Is it worth adding an external DAC for Marantz PM6005?

[Mihai]

First of all hi everybody, I’m a new member to the forum and I hope that I’ll find answers to my questions here. Please excuse me if I will make mistakes but my native language isn’t English.

My system consists of Marantz PM6005, Dali Zensor 3, Audioquest FLX 16/4, PC and Samsung TV. I use the PC as a player for FLAC’s and MP3 via coaxial input of the amplifier. I have this system for about 2 month and I like it a lot. But before I have bought it, I listened to Zensor 3’s with Yamaha A-S500 amp and a Primare CD player at a dealer and the sound was great. So I think that is room left for improvements in the player department.

I’m wondering if it is somebody here that compared the performance of the internal DAC of the Marantz with other external DAC’s and what is the price range of DAC’s that compare with the onboard DAC of the PM6005. I want to know what is the minimum price of a DAC that will improve the sound of my system. Any suggestions are welcome.

I have read some opinions that an USB to SPDIF convertor can improve the sound quality, I’m also considering this route if the investment will be smaller and there will be real benefits.

I don’t have hi-fi dealers in the city I live, so I can’t go for an audition.

Thank you all.

 

[Overdose]

First of all hi everybody, I’m a new member to the forum and I hope that I’ll find answers to my questions here. Please excuse me if I will make mistakes but my native language isn’t English.

My system consists of Marantz PM6005, Dali Zensor 3, Audioquest FLX 16/4, PC and Samsung TV. I use the PC as a player for FLAC’s and MP3 via coaxial input of the amplifier. I have this system for about 2 month and I like it a lot. But before I have bought it, I listened to Zensor 3’s with Yamaha A-S500 amp and a Primare CD player at a dealer and the sound was great. So I think that is room left for improvements in the player department.

I’m wondering if it is somebody here that compared the performance of the internal DAC of the Marantz with other external DAC’s and what is the price range of DAC’s that compare with the onboard DAC of the PM6005. I want to know what is the minimum price of a DAC that will improve the sound of my system. Any suggestions are welcome.

I have read some opinions that an USB to SPDIF convertor can improve the sound quality, I’m also considering this route if the investment will be smaller and there will be real benefits.

I don’t have hi-fi dealers in the city I live, so I can’t go for an audition.

Thank you all.

Welcome to the forum!

In my opinion, spending more on your digital sources is uneccessary and possibly a waste of money.

Save this money and invest in better speakers and amplification when you are able.

 

[Philim]

First of all hi everybody, I’m a new member to the forum and I hope that I’ll find answers to my questions here. Please excuse me if I will make mistakes but my native language isn’t English.

My system consists of Marantz PM6005, Dali Zensor 3, Audioquest FLX 16/4, PC and Samsung TV. I use the PC as a player for FLAC’s and MP3 via coaxial input of the amplifier.  I have this system for about 2 month and I like it a lot. But before I have bought it, I listened to Zensor 3’s with Yamaha A-S500 amp and a Primare CD player at a dealer and the sound was great. So I think that is room left for improvements in the player department.

I’m wondering if it is somebody here that compared the performance of the internal DAC of the Marantz with other external DAC’s and what is the price range of DAC’s that compare with the onboard DAC of the PM6005. I want to know what is the minimum price of a DAC that will improve the sound of my system.  Any suggestions are welcome.

I have read some opinions that an USB to SPDIF convertor can improve the sound quality, I’m also considering this route if the investment will be smaller and there will be real benefits.

I don’t have hi-fi dealers in the city I live, so I can’t go for an audition.

Thank you all.

?

Welcome to the forum!

In my opinion, spending more on your digital sources is uneccessary and possibly a waste of money.

Save this money and invest in better speakers and amplification when you are able.

+1

 

[ID.]

What they said. particularly at the price point of your current kit you could spend that money on a significant upgrade to speakers and/or amplification.

 

[Mihai]

Thank you guys for your answers, but for the moment I'm looking to make small tweaks to my system to maximize it’s potential. I'm not considering any upgrades of the amp or speakers soon. When I bought this system it was an upgrade from a surround system composed of Yamaha RX-V773 and Heco Victa speakers. I wanted something better for music, but I’m also missing my surround for the movies. Anyway for music it s a big step forward from my old system.

 

[rainsoothe]

salut, Mihai

while I agree that bigger improvements will be brought by upgrading amp and/or speakers, my experience when I upgraded my DAC demonstrated that the improvement was NOT small at all (i had upgraded from a Musical Fidelity to a Naim Dac V1, and i was expecting a change, but not as big as it was). BUT: the Naim is like thrice the price of the MF dac, so no wonder the difference in source was obvious, which brings me to my next point: at that price level, the improvement might be minor, IF any.

I haven't listened or compared the DAC in the PM6005, but the general consensus seems to be that it's pretty close to the one in the Marantz CD 6005, which is a fantastic sounding cd player for that moneys. The sensible alternatives would be the Arcam iRDAC or the NAD d 1050, so what I would do is take the Marantz to the dealer and audition it's DAC against the other two (if you're located in Bucharest, then i know you can't find both arcam and nad at the same dealer, so it's not really ideal But hearing it for yourself is really the only way to chose if it's worth upgrading or not).

Alternatively, you could try an Audiophilleo 2 USB to S/Pdif converter, which will defenately improve the stuff coming from your laptop. I haven't technically heard the Audiophilleo separately myself, but every review glorifies it, and i think the Naim Dac V1 (which I own) has one integrated in it.

Or you could always go for a Naim Dac V1, and in some years upgrade with the NAP100 power amp and Kef LS50 or some ATC speakers and take stuff to the next level

goodluck

 

[rainsoothe]

actually, the more i read about the Audiophilleo converter, the more conviced I am that it should make a worthwile upgrade. And sorry, I just re-read about not having a dealer in your town. First of all, i don't know if it applies to europe, but on the audiophilleo website it says they have a 30day return policy, so you could just buy one, and use it in your own system and in your own home, which is the best thing to do anyway, and if you don't like it or you don't think it's worth the extra dough, you could always return it and only lose postage money.

Also, maybe you can take a day to visit a town with a dealer, it might save you money if you need to return products or even better if you don't consider the upgrade is worth it

 

[Mihai]

Salut,

Thank you for your input.