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DAC's & SACD's. Can they be used? Total novice..

I am using a Sony SCD333es player and have been kicking around using a DAC due to ungrade fever. I am naive about the DAC thing so please bear with me. After looking at the owner’s manual for my unit and the new SCD-xa5400, I see that SACD's only output through the analog outputs. During my perusal of the DAC threads I see that the outputs need to come from the digital side. Is this true, or am I missing something?
If this is so, must I hook up the CD player using both outputs? I hope not, as I have no more inputs available on my KCT pre. And even if I did muster up another input how could I toggle between the two? Or is it automatic?
Anyone recommend a nice DAC for this particular player, or am I wasting $...?
Gear; Krell KCT pre, Krell FPB300cx amp.
Thanks everyone & Happy Holidays from the high desert of So. Cal., John
jsd52756

Showing 2 responses by kr4

kr4's avatar
kr4
3,707 posts
 
SACDs only output from the analog outputs OR from the HDMI output of the XA5400ES.

Kal
kr4's avatar
kr4
3,707 posts
 
AFAIK, there are no stand-alone HDMI-input DACs. The only ones are inside processors.

I wonder if it is not an economic issue as licensing and qualifying to HDMI might be a significant burden, especially for a small specialist company. In addition, these same companies are the ones who complain about jitter and other issues with HDMI.

Note, however, that there will be an Ayre universal player with HDMI output and that it will implement Audio Rate Control to resolve the jitter issue. OTOH, Ayre is not (yet?) planning to offer a DAC or preamp that you can plug this into.

Kal
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