Digital seperates, better than single player?

It is hard to say which is better. There are great separates and stand alone players. Separates are useful because you can upgrade a system for less than buying a whole new player, by just replacing the electronics (DAC).
Separates have the potential is be better, because you can mix and match transports and DACs separately. The issolation of the digital electronics from the CD mechanism also helps in many cases.

Not always. Listen before you buy!!!

Good luck.

MMoe- Unless you're considering extreme separates, I'd strongly recommend that you stay with a single player unit. The recent crop of CD players (Electrocompaniet, Audio Aero ...) are truly outstanding, and will compete directly with everything except the most extreme separates. I've had the Electrocompaniet (with upgrade) in my system. Yes, I preferred my Goldmund separates in my system. However, the difference wasn't anywhere close to the 5 X cost. Unless you're planning on spending 20K-50K on separates, save your money and audition the EMC or Audio Aero or .... on a great platform (Sistrum, Mana, etc...) and with excellent power cords (FIM, Sonoran, etc...). Just my .02

For a builder's perspective go to www.tweakaudio.com and read Ric Schultz's take on the subject. He is no longer making/selling his acclaimed Millennium DAC because he feels he can get better results modding existing SACD/DVD players. A big part of it is the ability to better control jitter and avoid using another interconnect, and I agree with the others that you'd have to spend a boatload on separates to get significantly better sound than some of the better one-box players out there. Best of luck.

Tim

"separates" ain't necessarily separates. as an example, i own a boulder 1012 (msrp $15k). this piece comprises a truly top-of-the-heap dac (capable of reading sacd or dvd-a digital streams) with superior line and phono stages. with equal quality digital and analog transports, the boulder provides you with the equivalent of a $50-80k pre/front end(s) for about one-half what you'd spend on "separate separates." this may represent an "extreme" system to some but it provides extreme quality digital AND analog playback. 'course, if you're not in need of a phono stage, this economic analysis may not hold true for you. just my 2 euros. -cfb

Remember that separates open the door to real jitter problems, which is why many people advise against them. There are reasons to go the separates route, but I don't think better sound is one of them.

Well just had to say to BOMARC you need to get out more ! I have had a Technics cd player , Toshiba DVD/CD player , Panasonic DVD/CD player, Theta transport, Proceed transport ,and finally my current transport - A Mark Levinson NO. 37 using a Lexicon DC-1 as the DAC and WOW just can not believe how much better the 37 makes everything sound !!!!! I bought the 37 without ever hearing one and knew it would probably be similar to the Proceed which before was my favorite of the bunch to date but my expectations were a little underestimated to what the 37 would do . The clarity and detail FAR SURPASSED my expectations and BLEW AWAY THE PROCEED !!!!!!!!! And as far as opening the door to jitter the Levinson NO. 37 SLAMMED IT SHUT!!!!!!! What jitter?????? If you have the money go for the separates!!!!!!