘ve ended ripping all CDs and streaming… Vinyl for collecting and playing highest quality (if pressing and mastering are worth buying) all else will go the streaming path for me… only thing I find sad is that it will probably mean the end of physical digital media... but then there‘s still Vinyl you can dig into in your local little alternative/Independent shop...

[John Jordan]

Well yea, it's all about diminishing returns.

[FloridaBoy]

Originally Posted by bruno2009

... there is a downside to Vinyl that is becoming more and more annoying though...

... as it has by now become a mainstream product again, production rates have obviously exploded. The consequences are on one side complete overproduction and ridiculous prices (and in further consequence, later price - dumping to rid the overproduced rest) and at the same time a noticeable loss in overall quality. Many releases are either "collectors items" such as picture discs or colored discs (which sound inferior) or the pressings have faults - I get more and more Vinyl (especially the 180g releases) with inacceptable height impact for example.

I find this extremely annoying (though the industry never fails at making the same mistakes) and it is seriously starting to put me off the hobby of collecting vinyl.

This is actually a point towards streaming - you eliminate all these issues that also have a strong effect on SQ.

Vinyl is popular again in a cult nostalgia way. LP's are often produced for profit not SQ. There are sublime LP's and CD's etc. and there are dogs.

I am digital only now and have discovered a lot of music I would never have been exposed to without streaming services. Music is what this insane hobby is about.

[bruno2009]

Originally Posted by FloridaBoy

Vinyl is popular again in a cult nostalgia way. LP's are often produced for profit not SQ. There are sublime LP's and CD's etc. and there are dogs.



I am digital only now and have discovered a lot of music I would never have been exposed to without streaming services. Music is what this insane hobby is about.

I find the right balance to be streaming for all it is and if an album is really good and pressing, production and SQ are up to it, buy the Vinyl. This way you get the best of both worlds... at least this is the conclusion I‘ve come to... as this will save me many unnecessary buys I find it okay to invest in Roon to make digital more enjoyable.

Somehow I can‘t help but find that the music „industry“ (here I deliberately say industry and not the individual artist) has dismantled itself… and keeps doing so... hoping to make quick money and mayor profit on the short run and loosing on the long run... fine by me though - I enjoy supporting my artists by visiting concerts and buying from them directly...

[Still-One]

Originally Posted by bigblue

+1
In my set up (and most others that I have listened to over the last decade) a CD or High res file make the woofers move - but it takes vinyl to make my feet do the same

Yep, your feet move every 20 minutes when you get up to flip over that record.

[bigblue]

Yup, and thats an exercise I wouldn't want to be without
What ever format make the musical performance believable to your is the one you should choose.
I play CD and Vinyl about 50/50. But for different reasons and for different occasions.