Comments on: Editors’ Choice 2022: My Favorite CD Players & DAC

By: Ian White

Ian White — Tue, 28 Feb 2023 17:50:52 +0000

Colin,

I agree that many top CD players are superior to streamers, but they don’t offer the ability to access streaming platforms which is a very important feature to a lot of people. With 2,000 CDs, I need a CD player.

CD playback is lossless.

Ian

By: Colin O'Neil

Colin O'Neil — Tue, 28 Feb 2023 06:12:32 +0000

If you listen to a really top CD player such as a Canary Audio 300 ( especially the Living Voice variant) they are vastly duy to streaming. There are those that will say this can’t be so, but it is. Just as expensive 4k players are better than TV streaming and cables/interconnects make a huge difference. Lossless is a myth.

By: Brian Mitchell

Brian Mitchell — Fri, 09 Dec 2022 19:15:59 +0000

In reply to Jon Poletti. The difference between playback of compact discs on CD player vs. ripped music on a hard drive isn't about the bits, but how they're converted to analog. Surprisingly there can be an audible difference based on the internal circuitry of each component. All DACs don't sound the same and the source devices themselves (CD player or computer) can be impacted by electromagnetic noise (variations in voltage or current) that are often random. I would agree it's non-obvious and not easy to understand.

By: Ian White

Ian White — Fri, 09 Dec 2022 19:07:48 +0000

In reply to Jon Poletti.

Jon,

But there is a difference — depending on the DAC that I use at the other end of the chain. Do you believe that every CD player sounds the same? They don’t.

The files themselves are not different (CD or ripped as FLAC files), but the sound quality depending on the playback device can be very different.

Best,

Ian White

By: Jon Poletti

Jon Poletti — Fri, 09 Dec 2022 17:05:18 +0000

Maybe this review is targeted to the fraction of audiophiles who can hear the difference between 2 bits. But statements like “there really isn’t a big difference between the ripped copies and the actual CDs themselves.” are ridiculous. There is no difference if ripped to a lossless format. None.

I bought my first cd in 1986 and never looked back. Far better dynamic range, no pops and cracks, generally no hiss. The compression wars in later years did make wary for the new digital remasters, but I have over 4000 cds pre-2000 so I’m covered.