Dacs and CD transport queries

[Etymotic]

 

[Etymotic]

Hi guys. For some reason my post didnt work out so I will rehash the jist of it again and hope it gets published this time!

I am new to the forum but not new to fairly exotic hi fi having had an all naim/Neat set up in a previous life.

I now find myself in a new relationship with no hi fi (had to sell Naim gear to finance divorce! ) and looking at a new hi fi.

I think I know what I want.....room size and lack of justification will dictate cost etc.

So I am looking at Rega brio R amp and rega Dac and a cheap transport,like Marantz or something., driving a pair of Epos epic 5 loudspeakers. I aslo like the look of the KEF R range and the LS50 although I noted their sensitivity is not great and the little Rega may struggle to take off anchored to them.

Quite a lot has changed since my last foray into the world of Hi fi with the advent of stored files and usb connectors etc, which to be frank I am not really interested in. I just want to listen to my CD collection afresh through a fairly conventional set up. The reason I am considering the Dac is so that I can channel my TV and blu ray through the speakers as well.

My question really is one of curiosity......

Is it true that the cd transport to the Dac can be something as simple as a £30 dvd player and that the sound quality ,as the signal to the Dac is digital, will be no worse than a £5000 cd player used as a transport ....That its actually the Dac where the magic happens. Surely it cant be as imple as that can it otherwise people wouldnt still be buying expensive cd players and manufacturers wouldnt be making them......or are we all being conned ...being made to believe that because it costs so much it must be good...a bit like the Emperors new clothes?

Please enlighten me. I am particularly interested in just how much a sonic influence the transport has on the system and the final sound

......or as I said,could I just use my blue ray dvd player and be done with it....and save a shed load of money in the bargain

 

[NHL]

"The result is a CIRC that can completely correct error bursts up to 4000 bits, or about 2.5 mm on the disc surface. This code is so strong that most CD playback errors are almost certainly caused by tracking errors that cause the laser to jump track, not by uncorrectable error bursts.[9]" - from Wiki Reed-Solomon error correcting codes.

It is amazing that mags still sit and eval hideously expensive transports!

 

[empacher]

The impact of the transport appears to be somewhat of a hot button issue (similar to cables). I have no detailed knowledge or comparative experience to confirm or refute any claims, however I went the same route that you are thinking. I have an older Nakimichi CD player connected to the Rega Dac via optical. I don't know what i am giving up but my setup sounds very good to me. For me the deciding factor was that a Dac is just more versatile as I am slowly transitioning from cds to hard drive/network.

 

[empacher]

and on speakers.... obviously you will want to demo if you can, but don't jump to the conclusion that the Brio-R is underpowered for the R300s or LS50s. My current speakers are not that easy to drive and the Brio-R does a great job IMO at my typical listening levels (up to moderately loud but never window shaking).

While the R was not able to get the most out of my previous 4ohm floorstanders, it is not an anemic 50 wpc amp.

 

[Etymotic]

Thanks Empacher. Food for thought. As you say,only a thorough audition will suffice.

Is there anybody reading this who has any experience with the Epos Epic 2 or 5's in a similar set up to what I am contemplating?

By the way going back to the cd signal quality issue have a look at this piece via the link I am providing. It is very interesting and suggests we are all being taken for idiots! http://www.drhifi.net.au/Hi-Fi/Digital%20Is%20Digital/1.htm