DacMagic VS same priced cd-player

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Hi

Cambridge Audio came out with some really nice looking DAC: http://www.cambridgeaudio.com/summary.php?PID=320

Do you think my 50$ dvd-player would sound better with dacmagic than a separate cd-player costing the same?

thanks for the help 🙂
 
otherdude:
Hi

Cambridge Audio came out with some really nice looking DAC: http://www.cambridgeaudio.com/summary.php?PID=320

Do you think my 50$ dvd-player would sound better with dacmagic than a separate cd-player costing the same?

thanks for the help 🙂

Without question! I use mine with my bluray player and it's a match for anything I've heard up to £500 for a cd player. In fact my old cd player was an Arcam dvd player (original rrp £2k) which has been called as good as a £1k cd player in reviews. The DM beats that too.
 
Despite the fact that I'm finding the transport has more influence on the sound than the DAC, I would buy a DACMagic over a £200 CD player, yes (and indeed have). It will bring the DVD player up to pretty much the same level, and is so much more versatile because you can connect at least one other source.......
 
Gerrardasnails:otherdude:

Hi

Cambridge Audio came out with some really nice looking DAC: http://www.cambridgeaudio.com/summary.php?PID=320

Do you think my 50$ dvd-player would sound better with dacmagic than a separate cd-player costing the same?

thanks for the help 🙂

Without question! I use mine with my bluray player and it's a match for anything I've heard up to £500 for a cd player. In fact my old cd player was an Arcam dvd player (original rrp £2k) which has been called as good as a £1k cd player in reviews. The DM beats that too.

The Arcam DVD players don't sound anywhere near as good as the higher end CD players they make. I have both and there is a world of difference.
 
JoelSim:Gerrardasnails:otherdude:

Hi

Cambridge Audio came out with some really nice looking DAC: http://www.cambridgeaudio.com/summary.php?PID=320

Do you think my 50$ dvd-player would sound better with dacmagic than a separate cd-player costing the same?

thanks for the help 🙂

Without question! I use mine with my bluray player and it's a match for anything I've heard up to £500 for a cd player. In fact my old cd player was an Arcam dvd player (original rrp £2k) which has been called as good as a £1k cd player in reviews. The DM beats that too.

The Arcam DVD players don't sound anywhere near as good as the higher end CD players they make. I have both and there is a world of difference.

Joel, without starting an argument, you have the Diva DV79 which was Arcam's lower ranked dvd players. The FMJ 27A and then the FMJ DV29 and 139 are much better. If you have listened to these with cds, fair enough.
 
JoelSim:Gerrardasnails:otherdude:

Hi

Cambridge Audio came out with some really nice looking DAC: http://www.cambridgeaudio.com/summary.php?PID=320

Do you think my 50$ dvd-player would sound better with dacmagic than a separate cd-player costing the same?

thanks for the help 🙂

Without question! I use mine with my bluray player and it's a match for anything I've heard up to £500 for a cd player. In fact my old cd player was an Arcam dvd player (original rrp £2k) which has been called as good as a £1k cd player in reviews. The DM beats that too.

The Arcam DVD players don't sound anywhere near as good as the higher end CD players they make. I have both and there is a world of difference.

Yeah to be fair, even the DV135 was said here to be like the 72. By which logic, no, the 72 isn't as good as the 192.

Aaaaaaaanyway, if you want a one-box DVD player that's good with music, by all means get the DV135 for £300 at Superfi. If you want to make your current DVD player sound pretty good, and also want to plug in other things like your PS3 or a music streamer (highly recommended), get a DACMagic. Both routes are valid.......
 
I just bought this DAC today and the sound is better but don't expect much.

The changes are not obvious, don't expect miracles, it's better but not by much on my system.
 
RC have you ripped some cds into lossless and then replayed using your DAC?
 
hi fi newbie:

RC have you ripped some cds into lossless and then replayed using your DAC?

No, i could easely switch between straight to digital and digital+dacmagic on the amp.

It's difficult to spot on my system but maybe it will be better on yours.
 
Do you mean from pc bypassing the dac, you could see no difference?
 
RCduck7:hi fi newbie:

RC have you ripped some cds into lossless and then replayed using your DAC?

No, i could easely switch between straight to digital and digital+dacmagic on the amp.

It's difficult to spot on my system but maybe it will be better on yours.

How are you using the Dac? If you are not using lossless files then you are not going to get the most out of it. My system sounds superb with it when I stream lossless files. I'm not talking decent, I'm talking superb.
 
My bad! the DAC Magic has thrown a curveball on my intentions of buying a cd player but if it equals or betters my cd player, then there is no contest.
 
Gerrardasnails:RCduck7:hi fi newbie:

RC have you ripped some cds into lossless and then replayed using your DAC?

No, i could easely switch between straight to digital and digital+dacmagic on the amp.

It's difficult to spot on my system but maybe it will be better on yours.

How are you using the Dac? If you are not using lossless files then you are not going to get the most out of it. My system sounds superb with it when I stream lossless files. I'm not talking decent, I'm talking superb.

I'm planning to use it as a DAC or files on a mediaplayer but i tested it with original CD's first, is that worse??
 
Right, will try to summarise my DM findings:

- on its own, my DVD player sounds quite good with music. Nothing special, bit 2-D.
- adding the DACMagic makes it sound very good, but not as good as my Primare CD player.
- adding the DACMagic to my Primare CD player makes zero difference that I can tell.
- adding the DACMagic to my Airport Express, lossless files sound better than my Primare CD player.

Is that any help?
 
If one already owns a laptop, adding an Airport Express and a DAC Magic is a no-brainer.

If your system is slightly more high-end then I read good things about Benchmark and Lavry.

I'm not sure how cottage CDPs can really compete anymore.
 
JohnDuncan:Eddie Pound:I'm not sure how cottage CDPs can really compete anymore.

Only because PC Music can be a total pain in the -rse...

I find it easier. I buy a cd, place it in my writer, click rip and then put the cd away. Job done.

My findings are that connecting my DacMagic to my bluray player using a £20 coaxial cable it sounds very good. The improvement is apparent with lossless files from my computer so I bought a better coaxial (Clearer Audio Silver Line) and the sound is wonderful - easily the best I've heard my system sound. I do have a very good amp and very good XLR cables - I don't know how much this all effects the sound from the DM.

I've not played a cd for a long time now and honestly can't see that changing.
 
Gerrardasnails:JohnDuncan:Eddie Pound:I'm not sure how cottage CDPs can really compete anymore.

Only because PC Music can be a total pain in the -rse...

I find it easier. I buy a cd, place it in my writer, click rip and then put the cd away. Job done.

My findings are that connecting my DacMagic to my bluray player using a £20 coaxial cable it sounds very good. The improvement is apparent with lossless files from my computer so I bought a better coaxial (Clearer Audio Silver Line) and the sound is wonderful - easily the best I've heard my system sound. I do have a very good amp and very good XLR cables - I don't know how much this all effects the sound from the DM.

I've not played a cd for a long time now and honestly can't see that changing.

Agree with all of that, provided your wireless connection doesn't drop out, at which point you have to explain to your OH why you spent 200+ quid on something that "isn't as good" ('soundstaging', 'timing' and 'airy treble' being less important to her than 'working' and 'pretty').
 
JohnDuncan:Gerrardasnails:JohnDuncan:Eddie Pound:I'm not sure how cottage CDPs can really compete anymore.

Only because PC Music can be a total pain in the -rse...

I find it easier. I buy a cd, place it in my writer, click rip and then put the cd away. Job done.

My findings are that connecting my DacMagic to my bluray player using a £20 coaxial cable it sounds very good. The improvement is apparent with lossless files from my computer so I bought a better coaxial (Clearer Audio Silver Line) and the sound is wonderful - easily the best I've heard my system sound. I do have a very good amp and very good XLR cables - I don't know how much this all effects the sound from the DM.

I've not played a cd for a long time now and honestly can't see that changing.

Agree with all of that, provided your wireless connection doesn't drop out, at which point you have to explain to your OH why you spent 200+ quid on something that "isn't as good" ('soundstaging', 'timing' and 'airy treble' being less important to her than 'working' and 'pretty').

I hear you John, it's happened twice - I blamed the weather (it worked) and that it's nice to have the extra space now that the cds are boxed up!
 
Gerrardasnails:JohnDuncan:Gerrardasnails:JohnDuncan:Eddie Pound:I'm not sure how cottage CDPs can really compete anymore.

Only because PC Music can be a total pain in the -rse...

I find it easier. I buy a cd, place it in my writer, click rip and then put the cd away. Job done.

My findings are that connecting my DacMagic to my bluray player using a £20 coaxial cable it sounds very good. The improvement is apparent with lossless files from my computer so I bought a better coaxial (Clearer Audio Silver Line) and the sound is wonderful - easily the best I've heard my system sound. I do have a very good amp and very good XLR cables - I don't know how much this all effects the sound from the DM.

I've not played a cd for a long time now and honestly can't see that changing.

Agree with all of that, provided your wireless connection doesn't drop out, at which point you have to explain to your OH why you spent 200+ quid on something that "isn't as good" ('soundstaging', 'timing' and 'airy treble' being less important to her than 'working' and 'pretty').

I hear you John, it's happened twice - I blamed the weather (it worked) and that it's nice to have the extra space now that the cds are boxed up!

Yeah, not doing that till I get them all on lossless (from 128, primarily) - 100 down, 500-odd to go....
 
JohnDuncan:
Agree with all of that, provided your wireless connection doesn't drop out, at which point you have to explain to your OH why you spent 200+ quid on something that "isn't as good" ('soundstaging', 'timing' and 'airy treble' being less important to her than 'working' and 'pretty').

Yes, I have been known on occasion to secretly buy hi-fi kit hoping that she wont notice in a vain attempt to avoid the "Why do you need another one of those?", "what's wrong with the old one?", "what's happening with the old one then?", "How much was that then?" type slightly difficult questions to answer. My best attempt was the DACmagic which I hid behind the telly but she spotted it in a few days, and my worst attempt was a new pair of speakers which she spotted in about 30 seconds flat!!! Hee hee. All good fun!

Actually occasionally she will come home looking a bit sheepish having bought an outrageously high priced pair of shoes or handbag and I make a special effort with comments like "Well you deserve it..." or "Well, when was the last time you treated yourself..." thus hopefully making my next purchase all the more interrogation-free!
 
mattc76:JohnDuncan:
Agree with all of that, provided your wireless connection doesn't drop out, at which point you have to explain to your OH why you spent 200+ quid on something that "isn't as good" ('soundstaging', 'timing' and 'airy treble' being less important to her than 'working' and 'pretty').

Yes, I have been known on occasion to secretly buy hi-fi kit hoping that she wont notice in a vain attempt to avoid the "Why do you need another one of those?", "what's wrong with the old one?", "what's happening with the old one then?", "How much was that then?" type slightly difficult questions to answer. My best attempt was the DACmagic which I hid behind the telly but she spotted it in a few days, and my worst attempt was a new pair of speakers which she spotted in about 30 seconds flat!!! Hee hee. All good fun!

Actually occasionally she will come home looking a bit sheepish having bought an outrageously high priced pair of shoes or handbag and I make a special effort with comments like "Well you deserve it..." or "Well, when was the last time you treated yourself..." thus hopefully making my next purchase all the more interrogation-free!

"What these? Borrowed."
 
It seems most people who use computer-based music use an Airport Express or Squeezebox, but I'm not convinced my wireless internet is reliable enough for this. Would a laptop connected to a DACmagic via of these (see link below) do the trick? Would such a cheap connection diminish sound quality?

Thanks in advance for advice.

http://www.maplin.co.uk/module.aspx?moduleno=34128
 
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