Like so many I knew that you can download a couple of MP3’s on your PC and play them over a pair of fancy USB speakers.
Nothing wrong with it but it is not the best possible sound quality.
It took a while before I grasped it, when done right computer audio playback is a perfect replacement for a CD player. In fact you could even use it to digitize your vinyl.
What are the advantages?
Comfort
Your whole collection well-structured on a HD.
You can browse, search and sort it is many ways; by artist, album, song, composer, year, genre, to mention the most important tags.
Make playlist
Sync to a portable
Do multi room
Etc.
A very flexible way to deal with your collection.
Resolution.
By design a CD is 16 bits at a 44.1 kHz sample rate (Redbook audio).
A lot of recordings are done with a greater bit depth and a higher sample rate.
Nice but say a 24 bit 96 kHz recording cannot be played by a CD player. It is simply not according to the Redbook standard.
It has to be down-sampled 16 bits/ 44.1 kHz.
A computer with a decent sound card allows you to play a recording at its native bit depth and sample rate. The Hi-res catalogue is not big at the moment but it is growing.
Preservation.
A substantial audio collection is a substantial investment. Beside the financial part, the emotional value is high too. Often you have those recordings long out of print but you love them. For us it is audio but for a computer it is just a file. You can make a backup.
You can make another one and store it elsewhere.
They might burn your house, they might even step on your blue suede shoes but your collection is safely stored elsewhere.
Sound quality.
That is the big issue.
A laptop is not exactly build with audio in mind.
If you want to know, get yourself a Y-cable. Connect the headphone out to your pre-amp and press play. Probably decent mid-fi will be the result.
As computer audio is getting momentum, today you can get decent sound cards, USB to SPDIF converters to drive your existing DAC or USB-DAC’s of excellent quality.
I do think that sound quality wise there is no limitation anymore.
Your PC can sing as good as your CDP.
Nothing wrong with it but it is not the best possible sound quality.
It took a while before I grasped it, when done right computer audio playback is a perfect replacement for a CD player. In fact you could even use it to digitize your vinyl.
What are the advantages?
Comfort
Your whole collection well-structured on a HD.
You can browse, search and sort it is many ways; by artist, album, song, composer, year, genre, to mention the most important tags.
Make playlist
Sync to a portable
Do multi room
Etc.
A very flexible way to deal with your collection.
Resolution.
By design a CD is 16 bits at a 44.1 kHz sample rate (Redbook audio).
A lot of recordings are done with a greater bit depth and a higher sample rate.
Nice but say a 24 bit 96 kHz recording cannot be played by a CD player. It is simply not according to the Redbook standard.
It has to be down-sampled 16 bits/ 44.1 kHz.
A computer with a decent sound card allows you to play a recording at its native bit depth and sample rate. The Hi-res catalogue is not big at the moment but it is growing.
Preservation.
A substantial audio collection is a substantial investment. Beside the financial part, the emotional value is high too. Often you have those recordings long out of print but you love them. For us it is audio but for a computer it is just a file. You can make a backup.
You can make another one and store it elsewhere.
They might burn your house, they might even step on your blue suede shoes but your collection is safely stored elsewhere.
Sound quality.
That is the big issue.
A laptop is not exactly build with audio in mind.
If you want to know, get yourself a Y-cable. Connect the headphone out to your pre-amp and press play. Probably decent mid-fi will be the result.
As computer audio is getting momentum, today you can get decent sound cards, USB to SPDIF converters to drive your existing DAC or USB-DAC’s of excellent quality.
I do think that sound quality wise there is no limitation anymore.
Your PC can sing as good as your CDP.