stands for digital to audio convertor. turns digital data into analogue so your preamp/amp/speakers can make music. they are in cd/dvd/ipods/computers et al. usually they are less than wonderful so in the last decade many companies have been making better stand alone units for audiophiles. for a more definitive answer go to wickipedia. hope that helps
can i improve my system with a better cd player?
I upgraded just about everything except my cd player. I just use my old sony dvp s7000 as my cd player. In the past I thought all cd player were the same until yesterday when I tried using my ps3 as the player. I instantly heard a big difference. Now I'm thinking I can actually improve my sound by buying a new player can someone recommend something under 500 buciks? I like buying used since my system is dated itself but it still sounds decent to me.