Confused State of affairs: CD player


Strange that I am caught up in this quandary in this digital streaming age. I currently have an Oppo BDP-95 as my CD player and Blue-Ray video player. It plays through a coax connect to my Auralic Vega G2 DAC with a HDMI connect to my TV with HDMI audio off. The sound seems good through my B&W 800D3 with McIntosh C1100 pre-Amp/ MC1.25KW mono blocks. So I don’t use the Oppo DAC in the current set-up.

I visited the McIntosh dealer today and really liked the MCD600 playing on his set-up. Question to the group here:

Should I be looking to upgrade my Music CD player from the Oppo?
If yes, should I be looking at a transport MCT500 and let the Auralic Vega G2 (DAC) play on like the set-up with the Oppo. This will remove any possibility of playing a SACD through the set-up as the MCT500 (like the Oppo) does not pass on the DSD quality through its coax.
Or should I go in with the MCD600 which has a built-in DAC and connect it to my C1100 and then retain the option of playing a SACD?

Price difference between the options is $2,500 between the MCT500 and MCD600 as I end up having two high quality DACs in my system (3 if I count the Oppo which I will have to retain due to Blue-Ray video).

I do not have the option to demo either of the MCT500 or MCD600 against the Oppo to compare and I listen to CD music around 2 hours a week, so not too much and not too little.

I want to have the best sounding music from my system, so quality comes before any other consideration. Happy to hear views from people who might have heard through any of the above combos.

Thanks,
sudhirgoel

Showing 1 response by sbank

"Should I be looking to upgrade my Music CD player from the Oppo?" No. If your primary consideration is "I want to have the best sounding music from my system, so quality comes before any other consideration"
then consider consider replacing the CD player with a quality server and network player. Given you own a Vega dac, the Aries would be a good candidate. A QNAP or Synology server are both quality options. There are many considerations such as using ethernet cables and linear power supplies, and the difference between mediocre and very good digital lies in those details.
There are many threads of others in similar situations. Spend some time reading the archives to get a sense of their experiences doing similar. 
Many will say to upgrade the dac, but that is always an option and everyday they do get better in general.
@elizabeth  You are right about one thing. You are cranky today ;-) Cheers,
Spencer