The reason of why change to the high end hardisk & flash memory digital palyer.

The reason of why change to the high end hardisk & flash memory player like Bladelius Embla, Naim HDX, Meridian Sooloos, PS Audio PerfectWave,Linn Akurate DS & etc.

The first reason has to change: For a good sound
A good sound is not exactly the biggest fans of purpose? So why the sound better than CD?
(1) high-resolution files are currently the highest resolution is 24Bit/192kHz, but the CD format (HDCD 20Bit/44.1kHz and SACD (DSD) excluded) is only 16Bit/44.1kHz. high resolution, dynamic and frequency wide have a substantial increase, of course would be sound better! For example, the current Chesky recordings are used for at least a digital mastering 24Bit/96kHz, if the purposes of issuing a CD down to 16Bit/44.1kHz, then you think, the performance of that signal would have been better?

2) The high-resolution files will not be making the problem arising from CD. You know that you buy the CD album is the result of many pollution produced it? Records fall into 16Bit/44.1kHz then remastering, the burned CD-R master to bring production plant tablet, this process, many problems have emerged, the process of tablet, the use of CD-quality ... more , the signal acquisition has long been the essence not the same as the original, and why do you always like to buy imported version? Directly from a digital master tape original release did not this problem, because you enjoy the most directly to the front of the most clean, with the same original file, the sound of course, the most complete, of course, will be better.

(3)-play digital file no need transport, no need laser head, no static. Transport no matter how stable, no matter how robust, high-speed operation in the CD, under the vibration is still there, you ensure that the level of CD film really is completely to do? And every time to listen to, CD laser head on the reading time, resulting in a different error, good fortune, I heard the error on the small. If bad luck, we hear the relatively large margin of error, which is enthusiasts all know, every time repeat, sound quality there may not be the same, but now is the high definition audio format, digital file in hard drive or memory which no such problems, the sound of course will be better.

4) Some player like Bladelius Embla can rip cd to flash memory & do jitter correction become more perfect audio data. memory playback is sound better than CD playback in Bladelius Embla.

The second reason: to facilitate the management interface charming


We should have used the iPod it, imagine that the current collection of
music software have become file-play when you not only can display
album cover, information outside looking to hear the music more
convenient, do not worry about CD can not find or preservation issues. And you know that a hard drive can store a few of the album or song? To
500GB of capacity to count, one about 5 minutes 24Bit/96kHz
uncompressed WAV file size is about 165MB, can store more than 3,000
head, with 1 album, 10 songs calculation, about to put in 300 albums
full - In a small hard disk which, but you want to add hard drive, of course, no problem!

I share some interesting article form another forum. May be these new generation high end digital player will be our future mainstream digital player.

Interesting read although I had to do a double and triple take a number of times to fully comprehend what was written. Was it translated from Chinese using babelfish?

I have been dabbling with the idea of "once and for all times" getting the best CD player I can afford since my music consists mostly of CDs but after reading your article I began to have doubts again on whether to part with large sums of hard earned money on a high end CD player. Hmmm..... Is CD really heading the way of the dinosaur? I'm not so sure I want that Mark Levinson No.390S anymore.

By the way, what was Meridian thinking by choosing a name for their product that sounds like Screwloose.

bimmerman wrote:Interesting read although I had to do a double and triple take a number of times to fully comprehend what was written. Was it translated from Chinese using babelfish?

Looks like a literal translation.

bimmerman wrote:
I have been dabbling with the idea of "once and for all times" getting the best CD player I can afford since my music consists mostly of CDs but after reading your article I began to have doubts again on whether to part with large sums of hard earned money on a high end CD player. Hmmm..... Is CD really heading the way of the dinosaur? I'm not so sure I want that Mark Levinson No.390S anymore.

By the way, what was Meridian thinking by choosing a name for their product that sounds like Screwloose.

It would be worth it if the high end CDP have digital input to function as a DAC.

Bimmerman - Meridian bought over the Sooloos company.

bimmerman wrote:Interesting read although I had to do a double and triple take a number of times to fully comprehend what was written. Was it translated from Chinese using babelfish?

I have been dabbling with the idea of "once and for all times" getting the best CD player I can afford since my music consists mostly of CDs but after reading your article I began to have doubts again on whether to part with large sums of hard earned money on a high end CD player. Hmmm..... Is CD really heading the way of the dinosaur? I'm not so sure I want that Mark Levinson No.390S anymore.

By the way, what was Meridian thinking by choosing a name for their product that sounds like Screwloose.

Sorry, original article is in chinese from Taiwan forum. I am poor in english, so i use Google translator to help me.

KKthen, thanks for sharing the information. It really factors in heavily in my decision to kill or not to kill my savings for a Levinson CD player.

As a non-chinese reading/writing person I feel that i'm really missing out on alot of info and fresh developments since the taiwanese, mainland chinese, japanese really do have alternative and innovative takes on the subject of Hifi.

Thanks again! Keep the good stuff coming.

any suggestions on the flash players?

i stumble upon this WAV player, what say you :

QLS QA-550
http://www.coemaudio.com.au/Streaming-Audio/Streaming-Audio/277/

-Plays 44.1kHz 16-bit WAV files
-Firmware upgradeable
-Supports up to 55 folders (up to 550 music tracks)
-Remote control allows easy access to folders. It also allows direct track access by directly typing in track numbers.
-Supports both FAT16 and FAT32 file system
-Supports most types of SD memory cards (SD / SDHC 1Gb-16Gb)
-Firmware update file download: http://www.qlshifi.com/en/Download.htm
-Short signal path
-Precision Clock -4 pin high accuracy crystal clock 2ppm 11.2896Mhz TCXO
-Low jitter - The use of a low-jitter clock and power driver circuit ensures clean and stable clock signal
-Uses high-quality components like Sanyo OS-CON capacitors, AMS1117-3.3, MC7805, 74VHC04, CS8405, ect..
-Power - 9V DC, 9V or 12V batteries can also be used
-Stylish, strong aluminium chassis
-Digital Outputs - Coaxial 75 ohms, Optical Toslink, I2S output pads available on PCB (advanced users only.Voids Warranty)
-Dimensions - 8.1cm Width x 2.4cm Depth x 13.5cm Length
-Weight - 230g
-Package weight including power supply is 750g

i prefer the idea of coax or optical output instead of stereo jack, to make it possible to hook up on DAC, hence gives out the advantage on swapping as theres heaps of that equipment to play around with nowdays

heres the link to QLS audio :

http://www.qlshifi.com/en/index.htm

the CD format of 44.1KHz/16bit is really showing its flaws in today's ultra high resolution analog electronics and speakers already.

That's why the shift is towards higher digital resolution playback formats like SACD, or raw studio 24bit/192KHz digital formats.

Not to mention that DSP horsepower and also digital storage today is just so damn bloody cheap and in great abundance compared to 1980 when the redbook format was first released to the public.

mugenfoo wrote:
raw studio 24bit/192KHz digital formats.

is this format available for download or purchase?

Tell me Mugen, and tell me truthfully, (I know you will anyway) My legacy Ferrari of a DAC only does 32-48Khz. Am I screwed???

An ultra expensive memory player.

http://www.novaphysicsgroup.com/SpecificationsPage5.html

bimmerman wrote:Tell me Mugen, and tell me truthfully, (I know you will anyway) My legacy Ferrari of a DAC only does 32-48Khz. Am I screwed???

Yes, screwed to the maxx ... u need to just abandon Digital and go back to ANALOG !

arremie wrote:

mugenfoo wrote:
raw studio 24bit/192KHz digital formats.

is this format available for download or purchase?

i think the Chesky label has something similar ... not sure ... caught it in a glimpse some time ago.

mugenfoo wrote:

bimmerman wrote:Tell me Mugen, and tell me truthfully, (I know you will anyway) My legacy Ferrari of a DAC only does 32-48Khz. Am I screwed???

Yes, screwed to the maxx ... u need to just abandon Digital and go back to ANALOG !

tycham wrote:An ultra expensive memory player.

http://www.novaphysicsgroup.com/SpecificationsPage5.html

A not so expensive alternative:

http://www.olive.us/

Bimmerman, someone posted a Mark Levinson CD Player for sale just yesterday if I remember correctly. You not getting that ????!!!!!

Oopps, mistiak. It was a DVD player, not a CD player. Nevermind lar, now you can watch superb movies and get superb sound at the same time. Aiyah, what are friends for ? Here is the link for your poi... err I mean convenience...

http://www.hifi4sale.net/audio-video-equipment-for-sale-f1/for-sell-mark-levinson-no-51-dvd-playerused-t5822.htm

WongKN wrote:Bimmerman, someone posted a Mark Levinson CD Player for sale just yesterday if I remember correctly. You not getting that ????!!!!!

Boss, did you notice the price? It was US$15,000 was it? If it were RM15,000 I would still not be able to afford it. Hey, why don't I pay you a visit this weekend and lug along my Marky Poo No.36S. I'm not dreaming up this one I assure you. This is real, this is it!!! I've gone 2 box digital.

Hey, I tot forum rules dictate all prices must be posted in Ringgit?

azri wrote:i stumble upon this WAV player, what say you :

QLS QA-550
http://www.coemaudio.com.au/Streaming-Audio/Streaming-Audio/277/

i prefer the idea of coax or optical output instead of stereo jack, to make it possible to hook up on DAC, hence gives out the advantage on swapping as theres heaps of that equipment to play around with nowdays

Me too thinking about this. the high end sd player cost RM 10,000 which is beyond reach. I like this unit at least it has a 2ppm clock installed and no mechanical parts involved. So far some Auzy guys are happy with it.

I am bringing this unit and pm me if you wish to tumpang.

bimmerman wrote:

tycham wrote:An ultra expensive memory player.

http://www.novaphysicsgroup.com/SpecificationsPage5.html

A not so expensive alternative:

http://www.olive.us/

The Olive 4HD retailed at SGD3300.00 for 1TB storage.

Anyway, I finally built from scratch a cMP2 player:-

http://cplay.sourceforge.net/

which look like this.



Since a one box solution was desired, the Zalman HD160XT Plus was selected, which is the single most expensive component in the system.

Storage is a 320Gb laptop Serial ATA HDD, which is more than adequate at this juncture for me.

PSU fan had been disabled, and CPU fan replaced by Thermalright AXP140 after full optimization of the system. So, the only component having moving part is the HDD.

Sound card used is the Asus Xonar Essence ST.

the power supply. was considering the m2tech hiface as well but the pc environment is not friendly for HIFI.

some has removed the fan from the power supply to the motherboard, and another power supply to the hdd, cdrom, etc. to isolate the power supply.

mr chua, tell me of your findings once you have receive the item. QLS quoted me $145 including air freight to QLD, australia. thats around au$152. i'll keep this in mind, i might grab one in near future.

any software to share for a good cd ripping?

azri wrote:

any software to share for a good cd ripping?

There is plenty of action on this topic right now at: http://www.hifi4sale.net/general-non-equipment-discussions-f11/cd-sound-vs-usb-sound-t5866.htm#19719

I hav basically noticed QA-550 is low end. find another unit which will be getting.

http://www.erji.net/read.php?tid=806500&fpage=0&toread=&page=3

will probably wait for the 24/192 model to be out.

watch this space.

share some sampler in various format, 24/192 or 24/96 or 5.1. (be fast to act)

http://www.2l.no/hires/index.html

hmm.. have to wait for off peak to download those sampler

Why not consider the PC as a high resolution playback solution / transport ?

I am using a fanless Zalman case to good effect for the past 5 years. Also acquired a Mac Mini recently to experiment.

USB / firewire out to convertors or direct to DACs. However, not all decoders are created equal.

My current reference is an Empirical Audio offramp III USB to SPDIF convertor. I have also tried the Ayre QB9 USB DAC but unfortunately still cannot come to terms with it. A Weiss Minerva is still waiting in the wings to be used firewire mode with the MAC. I am also pestering another manufacturer to sell me an asynchronous USB to SPDIF convertor.

Things are certainly hotting up in this area.

HD downloads in 24/96 can be purchased here :

www.hdtracks.com

Regards,
Joe Ling

mugenfoo wrote:

bimmerman wrote:Tell me Mugen, and tell me truthfully, (I know you will anyway) My legacy Ferrari of a DAC only does 32-48Khz. Am I screwed???

Yes, screwed to the maxx ... u need to just abandon Digital and go back to ANALOG !

This one is Pure Direct mode of an answer!!

bimmerman wrote:Hey, I tot forum rules dictate all prices must be posted in Ringgit?

Just in case someone is wondering (this one is a legit question) its hifi4sale admin who makes the rules. Actually I am not too sure if there is such a ruling about having to quote in RM as I don't really moderate the for-sale forum (with a couple of exceptions which we all remember well lar ). I usually check for whatever new that's gone for sale there. Found some gems in the past. Now wallet tight a bit so have to scratch my itchy hands instead. Or else I would've gotten the Conrad Johnson PV-11 that recently went on sale !

Pinjam you some ointment to tahan the itchiness..

Ya.. There are gems coming out of nowhere once a while in the For Sale section.
Sadly, I have some commitments and I can just enjoy reading the post only. sigh...

azri wrote:

any software to share for a good cd ripping?

try exact audio copy or dbpoweramp

arremie wrote:

mugenfoo wrote:
raw studio 24bit/192KHz digital formats.

is this format available for download or purchase?

As of mid April 2009, only 5 titles are available on DVD from www.Chesky.com.

04.15.2009
For Immediate Release

Chesky Records 192 kHz/24-bit WAV 1-to-1 Masters
Chesky Records introduces the 192 kHz/24-bit series. These are not limited editions but one-to-one copies of our master 192 kHz/24-bit tapes. These are standard 192 kHz/24-bit WAV files that you can burn onto your computer's hard drive and then play back on any device that will support 192 kHz/24-bit. These discs will NOT play on DVD-audio players, CD players, and SACD players. These discs contain up to 4.7 GB of music each on a Gold DVD-R.

This is a major breakthrough for us in sound quality. The one-to-one masters off a good computer system sound more like analog than any other digital source we have used. You will hear more air, tonal purity, resolution, and a much richer, deeper, and wider soundstage.

David Chesky

cMP^2 site is now at : http://www.cicsmemoryplayer.com/