# What's my weakest link?



## polkfan (Apr 25, 2015)

Right now I run audio through spotify using the best quality they offer using my iPhone 6S to a 3.5mm to rca cable (gold connectors) into a Harman/Kardan AVR5 then 12 gauge wires to my pair of polk monitor 10B's. It sounds fantastic but I'm curious what would be the next step to better quality or louder sound?:help:


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## Talley (Dec 8, 2010)

polkfan said:


> Right now I run audio through spotify using the best quality they offer using my iPhone 6S to a 3.5mm to rca cable (gold connectors) into a Harman/Kardan AVR5 then 12 gauge wires to my pair of polk monitor 10B's. It sounds fantastic but I'm curious what would be the next step to better quality or louder sound?:help:


Buy the CD?


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## DqMcClain (Sep 16, 2015)

It might sound like Talley is being sarcastic... but streaming compressed audio, even at the highest bit rates available, is not as good as having the CD. 

The other thing you might consider is using a DAC to bypass the headphone output from the iPhone.


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## polkfan (Apr 25, 2015)

Okay I will dig out the dusty old cd player! Can I use the DAC with a cd player?


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## DqMcClain (Sep 16, 2015)

Strictly speaking, a CD player is a DAC, or Digital to Analog Converter. 

In the case of a cell phone, you would get a digital signal from the data port and feed it to the DAC, and the DAC would then handle to conversion of the data stream to an analog audio signal. The reason you'd use one is that the DACs found in cell phones usually aren't that great and for not a lot of money you can buy and outboard DAC that will perform much better.


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## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

As has been said "Garbage in, Garbage out". if the original audio or video file is compressed no amount of processing will make it better. 
Start with the real CD and you will already have a better sounding file even on a lower end CD player.


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## polkfan (Apr 25, 2015)

Thanks guys! I love all kinds of music but rap sounds especially good on these! No body I have over ever believes there is no sub.


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## witchdoctor (Feb 21, 2016)

DqMcClain said:


> It might sound like Talley is being sarcastic... but streaming compressed audio, even at the highest bit rates available, is not as good as having the CD.
> 
> The other thing you might consider is using a DAC to bypass the headphone output from the iPhone.


Yes, like this for example:

http://www.computeraudiophile.com/content/505-meridian-explorer-usb-dac-review/


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## Lumen (May 17, 2014)

DqMcClain said:


> It might sound like Talley is being sarcastic... but streaming compressed audio, even at the highest bit rates available, is not as good as having the CD.
> 
> The other thing you might consider is using a DAC to bypass the headphone output from the iPhone.


+1 ... Most certainly, in reference to high bitrate compression!



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Lumen (May 17, 2014)

polkfan said:


> Thanks guys! I love all kinds of music but rap sounds especially good on these! No body I have over ever believes there is no sub.



To each his own! 

In the movie, The Last Boy Scout, a gangsta who was torturing Bruce Willis told him he wanted to hear him scream. Without skipping a beat, Bruce replied: "Just play some rap music!"


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## polkfan (Apr 25, 2015)

I'm back, i got a hand me down denon 3808ci  I'm planning to play a CD thru a blue ray player using an hdmi cable tonight, should sound better correct?


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