[Closed] Hi-fi question - streamers

Is something like a Cambridge Audio One that does CDs and bluetooth streaming too basic? Really like mine, having bought recently and the CDs are back out - it's nice to handle them.

If you have a decent hi-fi system then the short answer is yes. Doesn't necessarily need to be a hard disk stuck to the back of the streamer - could be a NAS box that's part of your home network. FLAC file format works pretty well and is compressed so doesn't take up quite as much storage space. You could stick with the iTunes / mp3 format if you want and can't be bothered to re-rip the CDs but with even half decent equipment you will hear / notice a quality difference. There are other options depending on how you want to play it. Some will decide against the faff of ripping and just go with a high quality streaming service such as Qobuz or Tidal. For me, seeing as I have already bought the music and I have it locally why would I want to pay for a service that doesn't let me keep the music. However, these services have their advantage in that they can let you hear new music without having to buy it and clutter your home up with even more CDs. It all comes down to your attitude to music and how you like to listen to it. 🙂

I’d definitely rerip the CDs into lossless and store them on a Networked hard drive. Then sell the CD and amp, chuck all the cds in the loft and get the new Sonos Amp, which sounds awesome and will support high def streaming when the S2 app comes out.

I'd spend some time re-ripping the CDs in something lossless like FLAC and then keeping a couple of copies of the files around, stick them on a NAS and that's the storage side done.

After running a Squeezebox into a high-end DAC for years I've recently switched to just a Cambridge Audio CXN v2, works great at finding mine and the wife's music collections on the network, also use it with Spotify, Soundcloud and as a Chromecast device.

At a thousand discs I'd be getting a Spotify pro account and a skip.

What's your 'compressed format'? That can vary wildly and your ears have a limit. Other than bragging rights you might not notice the difference.

Took me months, but I ripped all my CDs into iTunes and then into a NAS. should have planned it better as not all best quality. Threw all the boxes away and just kept the discs in a disc folder.
I use Sonos and Spotify too so largely redundant now.

The difference between lossless and Spotify streaming quality is a lot less than you’d expect, unless you’re sat there listening for it.

I just got an Amazon Echo Link, and I have an Amazon Music HD subscription.

My HiFi is 20 years old, the CD player is a Marantz something or other that was something like £400 worth - the link sounds better. Pretty much everything I own on CD that I would listen to (and a shit-ton more besides) is on Amazon Music already and I can simply ask for it, so this is a big plus for me. I plan to get rid of the CD player altogether rather than be ripping CDs for a month.

Re lossless - I can definitely tell the difference between standard Amazon and HD (which is lossless) when using my Sony WH-1000 XM3 headphones. The biggest difference is when there's a strong beat e.g. Never Ending Circles by Churches. With compressed sound the beats are muddy and feel like they are over driving the speakers, so I turn it down. But after a while of listening my ears get tired - I was never able to listen to music for more than about 45 mins because of this. With HD, the beats are sharper - transient response is better - but rather than making this harder on my ears it somehow makes it much easier, so I can listen for hours. Then at some point I realise I can actually hear all the words to most songs which I was not able to really do with compressed audio.

All depends on quality of speakers / amp. If nothing special just carry on using Spotify.

If half decent FLAC onto NAS if good plan.

These look cool: https://www.bluesound.com/products/node/

There are some pretty cool Raspberry Pi endpoint / DAC solutions using Volumio on a budget.

I’ve got over 1000 CDs on iTunes albeit in a compressed format so not the highest quality

Am I right in thinking that in order to make best use of the streamer I should re-cut all these CDs using a lossless format to a hard drive that I can stick in the back of the streamer?

As Cougar asks, what format did you rip the CD’s in? Streaming isn’t all that high a bitrate, except for Tidal, and if you’ve ripped your CD’s at something like 320Kb/s, variable bit rate, you’ll be unable to really hear any significant difference between the originals and the ripped copies.
I’ve done a direct comparison between lossless and 320Kb files, listening through high-end in-ear monitors, and I couldn’t detect any real difference. Unless you’re one of those golden-eared individuals, then I’m prepared to bet you won’t either.

Re lossless – I can definitely tell the difference between standard Amazon and HD (which is lossless)

to be fair, the best 'regular' amazon streams at is 256. in my opinion the extra 30% to 320 nips most of the gap up

Been through this subject. I ripped my cds to lossless and sat them in iTunes so I could use them easily enough for an iPod in the car.

Have recently synced the music files onto a basic network drive and built a raspberry pi with a HAT DAC to play them.

Use Volumio software to play the music into an older separates amp and my iPhone running mconnect app to control the music library and radio into the pi and out to the amp.

Sounds complex but it all works perfectly for little overall money. Blows everything I’ve had before out of the water for quality, including some expensive CD players

Thanks all some good advice if only I understood all of it!

With reference to iTunes I will have ripped my CDs at whatever the standard format is by default. Presumably the one that creates the smallest file size?

And I don't think I have a home network as such 🙂

Home network = your wifi!

Apple’s standard is not lossless. It is a pain in the arse to redo it, just need to do it gradually, but you only need to do it once.

I have all my CDs ripped as FLACs (not a 1000 though, maybe 350..)

I was running these on a 'NAS' (actually just a HDD plugged into my router) but recently I've just plugged the HDD straight into the back of the streamer. HDDs are pretty cheap these days.

Hmm what a minefield

I'm now wondering if I should switch to a one box system with or without my existing speakers

I'm somehow drawn to still be able to play my CDs though not sure why if I've ripped them all they should really go into storage

The Revo kit looks nice

If I was going one box and it wasn't Sonos I'd probably go with the Ruark R2, but if you have decent speakers I still think this is going to be a much more preferable option.

Yeah, wholeheartedly agree. The Raspberry PI with (in my case) a Justboom DAc and a spotify premium account does away with the need to rip CD's. (The volumio software is free. I'm very fussy about sound quality and this is an amazing system. Listening to Sabbath bloody Sabbath right now!

Airport express ... and lossless

New shelves, play the CDs.

Yes, just play the CDs. I embrace all formats, but if you've got the discs then your best quality is there. Use the other formats for stuff you haven't got on CD.