any advantage using matching cd player?

boshk

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any advantage besides appearance of using matching brand cd players?

Examples:

Rotel RA-12 amp with RCD-12 (looks neat)

Marantz PM6005 with CD6005

Rotel RCD1570 and RA-1570 (this I can maybe understand since they promote the XLR balanced output connect)

Primare i22 with CD22

and IF you do buy the combo, is there any reason to use the CD's dac if the matching amp has a DAC? (they are always the same DAC correct?)
 

LDTM

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Hi Boshk,

Remote controls for the amplifier often have facilities to control a matching CD player, I like keeping the wand count down (I wouldn't make it in Hogwarts, I know). The next point is more conjecture than knowledge but I would suppose manufacturers, knowing the designs of their amps inside out, would design their players to integrate well with other components. I could be wrong though.

As for your second question, I think that depends in part to the DAC's employed in both the amp and the CD player. Unfortunately, no, they are not always the same. For example, I'm looking at the Onkyo reference preamp and reference CD player; the preamp uses the 1795 and the CD player uses the 1792 if I recall correctly. All other things being equal, the 1792 is 'supposed' to be the better of the two so I'd lean towards an analogue interconnect. That being said though, I would try out each option and decide which one I preferred on a case-by-case basis.

On a more commercial note, the CD player has been around for quite some time. One of the things I have noticed quite a few firms doing recently to maintain their portfolios is to use the CD player case to serve as a digital input source array. In the absence of all the extra components involved in preamps and integrated amps, it allows for higher-end DAC's to be included with the player than the amp. But of course, I generalise - you would be best off trying the combinations you are considering both via digital and analogue connections.

Still, aesthetics and a single remote are powerful drivers in my house!

Cheers

LDTM
 
To me it would not be a matching pair if you have a system where the amp has an inbuilt DAC and the CD player has one too.

Why on earth would you want to pay for 2 DACs and only employ one?

Get an amp and use it for that purpose only. The only good reason for getting an amp with a Dac is (assuming you are going to play CD's) is if you then intend to match it with a CD transport.

Amps with inbuild DACs seem to be appearing to cater for those that intend to go down the streaming route.

If you can afford it I would be putting your money on the Primare setup in your listing (amp without the optional DAC board).
 

Richard Allen

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Al ears said:
Get an amp and use it for that purpose only. The only good reason for getting an amp with a Dac is (assuming you are going to play CD's) is if you then intend to match it with a CD transport.

Unless of course the DAC in the amp is superior to the 1 in the CD player but other than that Alears is dead right. If you do a lot of digital music then the amp with a DAC makes sense and use it with a CD transport. Again, as Alears has said.
 

Vladimir

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IMO in a matching set the CD output and amp input will be (should be) well matched to form a balanced sounding system. If a manufacturer creates an integrated amplifier with less sensitive input than industry average for amps (350mV), they will compensate by boosting the output of the CDP by an adequate level above the industry average for CDPs (2Vrms).

Example, the preamp section in my Roksan Kandy K2 BT is 510mV sensitivity, somewhat bellow average so the matching CD compensates with 2.2Vrms. If I buy a CDP with 2Vrms I might feel the Kandy lacking a bit on the volume gain.
 
Richard Allen said:
Al ears said:
Get an amp and use it for that purpose only. The only good reason for getting an amp with a Dac is (assuming you are going to play CD's) is if you then intend to match it with a CD transport.

Unless of course the DAC in the amp is superior to the 1 in the CD player but other than that Alears is dead right. If you do a lot of digital music then the amp with a DAC makes sense and use it with a CD transport. Again, as Alears has said.

Thanks for concurring Richard.

These days it is often very difficult to decide which DAC is 'superior' and whether or not it is actually going to sound better is again in question.

Best to save your money and utilise only the one (whether it be in the amp or CD player) as long as it has all the facilities you need.

If you want to get them from the same manufacturer, for easthetic purposes, then get a palin amp + CD player or an amp with DAC and a CD transport.

Vladimir has a very valid point about system matching too, although most manufacturers would tend to stay within the norm of industry-wide limits.

Oh, and don't get too het-up about balanced XLR outputs. They do have their place but very rarely as they going to be utilised to their full potential. :)
 

Tomas

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What if your amp (Rotel RA - 1570) has integrated DAC, would you buy matching CD player Rotel RCD - 1570 or lower RCD 12? Does it worth to spend more on CD player if you probably use DAC in your AMP?
 
T

the record spot

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It can have its uses - the Harman Kardon HD990 CD Player had a special link when hooked up to the HK990 amp.
 

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