Buy a DAC or buy an SACD player?


O.K guys and gals...help me out here. I love my Odyssey
Stratus amp, I love my BAT VK3i pre-amp, and I love my
Hales T-5 speakers, so now it's time to upgrade my source.
I am currently using a Sony DVP S7000 as my CD player, and
want something better. Should I buy a DAC (if so, which one?) or should I invest $550 in a Sony SCD 333 ES or
similar SACD player (and have it upgraded)? I have about 400 redbook CD's, many of them HDCD, and of course, no SACD's. I want to spend under $1000 and really be able to hear the difference. What to do?
Thanks,
Dave
Ag insider logo xs@2xdave43

Showing 1 response by gunbei

Before getting my Bel Canto DAC 1.1, I came VERY close to getting the Sony SCD777ES. All I had to do was to walk across the street to the Sony Employee Store and place the order. It would have only been $1301 brand new.

What ultimately swayed me was the number of redbook CDs in my collection and the lack of SACD titles I actually wanted which were available at the time. Getting the DAC exposed the weaknesses of my CD player/transport, so I upgraded that too. I haven't regretted my decision for one second.

Even though I love my Bel Canto, I strongly agree that the EVS Millenium DAC should be looked at as well.

Have fun and good luck!