Julf
Facts are our friends
The TDA1541 was an outstanding DAC when it came out. Since then, we have had almost 35 years of progress and development, but sure, personal preference is of course personal preference.
A final CD player?
- Thread starter RichardA
- Start date
The TDA1541 was an outstanding DAC when it came out. Since then, we have had almost 35 years of progress and development, but sure, personal preference is of course personal preference.
Dowser
Learning to bodge again..
TubeKaki
New Member
I still prefer music played from my 25 years old CDP compare to streamer even though the softcopy is ripped from same CD. Comparison is done with both sources via the DAT player as DAC. Perhaps one may need to invest more in streamer to have better sound quality (e.g dedicated LPS, USB cable, better ripper...)
Julf
Facts are our friends
Are you using a ripper that verifies it gets a bit-perfect result? No, investments in the streamer won't make any difference.
Sonci
pfm Member
Same with vinyl..
Not a lot of people agree with you, if you look at tda1541 cd players prices on ebay.. The majority of these players are not collectable, people buy to use them..
The Innuos doesn’t verify that it gets bit perfect results. It uses cdparanoia which may well produce a bit perfect result, but doesn’t actually verify it against an external database such as accuraterip. See post 204 here:
https://www.whatsbestforum.com/threads/a-new-star-in-2019-innuos-statement-server.27184/page-11
I think their reasons for not using Accuraterip are very weak and unconvincing. The vast majority of CDs are in it, including variant pressings, and it’s a very nice reassurance that your rip is correct.
Cdparanoia was last maintained in 2008. https://xiph.org/paranoia/
John Phillips
pfm Member
That seems pretty damning of the Kii3 if it can't identically handle identical audio bitstreams (even with the normal level of noise on the digital transmission system). Or damning of Innuos kit for not producing identical bitstreams.
But ultimately this sort of video feeds the audiophile dogma that if a difference is heard, however small, you MUST chose one alternative as better. Usually the more expensive. I am sure for some people this is the way they like to pursue the hobby. But for me it's like insisting that the only seat in the Royal Albert Hall I will tolerate is stalls block K row 2 seat 3 because I don't like the sound heard elsewhere - i.e. nonsense.
But back onto topic I didn't come from the origin the OP asked about but I did make a choice of CD player 18 months ago on the basis of it being my final one. The ATC CDA2 Mk2 CD Pre-Amplifier. It has all the digital and analogue inputs needed for my current and, I hope, near-future source requirements in addition to the CD player with a modern mechanism. I am very happy with it.
Julf
Facts are our friends
Why would I watch a promotional video?
Fire99
pfm Member
I just purchased the Saturn-R a few months ago and have been very impressed with how analogue sounding it is.
Mike Reed
pfm Member
Wry smile here. One buys a CDP hoping for an analogue presentation. I find this deference to the record player as an exemplar amusing considering the near extinction and subsequent revival of the analogue transcription process. My thoughts on CD presentation have always aligned with a few magazine pundits in the late eighties/nineties who suggested a combination of CD and valves (in any guise) would be the ideal match. However, none was available at that juncture.
I didn't step onto the CD bandwagon until 2001 with a decidedly inoffensive Meridian combo but effected that 'marriage' between valves and digital about 8 years ago, refining it since. Yes, there are some superb s/s CDPs out there, but I still feel that adding good old thermionic devices to those 'perfect sound forever' digital sources has been proven in my house. However, my experience of valved CDPs is extremely limited, so maybe the ARC, Rega and other kit out there don't portray that 'magic' combination.
The obvious and feasible comparison here would be the Rega Isis valved v s/s machines within a high end system, whether s/s or valved; with m/coil or ESL speakers. Has it been done? No idea, but I'm sure Rega themselves MUST have had exhaustive comparative tests in the designing of these two machines.
chartz
If it’s broke fix it!
I’ve tried CD players with output buffers, but I always found that valves have a tendency to simplify things while adding false atmosphere and false depth that are simply not there in recordings.
Op-amps are sophisticated devices produced by the finest engineers and you won’t ever be able to compete with a few triodes. Seriously.
Op-amps are sophisticated devices produced by the finest engineers and you won’t ever be able to compete with a few triodes. Seriously.
Mike Reed
pfm Member
Well, I did mention ARC (see quote.), but they have had a few models over the years so I'd be surprised if fishies have no experience of them. Quite possibly they were one of the first to incorporate valves in CD playback.
Yes, progress like synchronous DEM reclocking, improved grounding techniques, moving filtering into DSP or omitting it entirely, proper handling of the -15V and -5V supply decoupling, and the common availability of ultra-low jitter transports.
The full potential of this chip was rarely realised in consumer units, unless you have a Sony DAS-R1...
GJO
pfm Member
I had a CD3 mk2 purchased new,it died within 3 months so was repaired under warranty,then after 2 years the transport failed.I doubt it had 500 hrs use as I mostly worked away from home at the time.IIRC AS charged me over £600 to replace the transport.
I now use a Tascam 200 as a transport with a Jolida DAC and don't miss the CD3 at all.