CD / DAC / Transport? Help my ignorance

[admin_exported]

I've been looking through the reviews of CD players in WHF and find references to CD players and DACs (e.g. Beresford TC-7510 & Cambridge Audio DacMagic). Also, sometimes what looks to me to be a CD player is called a 'transport'. Can anyone explain what these things are and do?

Thanks.

 

[fatboyslimfast]

Hiya,

CD players have generally two parts within them - the transport that reads the zeros and ones off of the disc, and the DAC (Digital to Analogue Convertor), which converts those zeros and ones into an analogue signal that your amplifier and speakers turn into music.

External DACs can be used to upgrade a player (as the external DAC may be better quality), where the internal DAC of the CD player is bypassed (using the digital out sockets), or can be used to increase the quality of other digital sources.

You can buy dedicated transpors, which do not have an internal DAC, and therefore have to be used with an external one. The idea here is that by removing the delicate analogue signals from the relatively noisy environment of the transport, sound quality is increased.

I have a Beresford, and have my Arcam Alpha 6 CD player, a Sky+ box, and a windows PC connected into it, and it greatly increases the quality of each.

 

[Gerrardasnails]

fatboyslimfast:Hiya,

CD players have generally two parts within them - the transport that reads the zeros and ones off of the disc, and the DAC (Digital to Analogue Convertor), which converts those zeros and ones into an analogue signal that your amplifier and speakers turn into music.

External DACs can be used to upgrade a player (as the external DAC may be better quality), where the internal DAC of the CD player is bypassed (using the digital out sockets), or can be used to increase the quality of other digital sources.

You can buy dedicated transpors, which do not have an internal DAC, and therefore have to be used with an external one. The idea here is that by removing the delicate analogue signals from the relatively noisy environment of the transport, sound quality is increased.

I have a Beresford, and have my Arcam Alpha 6 CD player, a Sky+ box, and a windows PC connected into it, and it greatly increases the quality of each.

Perfectly answered!

 

[Anonymous]

cambridge audio had a discmagic 1 cd transport and very good it is too, it cost £299 in richersounds circa 2000 i still use mine to drive musical fidelity x-dac v3 with upgraded valves , i have tried a number of cd players digital outputs but the cambridge transport always comes out on top , you may see one for sale on ebay if you can get one cheaply buy it and you will be surprised what they can do. a very good upgrade on the cheap,

 

[fatboyslimfast]

Gerrardasnails:Perfectly answered!

Crikey...maybe I do have a use after all

Cheers G...

 

[Anonymous]

Many thanks for this...

So next question: I'm looking to buy a new CD player. Would it be better to buy a relatively cheap player (e.g. Marantz 6002) and an external DAC (e.g. the Beresford), or would it be better just to spend more money on the player?

 

[Anonymous]

What is your budget? ~£300? What are your amp / speakers?

 

[John Duncan]

Depends - A 6002 and a Cambridge DACMagic, for example (400 quid total), should give you performance on a par with a 500 quid player, so on the face of it the difference between outlay and performance is quite small. But it also gives you the benefit of bringing a couple of other sources up to par as well (eg PC, airport express, DVD player, games console, Sky).......

Edit - but note that (IMO) a 200 quid cd player can sound pretty bloody good, and the improvement you'd get from adding a DAC to what is such a good player in the first instance may not be worth taht extra 200 quid to you - to additionally make airport express a hifi source though is, to my mind, priceless.

 

[Gerrardasnails]

JohnDuncan:Depends - A 6002 and a Cambridge DACMagic, for example (400 quid total), should give you performance on a par with a 500 quid player, so on the face of it the difference between outlay and performance is quite small. But it also gives you the benefit of bringing a couple of other sources up to par as well (eg PC, airport express, DVD player, games console, Sky).......

Edit - but note that (IMO) a 200 quid cd player can sound pretty bloody good, and the improvement you'd get from adding a DAC to what is such a good player in the first instance may not be worth taht extra 200 quid to you - to additionally make airport express a hifi source though is, to my mind, priceless.

I would do what I've just done. Instead of spending £200 on a cd player (just to work as a transport), either use what you have already (cd player or dvd player) and spend a bit more on the cables that will be used. This will leave you money left for your music! The DacMagic really is that good. I honestly believe that it will change a lot of peoples minds about their budget systems and should make the under £500 cd player very competetive. If you have a pc or laptop that you can connect to the DAC, even better - the DM is a real no brainer then.

 

[Anonymous]

Octopo:What is your budget? ~£300? What are your amp / speakers?

My amp and speakers are early 90s Technics, as is my current CD player. I'm planning to spend about £300 on new speakers (probably Usher S520 or Focal Chorus 705v) with the about the same left over for new CD player (upgrade of amp to follow...).

My current CD player doesn't have a digital out, otherwise I might have just bought a DAC. I might think about buying a s/h CD with digital out (from ebay), then adding a DAC if the sound could be improved. Any thoughts?

 

[Gerrardasnails]

ajh57:
Octopo:What is your budget? ~£300? What are your amp / speakers?

My amp and speakers are early 90s Technics, as is my current CD player. I'm planning to spend about £300 on new speakers (probably Usher S520 or Focal Chorus 705v) with the about the same left over for new CD player (upgrade of amp to follow...).

My current CD player doesn't have a digital out, otherwise I might have just bought a DAC. I might think about buying a s/h CD with digital out (from ebay), then adding a DAC if the sound could be improved. Any thoughts?

Definitely worth it (the Arcam Alphas are always going for reasonable on the bay). Do you have a dvd player with digital out?

 

[Anonymous]

ajh57:
I might think about buying a s/h CD with digital out (from ebay), then adding a DAC if the sound could be improved.

If you're not too concerned about having the latest and greatest transport / model I would do this. It will sound better than any CD player in this price range and offers greater flexibility in the future.

 

[fatboyslimfast]

Be careful - A lot of older CD players, whilst having good transports sound wise, can start to get unreliable - I've already had to replace the drawer mechanism on mine - which took the best part of 2 hours of swearing and cursing to do. I also had to import the part from Japan, as Arcam no longer stock it...caveat emptor...

It might be a better idea to get a £20 DVD player with a digital out...

 

[Olli1324]

I use a Lite On DD-A110 DVD recorder and Beresford for CD needs. Works fine; I had the player lying around and it has digital out so I thought instead of spending money (which I don't have) on a 'proper' CD player, I would just use that.

That said, it is only a back up for when my harddrive/computer inevitably has a hissy fit.ÿ

 

[Anonymous]

There are a few old Rega Planet CD players around on ebay at the moment for under !00 notes. How would one of these sound with a Beresford or Dac Magic?

 

[John Duncan]

Pretty fantastic, I'd say. The old Planet is pig ugly though......

 

[Anonymous]

What about an Arcam Alpha 7, also going cheaply on ebay, with Beresford DAC or DacMagic? Which would be better, that or the Rega Planet?

 

[fatboyslimfast]

I've got to be honest and say that I don't think there would be a massive difference in either, providing both are working correctly. I can't really hear that much of a difference between a CD on my Alpha 6 and a lossless file playing from my PC (both through the Beresford).

 

[John Duncan]

Yup, I'd say buy the prettiest CD player under 100 quid off eBay you can find......

Like this for example (if silver is your thing).

 

[Anonymous]

JohnDuncan:Yup, I'd say buy the prettiest CD player under 100 quid off eBay you can find...... Like this for example (if silver is your thing).

Is a 2-yr-old CA 640 worth £100?

 

[John Duncan]

"worth" is subjective, but that's what they go for (in fact I'd expect 150 for a v2)........

 

[Gerrardasnails]

ajh57:
JohnDuncan:Yup, I'd say buy the prettiest CD player under 100 quid off eBay you can find...... Like this for example (if silver is your thing).

Is a 2-yr-old CA 640 worth £100?

What about this? I've read that it's as good a transport as you will find.

 

[Gerrardasnails]

Gerrardasnails:ajh57:
JohnDuncan:Yup, I'd say buy the prettiest CD player under 100 quid off eBay you can find...... Like this for example (if silver is your thing).

Is a 2-yr-old CA 640 worth £100?

What about this? I've read that it's as good a transport as you will find.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Pioneer-PD-7700-CD-Player-Excellent-Boxed-with-remote_W0QQitemZ180301722054QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item180301722054&_trkparms=72%3A1300%7C39%3A1%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C240%3A1318&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

Or,

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ARCAM-ALPHA-8-CD-PLAYER-working_W0QQitemZ400004567168QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item400004567168&_trkparms=72%3A1300%7C39%3A1%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C240%3A1318&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

 

[Anonymous]

Id go for the Pioneer (with the stable platter design) - awesome transports

 

[Anonymous]

thfcwestlower:Id go for the Pioneer (with the stable platter design) - awesome transports

Maybe I'll buy both and sell on whichever I don't like...