2. digital
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How do I decide on a CD player or adding a dac?

I have been trying to figure a way to find a solution to my fatigue from my digital and SS rig. I run a Pair of Odyssy Stratos Plus Mono Blocks from a Odyssey Etesian (Passive or Linestage) to a pair of Apogee C Minor hybrids. My room is very small 14 ft by 9 1/2 feet and 8 ft tall. Hardwood floors with an Inca wool rug in my nearfield listening area. No room treatments yet the wall are bare because we just moved and I wanted to have a fresh start. Nothing else is in the room, but me and my seat. Pics are on my Budget system.

I need to know if anyone has any suggestions for a source, I use a Pioneer DV 578a universal player for now and have thought about running it as a transport with an external dac, but am a bit overloaded to make a good choice. I have looked at the Dac Ah and Audio Mirror units as well as the Cal Audio Dacs. Others that have been suggestions were CIA Dac and power supply and a van Altine OmegaIII. I know just enough to get confused.

Should I get the dac and use the pioneer as a transport or should I get a new one box cdplayer. My budget is only about $350 to $400 at the most, the lite ah could be had for about $150 as can the Van Alstine.

Please help.

andy
brownsanandy

Showing 2 responses by kublakhan

kublakhan
717 posts
 
Check out this idea: Go for an MBL Link - it's a DAC and there are two for sale on audiogon right now. One with the full nelson for $450 and one w/o for $195. The Link is recommended by many, especially Arthur Salvatore at http://www.high-endaudio.com/RC-Digital.html who is hard to please.

This gives you the flexibility to go with your computer's hard drive as your source down the road...something more of us seem to be doing. Check out Steve Nugent's discussion on computer audio here http://www.empiricalaudio.com/ and his feelings on how good a hard drive system w/ an outboard dac can be.

For someone on a budget, this seems to be the only option for a true audiophile system. Burn all your cds on your hard drive, buy the msb (and an extra hard drive if you need more space) and you're in business. You can even sell your cdp and use the extra cash for more drive space.
kublakhan
717 posts
 
Sorry, steve Nugent's site is at www.empiricalaudio.com i don't know why it showed up incorrectly.

While I'm at it, here's another suggestion after looking at your system: I've never experienced anything but listening fatigue w/ solid state...sorry guys, I haven't...maybe it's must my ears or my taste but that's the truth. You could sell the amp and preamp and buy a tubed amp ... there are many you could afford with the cash you raised. Skip the pre amp. Use your hard drive as a source running into a benchmark dac1 (rave reviews for this dac) because it has a volume pot and go straight into a tube amp and then to your speakers. The benchmark can be had for $750 used. I think you might be able to swing that plus a decent tube amp if you used the revenue from selling your pre and amp.

The benchmark dac can be upgraded as you decide it's needed and as the funds are available. Steve Nugent upgrades them.

And then here's a crazy idea. I've never heard them, but there is a tube powered monitor speaker (you'd have to do research to find the brand - they weren't expensive at all) A small monitor will work for you in your small room. If you sold your speakers, amp and preamp you could buy the benchmark dac1 and the tube speakers (no preamp or speaker wire needed.) Then you'd have a tubed system with a killer dac and a bit perfect transport (your computer.) Now you're talking high end on a budget w/o listening fatigue and room to upgrade as finances permit. Who can argue with that solution? Well, there are probably plenty but i'm just trying to think of the cheapest way into hifi w/o the solid state digititis.

Good luck and let us know what happens.
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