2. digital
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dac to cdp quality ratio

I am considering adding a low end DAC to my vintagy system,

Arcam dv 135 used only for cd / sacd playback,
no video or computer.
Sunfire pre processor III
Sunfire Symphonic reference amp
and Vandersteen 2Ci speakers

Can a relatively cheap $250 DAC improve the sound of a cd player like the Arcam that retailed for about 6-7 times that when new?
or is a higher quality/ price DAC needed to make any difference?
will the updated technology of a newer Dac like the Musical Fidelity V-DACII compare to an older used Musical Fidelity A32 that now sells for about the same $250 price,

or does a better quality cd player do away the need for any outboard DAC?

thanks
rms
rmstern

Showing 1 response by timrhu

timrhu
2,779 posts
 

Mostly happy withn what I have, better cables have helped , but still trying to fix an occasional harshness? I hear on some cds,

Some cds just sound harsh, it's the way they're mastered. A better dac probably won't fix that.
As for the $250 budget, if you buy used, you'll still need to up it by a couple hundred to improve on what you have.
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