If you had an old budget CDP that you wanted to upgrade would you be better buying a new £300ish CDP or use the old one as a transport and add an external DAC (same budget)?
New CDP or add a DAC
- Thread starter jimdonnelly
- Start date
i'd say the dac route for sq, but then you have the potential problem of your old budget transport failing.
scene
Well-known member
Craig M.:i'd say the dac route for sq, but then you have the potential problem of your old budget transport failing.
Assuming the reason for the upgrade isn't because the transport is failing - which as this is where all the moving parts are, is all too common - I'm coming round to the DAC route, having worked my way through several CD and DVD players over the years. Even if the Transport is failing, might be worth looking at a cheaper CDP as transport + DAC, to allow for future upgrades and the flexibility of being able to play music from other digital sources.
Assuming the reason for the upgrade isn't because the transport is failing - which as this is where all the moving parts are, is all too common - I'm coming round to the DAC route, having worked my way through several CD and DVD players over the years. Even if the Transport is failing, might be worth looking at a cheaper CDP as transport + DAC, to allow for future upgrades and the flexibility of being able to play music from other digital sources.
idc
Well-known member
DAC every time, especially if your budget will get you something like the Wavelegth Proton at £800 or Benchmark DAC1 at £900. The maunfacturers claim it does not matter what you use as a transport, as all the DAC needs is the digital 1s and 0s and jitter is not an issue.
I'm not sure if it's because of seek jitter or what, but I've heard my prior DAC sound a bit different with different CDPs. Unless it's a high end DAC (it unlikely is at 300 GBP), I'd probably opt for the CDP.
DAC, DAC, DAC.
Use your current CDP till it breaks, then use your DAC for a more modern set-up. Myself I've thrown away my CDP a long time ago, and have never missed it.
As for those who hear a difference in sound quality between different sources through the same DAC, I'm pretty sure their routines for sound check fails. With no time delay and no changes of listening positions between the samples, the sound should be identical.
Use your current CDP till it breaks, then use your DAC for a more modern set-up. Myself I've thrown away my CDP a long time ago, and have never missed it.
As for those who hear a difference in sound quality between different sources through the same DAC, I'm pretty sure their routines for sound check fails. With no time delay and no changes of listening positions between the samples, the sound should be identical.
Sorry to hijack. Intersting reading. My Marantz cdp has a fault on the left phono output. If I wiggle the RCA plug the sound comes back. It has coax digital out. I'll looking to getting something like a DacMagic then. I'll also be able to use it with my AE. I don't really want to get rid of it as it was a Christams present from the then girlfriend. It was an expensive purchase considering her wages and holds quite a bit of sentimental value.
RCduck7
Well-known member
I had over the last year 2 DAC's playing WAV and losless files, first a DacMagic and then a more expensive and very nice build Xindak DAC-8. But i wasn't prepared when i heard one of the relatively cheap (but built like a tank) chinese MHZS cd players. It totally converted me back to playing CD's. I might go back to the seperate DAC route one day but MHZS makes only CD players, no seperate DAC's. Ilove the sound of the MHZS cd players and they match in my system very well. Since i allready had a DAC that was a lot more expensive then the cd player i have now, i wouldn't have any idea what DAC could perform as good.
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