Thoughts

Hi Richard

I'll have my boxes moved to my office very soon, which like you, will leave nothing in my lounge for music. I had considered a muso but without the ability to play CDs I've now dismissed. I'd now consider one of the uniti units. I think it would sit much better in the available space. You just need to add spweakers. I've not heard one yet. But I'm sure they'll be on demo at the Bristol show next month. 

Richard, I doubt you'd regret the Muso. My main system which is about to be updated later today with a NAC252 replacing a 282 is CD based with a CDX2. I bought a Muso as my second system but it's cababilities to stream and play from a USB collection are great fun and it sounds great too. But I do love my CD collection for the reasons you say. One day I might get into streaming on the big system but for now I'm looking forward to rediscovering what I've got with the 252 in place.

Acred

Like you I prefer to own something I can touch and CDs still make up 99% of my music purchases. That said, I haven't owned a dedicated CD player in 4 years, coosing to rip and stream.

Since the CDS3 is so superb, why not enjoy it (as planned) and start streaming in the lounge with a second hand UQ2 and a proper pair of decent low cost bookshelf speakers like QAcoustics 3020? Plenty of people seem to be selling the UQ2 assuming the Atom will make this legendary product sound broken, but compared to muso, it's still proper hifi. You can then ease into streaming over a few years and still have a real hifi in the lounge. 

In our family we have a tradition...

If someone says "I've had a thought", the immediate response is "Quick, have another one before it gets lonely!".

But seriously, I think FZ has a very good answer there.

In addition to the Q Acoustics 3020, I would also highly recommend the Monitor Audio BX2 Mk2.  From personal experience, I find both these speakers are way better than they should be for the price, and both show the benefit of good electronics.

Totally agree with FZ ironically since moving into streaming I'm buying far more CDs than when I owned a CD player. Hope you enjoy your 252 as muchildren as I enjoy mine.

Hadn't given the UT2 a though good shout .. I'd like to dip in to the streaming world but not with 2 feet if you what I mean

There are two separate decisions you have to make here. One concerns the level of hardware you want to invest in, Muso or a Uniti plus speakers. The other is source material. If you ran a streamer in your main system, ripping your CDs would put them in a store accessible to multiple devices, including a Muso/Uniti. But is it worth you doing that just for a second system? Maybe a Spotify or Tidal subscription would be worth considering.

Don't forget that you can play CDs from a computer with a disk drive into a Muso if they're on the same wifi network (not sure if you include that in 'streaming').

Clive 

You won't want to listen to anything else once you have the CDS3

Other than a Nat 01 of course. 

So true HH. 

Which Audio Physics Richard? Curious as I am contemplating a 282 250 for mine :-)

Looking forward to the cds3, spent a good few years with the cdx2 I just found it too much at times on the highs other that that it was fine. My wife is more heading towards the muso for the simple reason of there's no speakers required, as I said I'll dip my toes into the steaming world. We just upgraded to sky Q and I must spend 10-15 mins flicking up and down wondering what to watch I wonder if it's the same with say Spotify. Do you think the streaming world as its gets more and more popular that the subscriptions will rise ten fold as realistically if you have nothing but a streamer what else can you do? Or am I barking up the wrong tree.

virgo's DRPO 

It depends what your streaming habits are really Richard. Not all of us who stream actually use streaming services. I've been CD player free for years (as I mentioned) but don't bother with Spotify or Tidal. I'd rather let someone else take full control and drive - which is called the radio - or stream from my owned rips of my physical collection.

It is kind of difficult to predict what type of streaming habits you will develop until you start playing with it. The good news is that, muso or Uniti, they can both stream your rips or from online services. So, functionality-wise, I don't think you can go wrong either way.

Aesthetically, a muso can be easier to accomodate provided you have a deep sideboard to put it on. But if you have book cases, a UQ2 and bookshelf speakers can simply vanish.

Thanks zen.. I think I'll go listen to the muso, my first thoughts about streaming was yeah try new music, second was maybe too much to choose from, I might just as you say use the radio

Richard archbold posted:

Thanks zen.. I think I'll go listen to the muso, my first thoughts about streaming was yeah try new music, second was maybe too much to choose from, I might just as you say use the radio

Keep an eye on what's playing on the radio, if something comes on that you like but have never heard before then that's a good gateway into online services. Later buy the cd, rip it and then not listen to it again for a year or two.  

Richard, if you do decide to dip your toe into the streaming world and go for UQ2, then ripping your CDs opens up choices going forward. I planned to change my CDS3 for and NDS and ripped all my CDs to NAS over a period of time. I still have my CDS3 but also now FLAC and WAV rips. I only access these from the Qb right now. I can't bring myself to part with the CD player but at some point probably will. When I buy a new batch of CDs, ripping only takes a few minutes to keep the soft copies up to date. These are there and ready to go and all the hard work is done. Simply not embracing straming full on does not mean you have lost anything, except your time. You have back up copies and options going forward.

Dave