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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The Node is like owning a Corvette, riding in a Miata, selling the Vett because the sound of the Miata’s exhaust system is what you really wanted after all.
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Do you really feel that a $650 unit is high quality compared to???
While the Node is a good sounding unit it is in no way high quality IMO.
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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.
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moose89
Excellent! Keep me posted as you massage the DVP-9000ES into your room/system.
Happy Listening!
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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.
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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.
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moose89
You hit it out of the park with that choice. You will not be disappointed. I own a Sony XA ES model and it is an exceptional experience to play plain old red book CDs on it as well as SACDs Have fun!
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So, I went ahead and bought a Sony DVP-S9000ES. THANK Y’ALL!!
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moose89
I own (3) CD/SACD players and their respective built-in DAC (s) are very fine.
Happy Listening!
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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?
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I have 3 Marantz cd decks...there built in dac is fine.
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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?
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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
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Get a CD transport and be done...then you can buy a dac to suit your taste.
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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.
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Don't be silly.
Digital sound cannot be heard without a DAC unless you have digital ears.
But OP is correct in implying that DACs are the Achilles Heel (or is that Hell?) for all digital sound. Clock error and dither can never be eliminated.
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Why even use a separate streamer? Get, like I did, a Sony Universal WiFi player and access streaming services via a smartphone. I then added a DAC, even though the Sony's DAC sounds excellent!
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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 had 150 WPC Nelson Pass Nakamichi amp, and returned it, to settle for 145 WPC Marantz. I’m fine into my Klipsch new 600 smaller speakers, ( selling my Fortes)… with the SVS micro 3000 Sub…. WOW! The Nakamichi had more jump, but the Marantz capability of Balanced output Silver cables to (RCA IN) the Node… supreme clarity now and soundstage on pedestal stands… so much music in the music now.
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The Node2’s streamer is good and the interface is decent. When I went from the internal DAC to an MDHT Orchid (utilizes an output tube) improvements were across the board. The Node2’s DAC I characterize as a bit dull. It’s just ok
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BTW, the stream of Hi-res Quobuz, Idagio and Tidal via my Bluos Node is superb. It is one of three sound sources: CDs, Vinyl and Bluos stream. It gives up nothing to the vinyl or CDs.
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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.
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I currently run BALANCED to the NODE, whose DAC has been better than most.
I've never heard of a Node with balanced inputs.
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2psyop- if Tidal MQA sounds good, imagine how much better Qobuz would sound!
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I agree. Bluesound Node. Sounds too good to waste $$ on DACs that don’t include ARC HDMI
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Does it sound good the way you do it? Therein lies your answer.
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I don't completely agree that the DAC inside the Node is not that great. It sounds really good to me. I guess my external Bifrost 2 or Benchmark sounds slightly better but when I play most MQA files through Node alone it sounds very, very good. YMMV
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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.
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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.
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It’s easy for me to learn and get more confused. I DO have a Marantz 2226b in the closet. Integrated Receiver. It’s got some Pre Amp possible U HOOKS on the back, ins and outs… maybe?
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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?
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The Bluesound Node only has digital inputs, so anything you connect to it will rely on its internal DAC.
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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?
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Wut?
Why buy high quality?
Because it sounds better, feels better, and pulls more details out of the disc.
I dunno. Don't run your CD player through your Bluesound DAC?
Maybe I'm missing the point of the question?
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A CDP is a transport with a built-in DAC. What, in the name of YHWH does that have to do with a cheap Bluesound DAC?
Sounds like a personal problem.
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there's a lot more going on, over-sampling, over-clocking, anti-jitter, OEM proprietary tricks, multiple dacs, multiple lasers (one for cd, another for sacd) possible conversion from DSD to PCM,
it's a salad, many ingredients, I had to work hard to find a salad I loved.
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don't, they have rca out to any input. some have xlr out.
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a CD player consists of two base components, both of which will always affect sound quality
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