How important is the transport when using a DAC?

OK, this is late in the game for this thread and slightly off topic, but the insights provided here may be helpful to me. I have an Arcam AVR400 receiver and have been trying to set up a modest music and HT system around it and Monitor Audio Apex A40 fronts and Apex A10 rear speakers and B&W PV1D sub. I currently have and old Yamaha CD player but was hoping to be able to use my Blu-Ray player as a transport with the Arcam internal DACs at first and eventually upgrading to an external DAC for two channel.

Multichannel DTS and Dolby Blu-Rays on a Panasonic BDP and CDs played on the Yamaha sounded great through the Arcam, but the Panasonic as a transport for Redbook two channel using either HDMI or Toslink optical cables was not good. Clear but lifeless sound, no swing whatsoever. USB Redbook FLAC files on flash drive plugged directly into the Arcam sounded similarly sterile. I was thinking that the problem was with the Arcam DACs for two channel.

Then my Panasonic BDP quit working reliably, so I replaced it with a new Samsung BD-H6500 which was really well reviewed in Sound and Vision. Using the Samsung as a transport for CDs the sound is completely different, much better, and closer to the Arcam fed by my vinyl analog set up. Good pace and timing, tone, spatial resolution, etc. The Samsung has the ability to feed the Arcam AVR raw bit stream data, and this setting makes a big difference using the Toslink optical cable.

Question for this group, WHY DOES RAW BITSTREAM OF CD DATA FROM SAMSUNG SOUND BETTER ON THE ARCAM THAN THE SAME FILES RIPPED ON FLASH DRIVES PLUGGED DIRECTLY INTO THE ARCAM? AND WHY IS THE SAMSUNG MASS-PRODUCED BLU-RAY SO MUCH BETTER SOUNDING THAN THE SIMILARLY PRICED PANASONIC FOR REDBOOK WHEN THEY ARE VERY SIMILAR SOUNDING FOR DTS OR DOLBY MULTICHANNEL AUDIO?

Thanks in advance for any insights.

kn

One thought occurred to me. For the difference between the CD sound and the flash drive, am I just hearing the difference between ripped FLAC files and the digital files on the original CD?

Thanks for the reply. There is no user controlable software in this playback really other than what's built into the receiver. It sees files on flash drive plugged directly into the back and if compatible, it plays them. Control of CDs is handled by the Samsung BDP. FWIW, the files on the flash drive played through the Samsung USB port don't sound as good as CD version of same played through the Samsung either.

I have been ripping files for a long time. Old days I used a desktop Mac and external LaCie disk drive built like a tank. Those rips sounded fantastic in AIFF for 16/44 or MP4s. Since migrating to PC Dell laptop am using Foobar, but mostly JRiver Media Center 18 for file management and playback. Media Center is clearly superior to iTunes, Windows Media Player, etc. for playback on my computer based office system, but that is irrelevant to my HT system at home, at least for now. HD tracks recommends FLAC for download format to maintain sound quality, and I have been ripping CDs using same, but I am beginning to question that.

Finally, I am surprised how good the Samsung sounds when set to output raw bitstream data compared to PCM from Redbook CDs. Not sure option to defeat any processing of data before sending to the AVR was available on the Panasonic BDP I was using previously, but it clearly sounds much better on the Samsung. I would like to compare Samsung used as CD transport with digital out from higher quality CD player or single purpose transport. Not saying Samsung is a giant killer, but it sounds surprisingly good, considering 1.5 lbs total weight, plastic construction, fixed power cord and all.

kn

Thanks, I will explore.

Reviving this thread, not sure I solved the file format issue, but will say no files played in my system from flash drive through either AVR or BDP sound very good, no matter how they are ripped or which format. Have switched to AIFF vs FLAC based on my interpretation of advice on Steve's website. In any case, I am beginning to think it is the USB bus implementation for flash drive on both AVR and BDP compared with any other digital input, at least on the AVR.

Reason for that consideration is I bought an Arcam irdac for two channel audio in this system and it sounds very good to my ears with any input used: USB B, iPhone, toslink, you name it. These are the exact same files as on the flash drive, just played on my laptop with JRiver or my iPhone 5s instead through the irdac. It supposedly uses asynchronous USB solution supplied by DCS. Whatever, it sounds terrific.

Next question related to last bit of this thread above on switching versus linear power supplies. I am contemplating replacing stocks wall wart for irdac with linear PS. Steve says great switching PS beats great linear PS. Doubt I can find top flight switching PS at appropriate price point, and doubt stock unit for Arcam falls into this category. So what then is a reasonable upgrade for irdac?

Others have recommended Teddy Pardo Linear PS, Main Cables R Us advertises extensively on eBay, Custom Hifi Cables makes an interesting looking unit, and Paul Hynes who designed the regulator for the Overdrive SE makes a stand alone unit for the irdac as well. All are in the same ball park in terms of cost ($250-$350 USD), and all have champions that swear the custom power supplies improve performance of small DACs over stock wall warts. In terms of a linear supply to improve performance of my irdac, what do you recommend?