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Is a transport/DAC combo better than a CD player

I have a Denon 2900 with a Musical Fidelity Trivista DAC and was going to buy a new transport for CD playback. However I keep hearing that many people are now saying that one box players are better than 2 box DAC combinations.

What do you prefer, single players or 2 box combos? What are the advantages and disadvantages of each set up? What are your recommendations for purchases in both categories (new and second hand)?

Thanks in Advance
Michael (Aka Dlite)
dlite

Showing 1 response by gammajo

gammajo's avatar
gammajo
846 posts
 
I prefer the transport and DAC seperates because of a few things. Better isolation, better flexiblity, easier to get a high quality transport mechanism and high quality DAC chips. Cheap - I would recommend a used Aragon D2A2 DAC, they have excellent build quality, sound, and service. Think I saw one recently on gon for about $400, then pair with any good CD player as the transport, or get a seperate transport.
Moderate price I have and like the NorthStar 192 Transport and DAC list $5,000, but can pick up new for $2,800 for both, or used for about $2,000
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