Taiko Audio SGM Extreme : the Crème de la Crème

[Rhapsody]

Yes it seems so. Despite overwhelming praise for this and that server (in this case the extreme) noone seem willing or able to directly answer the question how it compares to a cd player.

Maybe because they havent made the comparison or maybe because they dont care.

Maybe life is easier if you stick to remasters, dddd recordings and dab radio.

A person told me that I would have an easier time with digital if i didnt listen so much to records. Maybe it also helps to stay away from live music.

Jesper

I think a good cdp player has a bit more density to the notes/music. BUT totally depends on the original recording. Although it's really close and the Qobuz streaming sounds SO GOOD that unless you have a special cd(s) that you are in love with etc. Personally I would never choose to get up , go find the cd, open the drawer etc vs. just picking up the iPad and hitting play.

I think it's more of a personal ritual type of experience that many people enjoy the vinyl ritual, the R2R ritual and even the CD ritual vs. picking up the iPad and hitting play, with millions of tracks at your fingertips. Just my .02 cents.

 

[matthias]

Hey Matt,
The answer I believe is that the 3.1 Gen2 is the best sounding USB port. I'm answering so Emile doesn't miss this and can answer with additional information.

Thanks Bob,
that means the USB3.1 is better than the USB3.2?

Matt

 

[Rhapsody]

Thanks Bob,
that means the USB3.1 is better than the USB3.2?

Matt

It's 3.1 Gen2 right now, Emile will explain as they are renumbering these 3.'s It's confusing.


Emile will answer more appropriately.

 

[Mike Lavigne]

Yes it seems so. Despite overwhelming praise for this and that server (in this case the extreme) noone seem willing or able to directly answer the question how it compares to a cd player.

Maybe because they havent made the comparison or maybe because they dont care.

Maybe life is easier if you stick to remasters, dddd recordings and dab radio.

A person told me that I would have an easier time with digital if i didnt listen so much to records. Maybe it also helps to stay away from live music.

Jesper

it's not that simple. it's not that people don't care, but they have already answered that question for themselves.

i think many of us have made the determination that files sound better by the long term process of having reference cuts ripped from discs that at one point were being compared directly to CD's they were sourced from. over time these cuts have improved steadily and so the conclusion is that they have left the disc performance behind relatively.

taking the time now to find a SOTA disc spinner and going back to verify these conclusions is the only part missing. and we would go through that process for who exactly? not ourselves for sure....we have moved on.

so today's disc spinners do raise this question; but it's not relevant for many.

Well Jesper, even Microstrip with a full Vivaldi stack AND Extreme STILL prefers some cd's on his lowly Lol Metronome cd transport/dac.

i've not read Micro post that, but he might have and i had not seen it. my observation is that so far he had not come to any concrete conclusions.

 

[jespera]

I think a good cdp player has a bit more density to the notes/music. BUT totally depends on the original recording. Although it's really close and the Qobuz streaming sounds SO GOOD that unless you have a special cd(s) that you are in love with etc. Personally I would never choose to get up , go find the cd, open the drawer etc vs. just picking up the iPad and hitting play.

I think it's more of a personal ritual type of experience that many people enjoy the vinyl ritual, the R2R ritual and even the CD ritual vs. picking up the iPad and hitting play, with millions of tracks at your fingertips. Just my .02 cents.

I prefer lps over cds over computers due to sound quality — not because of rituals.

But also totally agree that with dddd it doesnt make a difference.

Jesper

 

[matthias]

i've not read Micro post that, but he might have and i had not seen it. my observation is that so far he had not come to any concrete conclusions.

Post#2208

Matt

 

[matthias]

I prefer lps over cds over computers due to sound quality — not because of rituals.

But also totally agree that with dddd it doesnt make a difference.

Jesper

Which CD player/transport do you have?

Matt

 

[Mike Lavigne]

Post#2208

Matt

let's see how Micro answers the question posed by Post #2209 before we project the implications of what he says in Post#2208.

what percentage of Micro's dics does this transport make preferable? and as Marc ask's....why?

and interestingly Micro has a $30k+ dcS transport sitting there that he does not mention.

Francisco, why do you feel yr Metronome disc spinner sounds best w those recordings?

 

[matthias]

let's see how Micro answers the question posed by Post #2209 before we project the implications of what he says in Post#2208.

Yes Mike,
and we have to consider that the new Kalista CD transport is the double price of Extreme, AFAIK.

Matt

 

[jespera]

Which CD player/transport do you have?

Matt

The best i have is a marantz cd 94. It is valve clocked and modded in the power supply by abbas audio in ukraine.

As dac im using an abbas dac 2.1se.

Jesper

 

[Mike Lavigne]

Yes Mike,
and we have to consider that the new Kalista CD transport is the double price of Extreme, AFAIK.

Matt

i think as almost all new music can be purchased in the high rez native format it was mastered to dooms transports for the future. just once around the block on Qubuz seals the deal.

only a handful of new music releases are dsd native SACD's, and a trickle of Blue Ray discs. no meaningful market support for either format.

so any new music will be redbook only with discs. will they sound very very good? sure, but not as good as the files do. it will be a personal culture choice to use discs, not performance. that train has left the station.

 

[matthias]

The best i have is a marantz cd 94. It is valve clocked and modded in the power supply by abbas audio in ukraine.

As dac im using an abbas dac 2.1se.

Jesper

I think there are many good audio manufacturers in your area.

Matt

 

[matthias]

i think as almost all new music can be purchased in the high rez native format it was mastered to dooms transports for the future. just once around the block on Qubuz seals the deal.

only a handful of new music releases are dsd native SACD's, and a trickle of Blue Ray discs.

so any new music will be redbook only with discs. will they sound very very good? sure, but not as good as the files do. it will be a personal culture choice to use discs, not performance. that train has left the station.

Agree,

I think I do like streaming as much as @Rhapsody does.......

Matt

 

[Rhapsody]

Agree,

I think I do like streaming as much as @Rhapsody does.......

Matt

I don't "like it", I "LOVE IT"

 

[matthias]

I don't "like it", I "LOVE IT"

Haha, much better......

Matt

 

[spiritofmusic]

Yes Mike,
and we have to consider that the new Kalista CD transport is the double price of Extreme, AFAIK.

Matt

But Matt, as we've agreed, cost is not the be all and end all, otherwise we wouldn't be suggesting a $2.5k dac with a 10x pricier server.

And my $10k Eera cdp is a total giant slayer (Albert Von Schwiekert and JackD201 fave cdp above all others just a few yrs back).

No, it's still something intrinsic in how the data is managed in a cdp which gives it some sort of sonic advantage, and maybe this is most reflected on discs that have harsher sonics and need the Vit D shot of density and lushness that maybe a top cdp is best suited at.

For everything else...

 

[Taiko Audio]

Thanks Bob,
that means the USB3.1 is better than the USB3.2?

Matt

It's USB 3.1 gen1 and USB 3.1 gen2. They are relabelling it to USB 3.2 to add to the confusion but it's the same thing. USB 3.1 gen 2 is the better performing port and is indeed less tolerant to severe deviations from the USB cable specification. Some audiophile USB cables do deviate considerably and can therefor cause problem with newer hardware. It's good to take note of this as eventually USB 2.0/3.0 will disappear from servers and these cables will become unusable.

 

[Rhapsody]

But Matt, as we've agreed, cost is not the be all and end all, otherwise we wouldn't be suggesting a $2.5k dac with a 10x pricier server.

And my $10k Eera cdp is a total giant slayer (Albert Von Schwiekert and JackD201 fave cdp above all others just a few yrs back).

No, it's still something intrinsic in how the data is managed in a cdp which gives it some sort of sonic advantage, and maybe this is most reflected on discs that have harsher sonics and need the Vit D shot of density and lushness that maybe a top cdp is best suited at.

For everything else...

I think we should change the name of the thread "Marc's interesting digital analysis adventures" or "Paralysis by analysis"

 

[matthias]

It's USB 3.1 gen1 and USB 3.1 gen2. They are relabelling it to USB 3.2 to add to the confusion but it's the same thing. USB 3.1 gen 2 is the better performing port and is indeed less tolerant to severe deviations from the USB cable specification. Some audiophile USB cables do deviate considerably and can therefor cause problem with newer hardware. It's good to take note of this as eventually USB 2.0/3.0 will disappear from servers and these cables will become unusable.

Thanks Emile,

so I am sure we get recommendations from you......

Matt

 

[Taiko Audio]

I think we should change the name of the thread "Marc's interesting digital analysis adventures" or "Paralysis by analysis"

I will add my view on the current topic of discussion after I have managed to digest my heavy Christmas dinner