Hey Reb, hope all is well.
Many things might account for one digital source sounding different than another. Jitter is probably the most common culprit. Some DACs can correct for that, others not.
Assuming transports are working properly, there is also often errors in reading optical discs in real time as CD players must do, especially with poor quality, defective, or damaged discs that can affect results differently from transport to transport. Ripping to storage first using good ripping software that can assure high quality rips by detecting errors and rereading as needed. Streaming then tends to produce more consistent high quality results compared to reading an optical CD in real time in order to play it.
Note that just because a CD is or looks new does not mean it is of high quality. You find when ripping CDs to disk that the speed at which the disc can be ripped varies with disc quality and disc quality cannot be determined with visual inspection alone.
Can you elaborate on what the sound differences were and to what extent? Differences in dynamics, detail, sound stage and imaging I am guessing?
Also what is the DAC?
Thanks.
