Doesn't DAC Do Heavy Lifting vs. Transport?


As I am no expert, I was wondering just what one looks for in a CD transport if one has a separate DAC. Maximum stability and minimum jitter I assume, but beyond that? Doesn't the DAC do the heavy lifting? Does the transport impart it's own influence on the sound? How? What transports are recommended under $500?
soundbit

Showing 1 response by timrhu

I have owned 5 or 6 (probably more) dacs and thought each had a unique sound. In my experience the transport, which was the digital out from a cdp or dvd player, was irrelevant. At least I could hear no difference when subbing in a different transport.
I'll take it one step further and say it is the analogue output section of the dac that is most important. What I mean is the number crunching done in the dac to provide the analogue signal is not as important as how the analogue signal is delivered. Of course YMMV.