Buying New Equipment

+1, good bang for the buck and works brilliantly with SN2 and Focal

I was reviewing this thread with my wife (yes she knows about my little project!) and she asked me if I knew the average age of those that write on the thread. There is something about going to the store, finding the music one wants to listen to, taking it home and putting it on that you just don't get from digital downloads. Does anyone else get this? Maybe that is why I want all formats, they bring memories of back to basics.

Mid fifties. (And I get why you want all formats, which is precisely why I didn't write 'drop CD').

Chris

Hi, I'm in my early sixties and recently thought much the same, been using Naim for the best part of thirty years my current system is mainly olive series purchased some twenty odd years ago never felt the need to change, however I did upgrade my streamer from a well reviewed device to a NDX a few months ago.

This upgrade has completely changed my view regarding CD's they get ripped into my desktop sent to my Synology NAS then played the CDI very rairly gets used as the replay from the NDX is that good.

The usability of the Naim app is brilliant just sit in your armchair using a tablet to stream so easy plus you virtually unlimited rado stations at your finger tips.

Pete 

Where I live, it's more about going to the store, finding they have nothing whatsoever that you want to buy, and if you do by some remote chance finding it, having to store the thing afterwards. 

Of  music I buy, probably two thirds is from CDs, which I buy from the U.S. via Amazon, rip and then put in the loft. The other third is from downloads. Yesterday I bought the new Bob Dylan as a hi def download, for less than the price of a CD. 

Back in 1980, sniffing out the latest albums in the Indie chart was a great way to pass Saturday afternoon, but looking around HMV with their abysmal selection is a soul destroying experience. CDs, with their horrid little cases, have always been simply a means to an end, and if I could download everything I would. 

Late 50's.

+1 to HH's comment (but two thirds download / one third CD)

+1. Your views on media exactly match mine.

Late (very late) 40s

The ownership / artefact thing is important to those over a certain age!  I think your biggest potential benefit will be in rationalising your input source; there are loads of e/h CD's around at silly prices (in UL/Europe at any rate).  For my money I would get the best CD player I could afford and if any of the 80 LP's you have are real favourites get them on CD and forget the vinyl source.  Source first then choose the best combination of Naim boxes you can afford with your budget and subject to local availability.

Just because you do not own a cd player, you would still buy cds. The only difference is that you rip them before you can play them. So you need an ndx, a nas, and a computer pc or mac to rip  the cds to, and then copy them to the nas.

Claus

-1 to HH comments.

Andres, you are correct!

Some people just don't get it, here in the US there are many small retailers where you can find whatever you're looking for in vinyl and CD.

By the way, there are still those who feel CD and vinyl are superior to downloading- streaming.

In my experience, a true 24/192 file blows a CD rip away by a big margin and a DSD file of the same album is in a whole different league.

As I didn't run my CDX 2 and 272 side by side I can't say if I prefer the ripped CD vs the spinning silver disc -all I know is that although nervous to ditch my CDX 2 I have not missed it at all. 

I should have my gyrodec back next week, I look forward to seeing how the same albums compare on 10g vinyl to the DSD file.

I think the answer to that is "Different!"

The vinyl has a whole load of technical limitations (DR, distortion, FR anomalies, noise etc.) that just aren't present to the same degree in the DSD decoded signal.

Which one sounds better, is however, a subjective judgement!

Colloms wrote something about this...

The complexities and variations found for the audio reproducing chain continue to surprise and confound us.

We need to remember that comparisons of vinyl v digital replay are complicated by circumstance.

What masters are being used for what format? How are they treated/processed?

Is vinyl cut subject to the usual dynamic range limiting, and 'up-leveling' to help overcome surface noise?

In some systems a reduced dynamic range is entirely appropriate to optimal replay; full cream digital recordings may have too much dynamic range for optimal replay pleasure in small space domestic situations.

The peaks may be too loud and the the quiet sections too quiet.

Just turned 50.. Great party yesterday 

i love CDs, given up on downloads, too expensive usually, and occasional nagging doubts on quality.

Simon

+1 Simon, except I turn 60 in January.  

CDs can often be acquired for very little on the usual sites. The equivalent download usually costs more and I have also found many downloads of equivocal quality, and that includes 24 bit files. Just because it's 'hi res' doesn't necessarily mean it's better. As with all downloads it depends on the source of the files.

Wait 'til you're 65   It's probably never been a better time to buy CDs - especially the giant sets being released now.

Agreed. CDs are an incredible bargain at the moment when you consider how much they were only a few years ago. I've no interest in buying downloads; the very few HD ones I've bought haven't sounded as good as the CD rips of the same albums, let alone the vinyl versions. Get CDs whilst you can!

Tony, fill yer boots... 

and Steve, I totally agree with your comments on Hidef.. I wonder if this has anything to do with the type of DAC I think we both use 

Funnily enough I've bought more CD's in the few months that I've had my NDX than I have in the last couple of years.and as you say they are so cheap nowadays once ripped and stored in your NAS you can forget about them.

OK junior! 

When you can get S/H CDs for a quid on Amazon (plus postage of course) why not? The golden age for music buying.

Steady now - us NDS owners like filling our boots too! 

Happy Birthday Simon, and welcome the 50's club!  I'm right behind the good Doctor, with my membership expiring in a mere 18 months. But I think turning 60 will be...interesting. Assuming decent health continues, any negative thoughts about getting older should be well balanced by dreams of an enjoyable retirement!

ATB.

Hook

Hook, thank you, I must admit there is a little bit of intrepidation moving into this decade.. Many say this is when things will start to go wrong... not least from Mrs SinS, who is a nurse. Any way so far reading glasses are the only support required.... Also at the moment the thought of retirement fills me with dread.. And I guess some time over the next 10 to 15 years that dread will turn to desire...

Tony I agree, trouble is I am using too much storage space to put all my full boots of CDs in...