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  1. #1
    Linear Guy
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    changer as transport

    I have an outboard DAC and I like the convenience of a CD changer. Are there any changers with very good transports or are they all about the same? cheers. dk

  2. #2
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    I think all those juke box style are about the same. Have you thought about using a media server? A unit with a hard drive built in. They may be a bit more expensive but would be a better way to go.

  3. #3
    Forum Regular pixelthis's Avatar
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    Cool

    I have a 300 disc sony that I USED AS STORAGE, however, lacking a main CD player
    for the last few years I have relied on it as a transport(my Integra has pretty good DACS).
    A lot of the audiophile bias against changers has pros' and cons, I get better sound with
    my current player, and a 300 buck (or higher) CD player would certainly sound better, but not much better.
    For casual listening you can't beat a changer, for sure.
    One of the more respected "changers" is the Yamaha 5 disc carousel, they have a few models, and the sound is quite good.
    I have had one, and a friend has had one, we both like them a great deal.
    WHY a decent five disc audiophile changer cant be made is beyond me.
    But let your ears be the judge, if you use a player as a transport, just remember that the
    "transport" on a lot of higher end players comes from places like Sony, etc.
    The main reason you pay more for a CD player is the DACS, If a transport is all you're looking for I DOUBT if you will be able to tell much diff, truthfully.
    Dont let marketing depts make your decisions, go by your ears.
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  4. #4
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    There is a lot to make a difference in transports. In that area the disc has to be stable and data transferred keeping it's integrity and not losing any bits.

  5. #5
    Linear Guy
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    interesting

    So Mr. P, you would download your CD to a storage server and play through an outboard DAC. Sounds like the best way to handle the digital end but do these servers require a PC to use or do they have small user screens on them? My music is in a room designated for music only. thanks, dk

  6. #6
    Music Junkie E-Stat's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by daviethek
    I have an outboard DAC and I like the convenience of a CD changer. Are there any changers with very good transports or are they all about the same? cheers. dk
    Everything is relative. Changers do not have as good transports, but they can still work very well. I use a 25 disk changer with a very nice DAC in the vintage system. I wouldn't invest a great deal of money in a changer since server based music is a better solution. You can buy a good used changer on Ebay for a song.

    rw

  7. #7
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    Server based is not my forte but here's what little I know. There are stand alone servers. They vary in function but usually have a screen on front to show music details, allow playlists etc. Some are pretty expensive. Yamaha and Cambridge came out with versions which were not on the market long. I don't know if they didn't sell or had glitches. A company called Olive offers them. A Google search may produce more brands.

    Some will use a computer and it can even be in another room. They use things called Squeezebox or Apple Airport Express. There have been threads started here before talking about server based playback, if the search don't drag them out, just start another. Feanor, Ajani and a couple others use the computer method.

  8. #8
    Retro Modernist 02audionoob's Avatar
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    I spent a while listening to a McIntosh server in an audio shop one time. Here's a Stereophile review of it.

    http://www.stereophile.com/mediaservers/108mac/

  9. #9
    I put the Gee in Gear.... thekid's Avatar
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    I've tried the computer option on my vintage set-up but I really could not get the hang of all those diffferent beads on the abacus......

  10. #10
    Forum Regular pixelthis's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mr Peabody
    Server based is not my forte but here's what little I know. There are stand alone servers. They vary in function but usually have a screen on front to show music details, allow playlists etc. Some are pretty expensive. Yamaha and Cambridge came out with versions which were not on the market long. I don't know if they didn't sell or had glitches. A company called Olive offers them. A Google search may produce more brands.

    Some will use a computer and it can even be in another room. They use things called Squeezebox or Apple Airport Express. There have been threads started here before talking about server based playback, if the search don't drag them out, just start another. Feanor, Ajani and a couple others use the computer method.
    I usually use a computer (which is basically what a server is) most of the time,
    but I recently reaquired an older DVDA player that plays CD's really well,
    and have been listening to it, revisiting my old CD's.
    A lot to be said for both.
    High q sound doesnt require much, just an outboard DAC, and you can get a
    cheap computer at a thrift store, etc, probably wont have to work on it much.
    ANOTHER solution for audio only rooms is a netbook, around three hundred bucks
    and with a small screen, hooked up to a decent dac they can operate as a
    small music server just fine.
    As can an IPOD.
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  11. #11
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    One thing about servers though, if you have a lot of music buy plenty of storage. I was over to a friends house over the weekend and he was playing some burned CD's. come to find out they were mp3 at 128kb he put in a CD that had a same song as the mp3, the difference was quite noticeable. Lesson learned if you care about sound quality lossless is the only way to go on hard drive.

  12. #12
    Forum Regular pixelthis's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mr Peabody
    One thing about servers though, if you have a lot of music buy plenty of storage. I was over to a friends house over the weekend and he was playing some burned CD's. come to find out they were mp3 at 128kb he put in a CD that had a same song as the mp3, the difference was quite noticeable. Lesson learned if you care about sound quality lossless is the only way to go on hard drive.
    Aint it the truth.
    I use WMA lossless myself, used to use Flac but had trouble finding a portable player,
    not to mention I like media player (the latest version) and it wont play FLAC (no DRM on
    FLAC)
    LG 42", integra 6.9, B&W 602s2, CC6 center, dm305rears, b&w
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    Panny DVDA player
    sharp Aquos BLU player
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    Samsung SACD/DVDA player
    emotiva upa-2 two channel amp

  13. #13
    Linear Guy
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    thanks guys.

    I guess as I get nearer to retirement and think about downsizing, mass storage makes a lot of sense. I have an entire wall of media, CD's, cassettes and Lp's. I think reducing stuff is an easy sell to the Mrs. I'm not so anxious to get rid of the LP's though. They have a sound and feel all their own. Its a way to connect to the 70's that has no equal.

  14. #14
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    Alesis is also a brand I've seen offer media servers. If any of these you find have an analog to digital converter it's still a nice way to store favorite songs off vinyl. I can relate to your sentiment though.

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