Hard-disk vs cd-player

[hugobors]

I've heard that sound from hard-drive is better than from cd player, but my cartesian brain couldn't imagine it, so i've done the first step today and it seems to be real....

I was trying my new preamp in a friend place with a meridian cd player, micromega dac, classe audio amplifier and quad loudspeaker (the result was great, my friend want one now.........), I took my powerbook to show him some picture and after long listening test of preamp, I have the idea to connect the powerbook to the dac in optical mode, to copy a cd in itunes (in wave of course, not mp3) and to compare between direct reeding from powerbook cd player and hard-disk.

The result was a sound with more air, more space, a better image and a more natural sound.

So I thought that maybe this comes from the (I don't know) bad quality powerbook cdplayer, so I connect the meridian cd-player to the dac to compare directly the hard-disk with a good player.

Exacly the same result

Do someone had the same experience and have an explaination of the phenomen????

[kec]

In case you haven't, read this http://www.positive-feedback.com/Issue22/nugent.htm

-Ken

[DragonMaster]

If your computer was playing the CD using digital audio extraction (DAE) with error re-read, like it would do when ripping the music to the HDD, it would sound the same. Unfortunately, CD players aren't re-reading errors, but correcting them. They would have to read at 32x to do this correctly.

If you have a PC, use Winamp and the CDReader plugin that you can find here: http://www.url.ru/~copah/CDReader.htm
to read the CDs with DAE and error re-read

[BlackCatSound]

Just to confirm:

WAV playback better than CDROM drive
WAV playback better than CD player

Correct?

[Steve Eddy]

Originally posted by kec
In case you haven't, read this http://www.positive-feedback.com/Issue22/nugent.htm

Not the best thing to read. Too much erroneous BS in it that just leads to more mythology.

se

[BlackCatSound]

Originally posted by Steve Eddy

Not the best thing to read. Too much erroneous BS in it that just leads to more mythology.

I wasn't going to say anything But I agree. His theories on cable jitter are a bit questionable. He should try working above 2GHz, that focuses the mind on things like that.

I've never found cable length to do anything to the jitter of an SPDIF signal, 0.5m to 5m all gave around 1.5ns on our tester.

[hugobors]

Just to confirm:

WAV playback better than CDROM drive
WAV playback better than CD player

Correct?

Correct....

[hugobors]

If your computer was playing the CD using digital audio extraction (DAE) with error re-read, like it would do when ripping the music to the HDD, it would sound the same. Unfortunately, CD players aren't re-reading errors, but correcting them. They would have to read at 32x to do this correctly.

If you have a PC, use Winamp and the CDReader plugin that you can find here: http://www.url.ru/~copah/CDReader.htm
to read the CDs with DAE and error re-read

What is doing iTunes???????

[BlackCatSound]

Is the CD scratched? Burn the WAVs to a CDR and try that.

[Steve Eddy]

Originally posted by BlackCatSound
I wasn't going to say anything But I agree. His theories on cable jitter are a bit questionable. He should try working above 2GHz, that focuses the mind on things like that.

I've never found cable length to do anything to the jitter of an SPDIF signal, 0.5m to 5m all gave around 1.5ns on our tester.

Well, thing is, the only jitter that really counts for anything is the jitter at the DAC chip itself when it makes its conversion. That's the only jitter anyone can possibly hear.

se