a CD player consists of two base components, both of which will always affect sound quality
Thanks. Yes, my NODE is my systems’PreAmp/StreamerDAC as well. Neither my Cary Tube Rocket 88 Amp, nor my Marantz MM7025 Amp, have AUX inputs. I currently run BALANCED to the NODE, whose DAC has been better than most. So, I won’t be grabbing an external DAC. BUT THANKS… I guess there is more to it. I currently use a Denon DVM-1805 MULTIPLE CD PLAYER. Is there a big upscale by purchasing something else? |
can you back up and explain what you are really asking? I think along the way you may answer your own question. if you are asking ’why do i need a DAC" - well, every CD player has a DAC inside. Thats' how the bits eventually become squiggly lines. What we refer to as DAC are just external ones created for various reasons, but mostly because little ,music is on physical media these days. I’m sure someone sells a $10K CDP. In the end tho, who cares? |
OP @moose89 The DAC takes the digital data encoded on the CD and converts it to the analog audio signal to your system using a DAC (Digital-to-Analog Converter). The digital data on the CD is just a digital representation of the music signal. It's not like a computer that records bitt that can be directly converted to alpha and special characters. The ONLY way a CD player does NOT use a DAC is when the digital signal is fed into an external DAC. |
Blu sound streamer is not that great at both streamer and it’s $200 dac inside. money-much better spent using a computer and a Denafrips Aries2 dac night and day better sound , and no mention of the Ethernet or dac cable Wireworld Starlight usb, as well as Ethernet are Excellent for the monies and a Pangea sig-2 power cord ,using Cardas Occ Copper great buy for under $200 these are excellent for a entry level Audio system and when you can afford it a Uptone Audio Ether regen Ethernet hub makes a very good upgrade ,regenerating a clean Ethernet signal. |
One person's experience regarding your question: I recently swapped my system CD player from a Jolida to a Classe Audio CDP-102 CD Player. The difference was of an order of magnitude. Imaging was improved greatly. The clarity and realism of the instruments was much greater. I had recently installed a pair of Magnepan MG3r speakers replacing a very old and tired pair oa Maggy Tympany 1Ds which I had since new in 1975. Add a newly rebuild Nelson Pass Threshold 400 amp and a new preamp (CJ Premier) I was still not happy with the sound of the CDs. I stream hi res via Bluos Node and the stream was better than the CDs. Once I installed the Classe player, voila! I had the sound I had hoped for from my CDs. So my point is in answer to your question, I believe the Classe player to be significantly better in all its works than the Jolida (which is not a crappy unity). My experience bore this out. |
Thanks. Yep. Streaming with Bluesound Node is so good, (and I have a Preset Remote), which is a quick grab, makes streaming like having a juke box! Bam! Got mostly 60’s stations and clarity from Australian and German stations is free and clear! |
I am not familiar with the CD player the OP has but it sounds like a multiple disc player. Such players were made for convenience in the pre streaming days and usually the DAC in the player isn’t very good, so it’s possible the Node 2 DAC is better. The latest Node DAC is an improvement over previous models and we are not sure which one the OP has . In addition the OP seems to lack a conventional pre amp. Some DACs have enough gain that for digital sources they don’t require a pre amp. However I have always preferred to use a pre amp because inimo they sound better, but ymmv. My advice would be to use the integrated amp in the closet; trying running the CD player directly into the amp, and then compare the sound to the CDP running into the Node which is the connected by analog to the amp. |
As just said by @mahler123, there were very few Multi Disk Players that sounded any better than a portable player. CAL and Rotel had decent ones but any mass market unit is compromised for convenience. I am very happy with my Rotel 1572 CDP (Balanced into my Lux) that replaced a 1072 which both easily bettered my 2 OPPO 93s |
What @audioguy85 said. |
When I purchased my BlueSound Node 2i, I also purchased a Project DAC. I tried to convince myself adding the Project DAC sounded better. However, I noticed the bass sounded thin as compared to just using the BlueSound so I ended up selling the Project on Audiogon. Can you really hear a significant difference between a BlueSound and a more expensive streamer? If so, what would I hear that is significantly better? If so, what streamer would you recommend? |
Crutchfield rep said that also: “Can you really HEAR the difference?” …and who would WANT to? And then… more confusing decisions to have to make, and the comparisons are always on different canvases. I think that it’s all about the looks of machines, ego, and the specs that support it …kinda like thinking the paper on spec sheets has sound? |
My studies show if you have a bit perfect player you will be hard pressed to screw it up with a DA converter. The audio section however is what matters, as well as the filtering curves. So, again the analog sections supersede the digital as long as the digital section has some minimally good performance. |
Sony XA7ES, twenty five year old CD players still in use today! Former Stereophile A player that sold for $3k is still going strong with the greatest sound. And no flimsy Phillips based drive system, but Sony’s proprietary drawer featuring the best system ever created. They’re still selling for $1500, if you can find one! I owned two of them, and they featured XLR, co-ax, rca, and an amazing direct volume control allowing you to go without a preamp. What? Old school audio, that’s where it’s at. |
I believe you may be asking what CD players are strictly transports so you can send your digital signal straight to your Node and use the Node's DAC. You seem to realize that you can send the digital signal directly through the coax or optical outs on the player but your question is why have to pay for a DAC in the CD player if you are planning on using the Node's DAC. You want recommendations on CD transports I am guessing? Cambridge Audio offers one, CXC V2 CD Transport (No DAC Onboard). Audiolab, Denon and a lot of other companies also offer CD Transports only, no DAC on board. I hope this answers your question. |
If a CD player does not have a jitter free output the DAC has no chance of improving. If the signal from the transport is not transmitted via a pulse transformer to the DAC’s ground currents can increase causing a lost of resolution. If no pulse transformer is used you can have mismatch of impedance causing errors can happen. So buying a DAC from the company that makes the transport is a good idea. Having single unit is nice in that because there is no transmission between the two units. I took 1990s PS Audio, redesigned the power supply, the timing and installation pulse transformers it now sound better than my OPPO 205 and many other transports. So it’s important to know the the transmission between units is optimized. I use the Oppo just for streaming and yes it can sound better with some help.
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