Squeezebox 3 stream is not as good as actual CD...

[Joey_V]

Are you SURE you don't have transcoding turned on?

I always rip with the lowest compression available. I use raptor.

I will double check, but from what I know.... it should be a good FLAC rip. I have yet to do the EAC rip because I'm moving tomorrow.... and I gotta pack up the entire system...

If you guys recall, it took me a good 2 hours to get the SLP-05 unpacked... packing up the whole system will take me the entire morning and more.

Joey

 

[Joey_V]

I got my power supply, huge huge difference in my setup... I would encourage you to play with the PS on the SB.... also try digital cables, they all sound a little different.

Doesn't this support the argument that there is something flawed with the digital out of the SB3?

Please bear in mind that it's the SPDIF between the SB3 and the DAC - the CD player does not use SPDIF for the internal connection to the DAC. this makes for a whole world of difference.

Exactly. The Cary is optimized to use its transport and into the DACs. The SB3 is not. Hence it makes perfect sense why there is a difference when going through the SB3 and when going straight from CD.

The difference is NOT subtle. A component upgrade IMO.

 

[stevenic]

Has anyone compared the output of an SB3 to the output of a HTPC with an X-Fi and bit-matched playback? Or better yet an HTPC+X-Fi versus a high end CD Transport? I have a Denon 1920 that I use for SACD & DVD-A playback so I wouldn't consider it super high end. But for CD Playback I can't say that I can really tell a difference between the Denon and my HTPC.

-steve