Assuming you're talking about the possiblity of playing the 24/96 DADs from Chesky, Classic, etc., you do need a transport that will pass the full 24/96 signal to take advantage of the extended resolution and dynamics that format offers. Some DVD players contend they can handle 24/96 disks, but in reality they downconvert them to 16/44 which is what your DAC would ultimately see. Some common DVD players that do pass the full 24/96 are Pioneer and Sony, and probably a few others along with the higher-end units, but you should check before you buy. I don't think there are any CD players/transports that can read the 24/96 format, but I could be wrong.
That said, you certainly can use a lower-rez 16/44 transport with a 24/96 capable DAC and get great results with redbook CDs as long as you're using a good quality transport and digital cable. Hope this helps.
Tim
That said, you certainly can use a lower-rez 16/44 transport with a 24/96 capable DAC and get great results with redbook CDs as long as you're using a good quality transport and digital cable. Hope this helps.
Tim