It’s not much easier getting metadata right nowadays. Five monitors per rip is nonsense. There’s the whole process of dismantling and filing CDs. I’m 9 months in and still finding metadata errors to fix.
Most people, with the level of digital source you have, find that local files sound still better vs online streaming, and specially if these local files ( cd rips or downloads) are streamed from an audiophile Nas, as Melco or Innuos.
It’s the case for me.
@Dunc for instance have the same source as you, Rossini / clock. He could testify how his cd rips , ripped by a Melco ripper and stored on his Melco N10 Nas , sound much better vs Qobuz or Tidal.
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Funny how experiences differ. I stream from Qobuz, but still around half my listening is to albums ripped or downloaded to my NAS. There’s at least three reasons. Most obviously, a significant proportion of my CD collection is not available on Qobuz (or Tidal when I last looked). Secondly, I find the SQ generally better (for non-hi res streaming), though this does vary from disc to disc. Finally, I use a customised metadata scheme which enables me to find the piece I want to listen to much more easily than on Qobuz.
In my view, mixing local and online streaming is more flexible than putting all your eggs in one basket.
Roger
This is an often overlooked point with local streaming. You have control of the metadata and can tailor it to how you prefer to work with the UPnP server of your choice. I have a Qobuz subscription but most of my streaming is from my NAS.
When I ripped the bulk (1400) I used a PC-tower with three Pioneer drives and was down to 2 minutes including ultrasound cleaning.
I ripped around 1300 discs on my laptop running dbpoweramp. This was done over a few weeks with a pile of discs next to me each evening while watching tv. Wasn’t any hardship at all.
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Exactly – watching telly and ripping CDs isn’t the most challenging multi-tasking…
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How many of those were multi disc classical albums?
I think an NDX2 and Core would leave you delighted and it leaves an upgrade route should you ever fancy it.
I ripped all my CDs this year and do play them from the Core. However, I do understand that others will stream exclusively from a subscription service. This will save you money by not needing the Core. Are you ready to dispense with your CDs?
I like the uniform Naim look and the seamless integration so never considered alternative ripping solutions FYI.
Stu
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I’m trying to figure out if I need a facility to rip and store CD’s or would I just be happy with a hi-res audio streaming service.
Can I use my Hi-Cap as an upgrade PSU with an NDX2?
no, just the xps2, xp5xs or 555ps
Ooh…expensive upgrade path.
At the moment the only option for that is Qobuz if you want native support in the streamer. That may be all you need if all or most of your CDs are included in the Qobuz catalog. However just because an album is in the Qobuz catalog today doesn’t guarantee it will be tomorrow. I much prefer to have the majority of the stuff I listen to stored locally so that I know it will always be available. Qobuz has its place but for me it is there to fill in the gaps and explore new music rather than my main source of digital music.
“I’m trying to figure out if I need a facility to rip and store CD’s or would I just be happy with a hi-res audio streaming service.”
The difficulty with streaming when starting from scratch, as I did some 12 years ago, is not knowing exactly how you will listen to your music.
Like many others, I bought a server/ripper (UnitiServe) and ripped my 1500 or so CDs, imagining that I would just keep buying and ripping any that I liked ad infinitum. Turned out somewhat differently for me once I bought an NDS and activated the TIDAL subscription. I found the convenience of internet streaming to be quite persuasive. As others have said, local streaming does, often but not always, sound better/different but whether this would bother you, is something only you will know once you have dipped a toe in the water.
I am just at the start of a home dem of an ND555 and initial listening suggests that the gap between local files and TIDAL/Qobuz is small enough on the new platform to make near as dammit no difference. You may feel differently.
In the last 12 months, I have bought exactly 2 new CDs and oddly, the Tidal version of one of them sounds preferable to my ears and the LP version of the other better! Go figure.
I very rarely listen to my ripped content and suspect, if I go for the ND555, that rarely may quickly become never.
The point about availability is a valid one; several albums I had saved in my TIDAL favourites have subsequently disappeared and there are gaps in both TIDAL and Qobuz catalogues that may, or may not, be an issue for you. For what it’s worth, I haven’t gone out and bought a single one of the albums that disappeared from TIDAL but that option is always available if you feel you really couldn’t live without access to that music.
I am trialling Qobuz at the moment, mostly because it’s cheaper but partly because the subscription includes access to Hi-Res music without the need to buy into MQA. As others have said, Hi-Res is not the be all and end all; in fact, I have a lot of music where I prefer the tonal balance of the CD resolution copy and many more where I prefer the sound of vinyl.
Good luck!
Cheers,
Ian
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Hi Osbournes
Like you, I found myself needing to digitize my CD collection of <1500 disks, many of which were not available on Tidal or Spotify. I looked at/listened to the following - Novafidelity X45 - Bluesound vault 2i and Naim uniti core. In terms of audio quality it was a toss up between the Core and the X45. I ended up buying the Core as it’s ability to house huge SSDs for storage and the ease of the App won me over.
I have just finished the process of transferral with maybe 20 or so CD casualties due to unsolvable ripping errors. Naim sent me a link so that I can see the core on my PC network and thus have access to my CDs in the studio, where I use Adam Audio S3H monitors as my daily reference. So far so good!
I am thus able to use my Motu interfaces to feed the monitors. They have balanced TRS analog outputs producing 123 dB dynamic range and -110 dB THD+N (0.0003%) at -1 dBFS, Unweighted, 1 kHz.
This results in a stunning crystal clear sound that is both engaging and immersive. It is not the typical hifi setup by any means, but as I earn my living from music, it is the most accurate system I have heard/tried.
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If you haven’t tried already, dBPoweramp’s most intensive (and slow) rip option can often solve these - and a few I had that gave errors still gave me a playable outcome, or in a couple of cases one failed track. It means of course said CDs likely wouldn’t have been playing correctly on a CD player, whether failing, skipping, or error correction interpolating to fill in.
When I ripped my CD collection there were a few that dbPoweramp and EAC couldn’t rip for whatever reason but the humble old Windows Media Player managed to do them.
I’ve had a few that I needed to rip via ITunes to ALAC instead. No big loss, just odd, as I use the same dvd drive/PC to rip.
Firstly…thank you all for your views & inputs
Here’s a quick update.
Went in to a dealer in Cardiff and listened to a MUSO 2nd generation, and a Unity Atom running AE500’s, using the TIDAL streaming service,
My wife and I were pleasantly surprised with the Muso’s. It had reasonable detail but unsurprising, lacked the sound stage.
Enter the Uniti Atom…I had my doubts at first, but these were pretty quickly dispelled once we got listening. The poise and control was excellent, and the AE500’s did a great job.
However…we wanted to see how the Atom compares to the NOVA and a NDX 2, still driving the AE500’s. Our dealer is being super helpful and in the process in arranging a home demo if the above items.
I’ll keep you posted on progress
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