Arcam AVR 300 vs Rotel Seperates

Thanks for the feedback! Let me ask you this, you are using a Rotel CD player? How do you have it connected? Are you using the DAC's of the 1068 or the CD player? Do you feel the CD player improves the sound?

Keep the Arcam and get a better source or use the money to upgrade the speakers.

There are a couple of Naim CD5i units for sale here on AG for ~ a grand. Put that up front with what you have and see what happens. :-)

Thanks for the response. Just a couple questions, correct me if I am wrong. If I upgrade the source, was looking at a Rotel RCD 1072 CD player, I would need to connect in analog bipass mode to use the DAC's of the CD player? If I am in bypass mode there will be no sub output? If I were to connect the RCD 1072 via an optical cable, I would still be using the DAC's of the Arcam, so there would be little if any improvement over my Onkyo CD player. Just trying to determine if upgrading the CD player would be worth the $$$$ Thanks for replies

CD player analog out -> Arcam = CD Player DACs
CD player optical out -> Arcam = Arcam DACs

I think you'll get the sound you're looking for more with a DAC1 than upgrading the transport. ;-)

Well, I went with the CD player (RCD 1072), but it was not nearly the upgrade I was hoping for. In fact I preferred the sound of the optical input of the AVR 300, thus I concluded the DAC's in the Arcam are bettter. I was now looking at the possibility of adding a 5 channel amp (maybe Rotel RMB 1075) and using the AVR as a Pre/Pro. Question, in this set up is the receiver only running off the power of the amp or is it still using the power that it has? Any thoughts on how this would improve things. Also, the other option for about the same money, would be to purchase an external DAC. Any advise is appreciated....