I have just picked up a second hand rDAC which I am going to use with my Marantz CD63 KI and hoping I have not wasted my moeny. Will I notice an improvement by using the player as a transport linked to the DAC. I have an Audiolab 8000a mk2 bi amped to a p and bi wired to a pair of Monitor Audio BR5 these I intend to upgrade to a pair of B&W 684 later on
Just bought an Arcam rDAC on impulse
- Thread starter lewis hurlin
- Start date
the CD63KI Signature was a great CDP in its day - and still is!
I actually think you are going backwards and I expect the Marantz to sound a lot better than the rDAC - try it and see!
I actually think you are going backwards and I expect the Marantz to sound a lot better than the rDAC - try it and see!
Got one myself, here's my opinion,
Compared to a CA 650c, I preferred the sound of the cdp alone than cdp through Dac. (personal tastes maybe?)
Blu ray to rdac Optical in or hdmi pcm back to amp via analogue. I can tell the Dac is marginally better but not as much as you would expect. A massive difference is using the opitical out on the back of the tv to rdac, like you wouldn't believe. It's this margin I expected throughout but sadly no.
Usb is better than internal sound card by quite a margin.
Cdp is long gone and CDs ripped to laptop. Optical between tv and rdac sounds great, far superior to blu ray optical and tv analogue out. Don't know why it is, but it is. Its very clear, dialogue from blu rays sound crystal clear and films sound great fed into my brio r. If I put a cd in the blu ray and connect optical to rdac it makes a very good cdp but it doesn't have the same effect on films, pretty sure it's set up correctly too.
My question would be, why is blu ray optical inferior to tv optical??
Hope these ramblings make some sense to you, just read it back to myself lol
Compared to a CA 650c, I preferred the sound of the cdp alone than cdp through Dac. (personal tastes maybe?)
Blu ray to rdac Optical in or hdmi pcm back to amp via analogue. I can tell the Dac is marginally better but not as much as you would expect. A massive difference is using the opitical out on the back of the tv to rdac, like you wouldn't believe. It's this margin I expected throughout but sadly no.
Usb is better than internal sound card by quite a margin.
Cdp is long gone and CDs ripped to laptop. Optical between tv and rdac sounds great, far superior to blu ray optical and tv analogue out. Don't know why it is, but it is. Its very clear, dialogue from blu rays sound crystal clear and films sound great fed into my brio r. If I put a cd in the blu ray and connect optical to rdac it makes a very good cdp but it doesn't have the same effect on films, pretty sure it's set up correctly too.
My question would be, why is blu ray optical inferior to tv optical??
Hope these ramblings make some sense to you, just read it back to myself lol
stevebrock said:
I agree. Don't expect it to beat an half decent cdp but it excels in other areas.
A good CDP doesn't need a DAC to improve the sound . I bought a second hand ROTEL RCD 1520 CDP the sound is much much better than
my MF V-DAC 2, it also can play MP3 and has a superb internal DAC . I think it is better to invest on a good CDP .
my MF V-DAC 2, it also can play MP3 and has a superb internal DAC . I think it is better to invest on a good CDP .
Lewis - you'll find a Maplins switch mode power supply (about £20) will hugely improve the rdac sound.
I will second the suggestion of the Maplins power supply, i have one and it makes quite a big difference. I'll dig out a link for you as it's difficult to find on their website now. Just remember its a variable voltage one so you need to set it to the right voltage (6v I think)
It's sound equals that of a good cdp but offers much more flexibility. Why would more £ on a cd player be better? My bdp to rdac equals a good cdp. If you really a sonic boost then upgrade speakers or your amp, cdp or Dacs offer subtle changes and I've had many.
nopiano
Well-known member
philipjohnwright said:
If it retails at only twenty quid, why on earth do Arcam not include it in a £300 product? It would cost them almost nothing!
iceman16
Well-known member
plastic penguin
Well-known member
iceman16
Well-known member
I found the cd192 on its own more warm, refined and more musical and not fatiguing for long listening compared wth the rDAC. IMHOplastic penguin said:
plastic penguin
Well-known member
iceman16 said:I found the cd192 on its own more warm, refined and more musical and not fatiguing for long listening compared wth the rDAC. IMHOplastic penguin said:
Understandable - given my experience with DacMagic and Rega dac, when my old Arcam was used as transport, the uplift was negligible. If you have a good quality CDP can't see (or hear) the benefits just by adding a dac, relevant to cdp and dac costs, of course.
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