Playing CD's on pc

[Fluff]

In terms of Hi Fi etc.

Will a high end cdplayer say £500 CD player sound that much better than a PC than a Terratec EWX24/96 or other highish end 24bit sound card, for playing cd's?

With DVD's is software decoding is better now than hardware at the same price? on the pc.

My question is this..

Are there any utilities that will play a cd from the spdif (cd digital)on the back of my cdrom drive. Rather than windows media player etc which gets the sound through the IDE cable, as my cdrom spins up loads and makes a racket when using wmp / creative player.

When i push the play button on the cdrom drive it reads at 1x. I have a SB Audidgy 2.

Peter

[az]

A good CD player (whether a "high end" CD player would really sound better than just a "good" CD player is arguable, and only your ears can decide. In any case, it isn't going to sound 300 GBP better ), well a good CD player will likely sound better than your PC, and, most important, it's a lot more user friendly. And you don't have to have your PC on all the time - the fan and HD and CDD sounds wouldn't allow you to appreciate any "high end" sound anyway!

With DVDs it's the same - a standalone DVD player gives you more ease of use than a PC. And I believe software decoders are at least as good, if not better, than expensive PC hardware decoder cards.

Most important, though, is a pair of good speakers. Honestly, buy cheap electronics (not garbage, but cheap brand stuff) or get used stuff, and pay as much as you can on the speakers. Don't let the HiFi firms and magazines lure you with all their fancy names and acronyms. I know the rule of thumb to spend as much on the loudspeakers as on the rest of the stereo system, but I believe that with the advent of cheap digital technology, and general advancement of solid state technology, both price- and quality-wise, this should really change to "buy the cheapest electronics you're comfortable with, and save as much as you can for the speakers".

AZ

[Jammrock]

With some exceptions *coughAPEXcough* a stand-alone anything will sound and look better than the computer equivelent. Just like stand-alone stereo/home theater components will sound better than all-in-one parts - like DVD recievers, AV receivers, DVD/VCR decks, etc.

Computer AV is getting better mind you. With DVI-D, TOSLink optical outputs, SPDIF digital output and higher end sound and video cards, there might be a day when some computer could compete with traditional AV equipment ... to a point.

If you want good sound for not a ton of cash, pick up a mid-range Yamaha or Denon AV reciever, some B&W speakers, a nice Denon or Rotel DVD-player (their DVD players will playback CD's better than most big name consumer CD players) and some decent speaker cable and interconnects. It will look and sound better than anything a computer can do and run you under 1000 GBP.

Jammrock

[DentyCracker]

My opinion is that if you are on a budget just use the damn computer. If you want quality sound you WILL have to spend a lot of money, unless your ears are so bad they can't tell the difference between good and crap sound. I ahve decided that now is not the time for me to indulge my audiophile side. I grit my teeth and continue to listen to the comp. as my main source of entertainment, but in a year or so I should have amassed enough wealth (and decided where I am going to live) to start acquiring a few items i have had my eye on for a while. Should be back in Jamaica in a few weeks, for at least a year.

[Fluff]

Currently got a NAD C350 amp, Sony 510 CD player, Some Kenwood Tuner. and some TDL RTL 1 speakers

I like the B&W 601 / 602 speakers. Dynaudio Audience 52's are the ones I am currently looking at has anyone here got em?

Good recommendation on the Rotel stuff, might give that a go.

Change speakers , then cd player if i can hear difference

[Jammrock]

Rotel, in my opinion, is the best bang for the buck in the AV component world. Sure there is better, but not for the price.

https://www.Rotel.com

There are 12 Rotel dealers in London alone. Some of them might let you check-out a product or two to take home and plug into your system to hear first hand the difference.

Denty,

True, but it sounds like Fluff is ready to shell out the cash for the good stuff. Good luck on amassing your wealth

Jammrock

[DentyCracker]

Hmm, some of those aren't too far from me. Pity I ain't staying.

[az]

Good advice from Denty

Fluff: Don't listen to recommendations, but to the speakers! Every decent dealer will at least let you listen to a CD you bring on the equipment you want to buy, and, here at least, should even let you take the stuff home and try it in your living room, where the conditions are different from his listening room. Bear in mind that the mind misinterprets "slightly louder" as "slightly better", so correct leveling is crucial (this does NOT equal "same position of volume knob on two equal amps with different speakers, as different speakers have different sensitivities). Instantaneous switching (best done by yourself) between the components to be compared is also very important (best with 2 CDs started simultaneously), as the brain cannot remember sound quality.

I would advise against buying a CD player before trying it out extensively at home (switching simultaneously yadda yadda - simply connect one to CD and one to AUX or whatever). Modern CD players are so good, the differences become very small (and IMHO too small for the price premium you pay for "high end" units).

AZ