Dedicated CDP or Generic reader+DacMagic

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Will there any advantage of using a dedicated CDP (in 200 pound range) versus using a Blueray or DVD player via digital out to a DacMagic? I mostly run lossless files from a comp but will need a CD spinner sometimes. I would rather not get a dedicated CDP unless I am foregoing performance by doing so.

Thanks!
 
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Anonymous

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The DacMagic will beat any CD player in the £200 range.
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Gerrardasnails

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Tarquinh:But not the Musical Fidelity v-dac!

Says you and probably no one else. The mag said, http://whathifi.com/Review/Musical-Fidelity-V-DAC/ and I don't recall any other mag waxing lyrically about the MF Dac like they have with the DacMagic.

Back to the post. I use my BD player with the DacMagic (well I did until I ripped all my cds to my computer). Something like the Marantz CD6002 (£320) could not live with it. Absolutely no need to buy a budget cd player just for playing the odd cd.
 
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Anonymous

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Thanks for the replies!

EDIT: just saw the last response too - Ok, so I will save from buying a budget player (CD6002 and NADC525BEE I had in mind) and just continue to rip my CDs to my HD. I will instead invest in a new hard drive and Airport express.

Any alternatives to Airport Express ? I would like to avoid iTunes if I can and use Foobar (on a PC).
 
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Anonymous

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Gerrardasnails:Tarquinh:But not the Musical Fidelity v-dac!

Says you and probably no one else. The mag said, http://whathifi.com/Review/Musical-Fidelity-V-DAC/ and I don't recall any other mag waxing lyrically about the MF Dac like they have with the DacMagic.

Back to the post. I use my BD player with the DacMagic (well I did until I ripped all my cds to my computer). Something like the Marantz CD6002 (£320) could not live with it. Absolutely no need to buy a budget cd player just for playing the odd cd.

Try Audio.de, then come back to me.
 

chebby

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The V-Dac got a mostly positive 4 star review from WHF and since then the DacMagic has gone up in price to £250.

A quick look on the web confirms that the V-Dac still costs between £155 - £160 everywhere so we are talking about a £90 price difference.

Of course there is another DAC with USB, optical and Co-ax that fits right in between these two in price (£149 + VAT) but What Hifi? has not reviewed it yet.

[Edit] Just noticed the OP already has a DacMagic so debating the merits (or otherwise) of other DACs is redundant. Sorry.
 
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Anonymous

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To be pedantic the DM is currently £230. There isn't a great deal of difference in DACs around this price range. I've not heard the V-DAC but my money is on you not being able to tell the difference between it and the Beresford.
 
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Anonymous

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Okay - let's put the merits of various DACs aside, someone please help with wireless setup. I posted a thread in the Computer Based Music forum but its ghost town out there. I am looking for alternatives to Airport Express (or is that my best bet?).
 
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Anonymous

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Excuse my ignorance, what are you looking to achieve again? Or to put it better, what do you have against the AE?
 
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I have moved things around in my place so my computer is no longer next to the audio (DAC,amp). I will need to setup a wireless link (likes of AirportExpress) to stream my music to the DAC from my laptop. Worst case scenario, I can get a 4-5 metre USB cable....

EDIT: Nothing against AE - just wondering if there are better options out there that for example can stream 24bits, are compatible with Foobar and are competitively priced.
 
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Anonymous

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If you're using iTunes AE is your best bet value for money wise for a wireless connection. Other real world options are the Squeezebox or at a higher price the Sonos. All of them are fantastic products.
 
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Anonymous

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There isn't much 24 bit music available at the moment, and what there is comes from specialised sources such as Naim or Linn. Everything else is 16 bit, because that's what CDs are. Note that many DACs, including the dacmagic and the v-dac, upsample to 24 bit.

In other words, don't be put off because the AE is only 16 bit.
 
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Anonymous

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Just gone though a similar thing myself got Squeezebox. My reasons were remote control and music in flacs. If you use itunes then I think airport express would be a good choice especially if you don't want remote control or have an ipod touch, which you can use as a remote.
 

Gerrardasnails

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Octopo:To be pedantic the DM is currently £230. There isn't a great deal of difference in DACs around this price range. I've not heard the V-DAC but my money is on you not being able to tell the difference between it and the Beresford.

You are not being pedantic mate, Chebby for some reason has a quest in life to show hatred towards the DacMagic it seems. £229 for something that makes mincemeat of a budget cd player using a transport you already have and challenges most cd players up to the £1k mark when using lossless files is cheap.
 

Gerrardasnails

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Tarquinh:
Gerrardasnails:Tarquinh:But not the Musical Fidelity v-dac!

Says you and probably no one else. The mag said, http://whathifi.com/Review/Musical-Fidelity-V-DAC/ and I don't recall any other mag waxing lyrically about the MF Dac like they have with the DacMagic.

Back to the post. I use my BD player with the DacMagic (well I did until I ripped all my cds to my computer). Something like the Marantz CD6002 (£320) could not live with it. Absolutely no need to buy a budget cd player just for playing the odd cd.

Try Audio.de, then come back to me.

One review and you! Ok, I'm selling up.

I just took a quick look but my German isn't the best. One thing I noticed is the prices. They had the DacMagic at 400euros and the V-Dac at 265euros. Now for us, buying in Blighty, those prices are not exactly relevant are they? In sterling, and when all these reviews were made there was a £35 difference but in euros a 135 euro difference.
 

Gerrardasnails

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chainrock:
I have moved things around in my place so my computer is no longer next to the audio (DAC,amp). I will need to setup a wireless link (likes of AirportExpress) to stream my music to the DAC from my laptop. Worst case scenario, I can get a 4-5 metre USB cable....

EDIT: Nothing against AE - just wondering if there are better options out there that for example can stream 24bits, are compatible with Foobar and are competitively priced.

I use the Linksys DMA2100 media extender and it works great for me. My pc is in my bedroom upstairs and my set up is in the lounge. We get the Media Center shown on our LCD in the lounge (hdmi from Linksys to AV receiver) and then a coaxial from Linksys to DacMagic gets the audio to my amp. It also can play live tv, all your videos (no vob or mkv files) and pictures. I paid £150 for mine a while back but you can get them now for around £100. Everything is worked with the remote control supplied.

The only issue I've encountered is, if I have a phone/Blackberry charging from my pc via usb, the signal drops out. And last week I had problems when I discovered my computer was running a scan whilst I was entertaining and I couldn't get any music going! I have now set my scans to run on Mondays at 8am!

All my cds are ripped losslessly (WMA Lossless) and you can select which folders your extender "sees".
 
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Anonymous

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Gerrardasnails,

I don't think Chebby has any issue with the dacmagic, it's just that he likes his Beresford and find its an excellent product as I do my v-dac, and is keen to extoll its virtues.

There's nothing wrong in saying what you like about a product, whether it coincides with reviews and views in whatever magazine or not. And if some of us happen to choose a product that's not as popular as something else (though if you check both the beresford and v-dac on google you'll find lots of opinions that indicate neither are that), why should it upset you so much? This is a forum, and everyone has an equal right to express their opinion.

I think this should be left now, especially since, as Chebby noted and I missed, the OP already has a dacmagic.
 

Gerrardasnails

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Tarquinh:
Gerrardasnails,

I don't think Chebby has any issue with the dacmagic, it's just that he likes his Beresford and find its an excellent product as I do my v-dac, and is keen to extoll its virtues.

There's nothing wrong in saying what you like about a product, whether it coincides with reviews and views in whatever magazine or not. And if some of us happen to choose a product that's not as popular as something else (though if you check both the beresford and v-dac on google you'll find lots of opinions that indicate neither are that), why should it upset you so much? This is a forum, and everyone has an equal right to express their opinion.

I think this should be left now, especially since, as Chebby noted and I missed, the OP already has a dacmagic.

I'm not upset in the slightest. I find it funny when people make statements like you did, fail to back them up properly when challenged and then say things should be dropped.
 

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