bluedog Posted July 23, 2010 Posted July 23, 2010 Another poll now we have established that most of us like big amps and big speakers what do we like to feed them with :confused: hope i cover all the bases.
bluedog Posted July 23, 2010 Author Posted July 23, 2010 Once again half asleep forgot to say for critical listening oh and i was going to make public the results da may be someone can change that ?
adikt Posted July 23, 2010 Posted July 23, 2010 I voted computer audio, but that computer is a Qnap 409 NAS.
Guest Guest Posted July 23, 2010 Posted July 23, 2010 CD is my primary source but vinyl is my favorite. I only really get to listen to vinyl properly at weekends, if at all. If the kids are in agreeable moods, I can play records during the week, but those times are rare!
Shane Hanify Posted July 23, 2010 Posted July 23, 2010 Gidday b_d You forgot portable players. I know technically they're not a source in the conventional sense but that is where the bulk of my listening is done. At home it's a close run thing between the tuner and the pc, with the CDP running a close third. Trailing in the background is Vinyl. That's my favourite medium but my CDP beats it. Just. Miles behind that is the DVD player (for music). Cheers, Shane.
bluedog Posted July 23, 2010 Author Posted July 23, 2010 Low Orbit;128377 wrote: Gidday b_d You forgot portable players. I know technically they're not a source in the conventional sense but that is where the bulk of my listening is done. At home it's a close run thing between the tuner and the pc, with the CDP running a close third. Trailing in the background is Vinyl. That's my favourite medium but my CDP beats it. Just. Miles behind that is the DVD player (for music). Cheers, Shane. I guess the key to the poll is critical listening what do you sit down to really listen to not so much back ground music, me i use the dv139 love it on sacd,dvd audio but if i am doing the house work vacuum in hand i will use the denon to stream from the mac using genius play lists or if we have people over and just want back ground music
Antipodes1553552706 Posted July 24, 2010 Posted July 24, 2010 tkr001;128371 wrote: Squeezebox? Its not exactly computer audio What do you mean? Seems like computer audio to me. Your transport is the computer and the Squeezebox a computer/audio interface. Almost all computer audio fits the same model.
tkr001 Posted July 24, 2010 Posted July 24, 2010 Antipodes;128397 wrote: What do you mean? Seems like computer audio to me. Your transport is the computer and the Squeezebox a computer/audio interface. Almost all computer audio fits the same model. Well you could stretch that to a CDP being a computer too The major difference is traditional computer audio is the transport and audio interface... A NAS connected to a SB and external DAC is a little different to hooking up your laptop to your amp.
Guest Posted July 24, 2010 Posted July 24, 2010 bluedog;128367 wrote: Once again half asleep forgot to say for critical listening oh and i was going to make public the results da may be someone can change that ? That invalidates my vote for Radio Tuner... Vinyl and CD for critical listening.
Citroen Posted July 24, 2010 Posted July 24, 2010 What about "Music Servers" such as Sonos, or others like Neil's Olive? Not quite "computer based". I think a lot of these things allow you to burn CDs to Hard Disk in the one package, so no computer involved. I can see these things catching on, esp. if you can easily add downloaded files to them as well. And the price comes down... Perhaps, DIGITAL source would be more appropriate. (OTOH, I guess CD's are digital).
nixon76 Posted July 24, 2010 Posted July 24, 2010 "A computer is a programmable machine that receives input, stores and manipulates data, and provides output in a useful format." (Traditional) CDP != computer Music Server = computer with fancy case and locked down interface Squeezebox -> needs a computer or NAS (see below) NAS = computer (under the hood is usually Linux) iPod = computer etc. Oh, and does the Tape section included Reel to Reel?
tkr001 Posted July 24, 2010 Posted July 24, 2010 nixon76;128411 wrote: Squeezebox -> needs a computer or NAS (see below) Not all of them eg SB touch has inbuild SB server and usb port to attach storage
Citroen Posted July 24, 2010 Posted July 24, 2010 nixon76;128411 wrote: "A computer is a programmable machine that receives input, stores and manipulates data, and provides output in a useful format. Thanks Nix. And here I was, innocently thinking that a "computer" was one of those rectangular boxes that sat under or on the desk, had a screen attached and a mouse/keyboard attached to it.
Citroen Posted July 24, 2010 Posted July 24, 2010 "A computer is a programmable machine that receives input' date=' stores and manipulates data, and provides output in a useful format." By that definition, I guess, I'm a computer too! I'm a machine after all (as in "raw mean fighting machine"!). But I guess I don't necessarily output useful data...
nixon76 Posted July 24, 2010 Posted July 24, 2010 tkr001;128414 wrote: Not all of them eg SB touch has inbuild SB server and usb port to attach storage How did the music get on the attached storage Of course there has been music released on occasion on USB sticks (the Beatles did this recently) so you could catch me out there
Shane Hanify Posted July 24, 2010 Posted July 24, 2010 Newbie;128407 wrote: What about "Music Servers" such as Sonos, or others like Neil's Olive? Not quite "computer based". I think a lot of these things allow you to burn CDs to Hard Disk in the one package, so no computer involved. I can see these things catching on, esp. if you can easily add downloaded files to them as well. And the price comes down... Perhaps, DIGITAL source would be more appropriate. (OTOH, I guess CD's are digital). I've seen inside an Olive. All it needs is a keyboard and mouse. It's a computer through and through, just a rather flash one. It even has SATA cables. Ah, critical listening you say b_d? Then it has to be the CDP followed by the TT. Cheers, Shane.
SugdenA21 Posted July 24, 2010 Posted July 24, 2010 If hi-res music files ever become commonly available for the artists and bands I enjoy (and not just audiofile label artists), then I would make digital my primary listening source. Until then, it's still an analogue world for me. CD may not be in the same league as vinyl or 24/192 for sound quality, but it's just so easy & painless. Getting the best sound from a computer seems almost as complex as getting the best out of a turntable. Perhaps even more variables to worry about? Popping a disc into a CDP and pressing play has it's plus points...
Ariki Padlie Posted July 24, 2010 Posted July 24, 2010 I use a CD player for probably 75% of my listening. I also use MD,DAT and Cassette which is about %20 with the remaining 5% for my tuner. I have quite bit of music in compressed formats on multiple hard drives but dont use them for serious listening.
tkr001 Posted July 24, 2010 Posted July 24, 2010 SugdenA21;128465 wrote: If hi-res music files ever become commonly available for the artists and bands I enjoy (and not just audiofile label artists), then I would make digital my primary listening source. Until then, it's still an analogue world for me. CD may not be in the same league as vinyl or 24/192 for sound quality, but it's just so easy & painless. Getting the best sound from a computer seems almost as complex as getting the best out of a turntable. Perhaps even more variables to worry about? Popping a disc into a CDP and pressing play has it's plus points... I don't get this. CD is digital as is Computer Audio hence the need for DACs.
little blue penguin Posted July 24, 2010 Posted July 24, 2010 Hey guys, your squabbles about what is and what isn't Computer Audio is threatening to derail this thread. IMO; A CD played on a CD Player is not Computer Audio. A CD Ripped to a HDD, or music streamed of the web, and played thru any type of playback device such as a squeezebox, iPod, Media Player or computer, with or without the inclusion of an external DAC, is Computer Audio. I'd like to know if the OP agrees with this definition as it's his thread, and therefore his opinion alone that counts.
bluedog Posted July 25, 2010 Author Posted July 25, 2010 cloth_ears;128486 wrote: Hey guys, your squabbles about what is and what isn't Computer Audio is threatening to derail this thread. IMO; A CD played on a CD Player is not Computer Audio. A CD Ripped to a HDD, or music streamed of the web, and played thru any type of playback device such as a squeezebox, iPod, Media Player or computer, with or without the inclusion of an external DAC, is Computer Audio. I'd like to know if the OP agrees with this definition as it's his thread, and therefore his opinion alone that counts. Thanks cloth_ears interesting squabbles though all i was trying to see is if we are still mostly spinning Cd's records or using as you say a computer based system ie coming from stored media on a hard drive it was just a pre coffee thing i was interested in looking to see if i was the odd one out using a universal player
SugdenA21 Posted July 25, 2010 Posted July 25, 2010 tkr001;128481 wrote: I don't get this. CD is digital as is Computer Audio hence the need for DACs. Sorry, quite right. I omitted to say that vinyl is my primary source for serious listening, with CD & computer for while I'm cooking, doing dishes etc. I fully realise that CD is a digital based medium.
Robocop Posted July 25, 2010 Posted July 25, 2010 Yes computer audio is comin on. Read Jim Smiths(Get Better Sound) latest bulletin on his experiences with Mac lap and Ayre QB9 USB dac. He's certainly got me going, now where do I get one of these DAC's in this country? And that’s where I started having problems. Unexpectedly, I found the Asynch USB rig more involving, more of the time. It didn’t have the ease, the sleek sound of the more expensive Ayre C5xe-MP. I guess that I could say that the CDP sounded more like what you’d expect a fine CDP to sound like. Maybe more refined is a better description. But I find myself returning to the QB-9/MacBook more often. Not just for the ease of use, but for sheer musical involvement. I would think that this story won’t necessarily please Ayre’s accountants, since the QB-9 retails at $2500, vs. about $6,000 for the C5xe-MP. "sheer musical involvement" holy kinoly isn't this the excitement of those who listen to vinyl alone!!!!!
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