To DAC or not to DAC?

[admin_exported]

I was just getting used to the idea of selling my Sony CDP-X3000ES and saving for a Cyrus CD63SE (my dream CDP) and then saving for a 6XP amp. Now someone has just put a spanner in the works and suggested I keep the player and add a DAC...

How much will this improve my old CD player? Doesn't the transport have something to do with the sound quality too or is it just reading the data and the DAC is actually doing all the hard work.

Any comments?

 

[chebby]

http://whathifi.com/Review/Audiolab-8200CD/

Best of both worlds?

Use it as a good quality DAC for all your other digital sources (computer, Blu-Ray, PS3 etc.) and has it's own built in CD transport.

(You have the money assuming you had already budgeted for a Cyrus CD6SE).

 

[AL13N]

groberton:saving for a Cyrus CD63SE (my dream CDP) and then saving for a 6XP amp. Any comments?
For that price point (£900) I'd audition the Cyrus with the Audiolab 8200CDQ. There are plenty of dealers who stock both Cyrus and Audiolab, and you could take your own speakers along to the demo.

The 8200CDQ adds a preamp and headphone amp to the 8200CD spec, so you can connect it directly to a power amp / active speakers and also drive professional headphones.

 

[eternaloptimist]

I think it depends on what you think the future is....

My Cyrus CD6SE will be my last dedicated CD player... sounds great, but I think the future in hi-fi sources (digital at least) is in lossless files played through high quality DACs.Personally, I am just starting the DAC hunt (delay due to the Financial Controller after recent speaker upgrade!) and plan to use the CD6SE as a "transport only" in the future. If your Sony CDP has digital out then I would definitely consider looking at a DAC... Against this, is the convenience of just whacking in a CD and knowing that the sound from the CD6SE will be great (given all the usual qualifying statements re production etc).

I am in the process of ripping all my CDs to FLAC using EAC (Exact Audio copy) which is then "bit perfect". I then play through J River Media Centre into the DAC on the PreXPd. Is very nearly as good as the CD6SE - with a better DAC, would surpass it. Convenience is fantastic.

I would suggest... rip your CDs to FLAC, get a good DAC with the money you would spend on the CD6SE and you will be set for the future!

If you are interested, have a look at Computer Audiophile (www.computeraudiophile.com) for how to setup an "audiophile" computer digital source. Is actually not that difficult....