Review of the new Schiit URD

[Joe Smith]

I'm just baffled there's still a market for this. I guess CDs are nice if you really need a specific master or some obscure recording, but pretty much everything else is available on Tidal/Qobuz.

Well, a lot of us still do have a significant CD library (I think I have about 1,500). Until we leave our large house in about 10 years, I'm not getting rid of them - while I mostly stream now, I still use physical media about 30% of the time. With all the various DACs I have, I would definitely have interest in a more moderately priced transport. But this price point I can't justify the cost in any way just to add the Unison USB-out capability. I have a lot of good CD decks (Marantz, Nakamichi, Onkyo etc.) but they are all aging, at some point I will probably get a new unit, but it will be an under-$500 transport or full deck.

To me, CDs are now like cassettes or LPs - I'm not interested in spending up the wazoo to get that final 2% of sound quality - as they are enjoyable secondary sources, but streaming now takes primacy.

 

[rogu3]

Well, a lot of us still do have a significant CD library (I think I have about 1,500). Until we leave our large house in about 10 years, I'm not getting rid of them - while I mostly stream now, I still use physical media about 30% of the time. With all the various DACs I have, I would definitely have interest in a more moderately priced transport. But this price point I can't justify the cost in any way just to add the Unison USB-out capability. I have a lot of good CD decks (Marantz, Nakamichi, Onkyo etc.) but they are all aging, at some point I will probably get a new unit, but it will be an under-$500 transport or full deck.

To me, CDs are now like cassettes or LPs - I'm not interested in spending up the wazoo to get that final 2% of sound quality - as they are enjoyable secondary sources, but streaming now takes primacy.

That's fair. I own a few CDs, mostly out of nostalgia as I can't get myself to get rid of them (my only optical player is an Xbox Series X, hah!). I can see the appeal of a transport to use with a nice DAC, albeit one with a much more reasonable price tag

 

[antcollinet]

Link for the lazy:

Schiit Audio: Audio Products Designed and Built in Texas and California

www.schiit.com

Very cool product idea, seems like it could integrate into a modern digital-first system seamlessly. BTW I wholeheartedly recommend to click through to FAQ right away, it's hilarious as usual.

Ha! That FAQ almost makes me want to buy it. That is actually a pretty good sales blurb.

 

[TonyJZX]

oddly enough this place has sturred me into buying CDs for the first time

i bought more CDs while with ASR (such as it were) than in the past decade... simply because there is just no way to 'own' these titles

sure i can stream them off spotify but this bastard of service always makes me reset my pwd

BUT the way it is is that when i get the cds I will use an old Win7 laptop and just get the flacs... then store the cds... you know the rest

And so to me, even though I was at the birth and early 'death' of CD, the whole idea of finding a disc in my collection and feeding a disc player and using a remote to get to tracks is already a foreign thing.

I do not even own a CD player... I dont own a BR player however there's a pile of working DVD decks in my dad's basement!

 

[tmtomh]

I'm just baffled there's still a market for this. I guess CDs are nice if you really need a specific master or some obscure recording, but pretty much everything else is available on Tidal/Qobuz.

Of course streaming is the dominant part of the market now, by far. But among the smaller community of audiophiles/hi-fi aficionados, I think you're understating how important certain masterings are, how many of those masterings are not on the streaming services, and how many pieces of music are not on the streaming services in any form.

There's also the fact that periodically various albums, songs, and sometimes artists drop off the streaming services for a variety of reasons. And if one or more of those happens to be among your favorites, you're not only stuck without that music to stream, but you still owe 100% of your subscription fee for that month and every month thereafter, forever.

Again, I'm not trying to make a head-in-the-sand argument against streaming services. I'm only saying that the market for CDs is small, but not as small or "baffling" as you thnk.

 

[TonyJZX]

The name of the piece of software escapes me but there's a 'service' which melds you personal nas music collection WITH your designated streaming services so its all transparent (ie,. its not obvious whether its 'local' or 'cloud')

probably roon?

BUT here's a funny one. I rarely stream... I just dont like the idea of music thats so 'intangible'. So I run a nas.

Even a cheap old nas like the old HP Microservers is more than acceptable.

However I do know types out there that have vinyl, CD deck and stream.... the notion of music "FILES" and 'ripping' is foreign.

But to these people an old CD or DVD deck w/ digital out is like... at ever goodwill store.... and if it busts, you get another one.

These people are smart enough to know that a good record player w/ cart and phono is a decent investment... but a CD player spits out 0/1 and so as long as it keeps spitting that out then why would you want a $1,299 CD transport... does it spit out better 0/1s????

I know there's an argument to be had there but on digital it hard to swallow.

 

[Ahmonge]

I'm only saying that the market for CDs is small, but not as small or "baffling" as you thnk.

Well, the CD market is what it is, figures are available. For instance, this is the USA music revenue for 2022, published by RIAA. Of $15,900 million total revenues, 6% more than 2021, CDs accounted for $482 million, 17.6% less than 2021.

 

[tmtomh]

Well, the CD market is what it is, figures are available. For instance, this is the USA music revenue for 2022, published by RIAA. Of $15,900 million total revenues, 6% more than 2021, CDs accounted for $482 million, 17.6% less than 2021.

Very true. And unless or until someone makes calculations based on reasonable assumptions about how many CD buyers that is likely to represent, versus what kind of sales volume Schiit needs to do in order for them not to lose money on the Urd, none of us has any idea whether or not there is a market for a device like the Urd.

Just because we can look up quantitative data, doesn't mean we can say what that data might mean in the context of a particular discussion or question.

 

[Ahmonge]

Just because we can look up quantitative data, doesn't mean we can say what that data might mean in the context of a particular discussion or question.

In the context of this discussion, in which the revival of CDs has been cited, the data says otherwise, at least for the USA.

 

[617]

Look cool and be nice to operate

I am at a loss as to what this product does that isn't already done by a <$200 computer or Raspberry Pi with a CD drive attached.

 

[SKBubba]

They forgot the T in front of the name.

 

[mhardy6647]

I picked up my daily driver CD transport from the swap pile at the Harvard (MA) town dump more than a decade ago (i.e., infinitely cheaper than Schiit's current... umm... Pyle pile.

 

[mhardy6647]

They forgot the T in front of the name.

You say their name and URD and it reassembles itself. It's sort of like lossy compression.

 

[tmtomh]

In the context of this discussion, in which the revival of CDs has been cited, the data says otherwise, at least for the USA.

I made no such citation or claim, and took pains to make it clear to any competent reader that I am not arguing that the CD market is anything but small.

So your point would be well-taken if you made it in response to someone who was actually making the claim you’re disagreeing with.

 

[Zensō]

Even though I have absolutely no use for it, I have to admit this is kind of a cool product. It has just enough weird unique features to set it apart from the competition for those who want what this does in one box, particularly if they already have a Schiit stack in this form factor. Hoping Amir has an opportunity to test one at some point.

 

[Ahmonge]

I made no such citation or claim, and took pains to make it clear to any competent reader that I am not arguing that the CD market is anything but small.

So your point would be well-taken if you made it in response to someone who was actually making the claim you’re disagreeing with.

I apologise for not explaining myself well. By "this discussion" I meant this forum thread, not you in particular.

 

[Victor Martell]

I'm just baffled there's still a market for this. I guess CDs are nice if you really need a specific master or some obscure recording, but pretty much everything else is available on Tidal/Qobuz.

Careful! that is a personal preference! And not 100% accurate - there are recordings that are not obscure that are not available on streaming.

I prefer CDs - physical media actually. Even for stuff that is widely available on streaming. I like things. As long as I don't make an anti-scientific case for it, is all good, right?

 

[Zgrado1970]

Careful! that is a personal preference! And not 100% accurate - there are recordings that are not obscure that are not available on streaming.

I prefer CDs - physical media actually. Even for stuff that is widely available on streaming. I like things. As long as I don't make an anti-scientific case for it, is all good, right?

I think you only get in trouble here if you claim that physical media sound better.

 

[Victor Martell]

I think you only get in trouble here if you claim that physical media sound better.

Will never do that - I just like things - shiny or black.


v

 

[mhardy6647]

And not 100% accurate - there are recordings that are not obscure that are not available on streaming.

Example(s)?