I grow up in the era from pure analog to digital music source.
The era when a portable cassette player is a holy grail for all kids and CD's is for some people with the deep pocket.
That time has passes and it moves so fast from the CD to all today music is in digital format, without any physical items anymore. While I am enjoying the simplicity of non-physical digital audio system, I still collecting CD's.
Recently I bought some CD's, it is in used condition and the reason I bought them is because I am very familiar to the artists. Then when I want to to playback that CD right away, it is not very convenient for me to convert the CD's to digital audio format in the first place. So the solution is quite complicated, I should pull out my old DVD player and connect to my home stereo system only to listen the music from those CD's. Later on, I found something interesting in sound quality when comparing both of them.
Buying the CD's right now is cheap. Most of them are in used condition but still in very good shape. This 3 CD I bought for about US$10.
In my home audio system right now, I don't use the CD player anymore. It force me to convert those CD's first to the digital audio format. Sometimes I am quite lazy for that converting job and I know that I still have the old DVD player from LG. With this DVD player, I could use it to playback those CD's right away.
This is LG DVD player that I bought many years ago. It is internally upgrade with better components, especially on the capacitors for improve DC filter. I will connect this player by using the Digital Audio out, or many people call it SPDIF. It will connect to the Chord Mojo as the external DAC.
With the LG DVD player connect to this Chord Mojo via the SPDIF then the signal goes to the Gainclone amplifier and the SB acoustic speakers, I start to enjoy a good music.
After all new bought CD's has been playing through this system, then I make a comparison by take my others CD's that previously already converted and stored to my smartphones memory card. Using my smartphone with USB Audio Player Pro app I also connect via USB to the Chord Mojo.
What I found from this comparison is the music from the CD more reveal especially on the mid-range. It is presenting clearer mid-range with separation note of the music is also better on CD player. It is creates more micro detail and warmer sound.
What I found from the music playing from the smartphones is edgy on high frequency. No matter if it is already smooth enough, but if you compare to the CD's, again they still edgy.
One more things need to mention that sound quality from the CD have more precise in timing. The music tempo and on every instruments is better. I can feel the beat and I feel more immerse into the music when presentation using CD player compares using the smartphone as the digital source.
This comparison could be also between the SPDIF and the USB as the digital signal transfer. I am enjoying many CD's from this DVD player and sometimes I switch to the smartphones for comparing the sound quality between them. The Chord Mojo makes this switch between the digital source become easy. Only a push on the power button while it is operate, then it will switch the source input simultaneously.
I almost forgot to mention that the converted music files on my smartphones is originally from the same CD's playing in the player. The converted files is 16 bit, for sure because it is CD, and in highest FLAC or WAV audio format.
At the end, it is funny to find out that this CD player is still sound better when using as digital transport. So I guess I will stick to this setup at my home stereo system for a while. It is like a vintage system but since it is sound better, why not?!
Disclaimer: Any statement and photos in this article are not allowed to copy or publish without written permission from the writer. Any injury or loss from following tips in this article is not under writer responsibility.
Thanks for great posts, really interesting, informative, well written.
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