hum... have heard the sony standalone and with esoteric dac - and the sound improved with the external dac. Agree the sony by itself is fine but that doesn't mean it can't be improved.
Same system sound improved when power cables when from $500 to $1500. What changed - the speed of the bass in particular. Sound went from someone clapping with gloves on to sound that crackled from bare hands. Of course to hear this you will need lots of power from an amp or better yet amps.
But - what does all of this prove? You have to be comfortable with what you have to spend and then ask - is this the best I can do within my budget.
BTW - looking forward to an upgrade on the sony - especially for a larger hard drive.
Same system sound improved when power cables when from $500 to $1500. What changed - the speed of the bass in particular. Sound went from someone clapping with gloves on to sound that crackled from bare hands. Of course to hear this you will need lots of power from an amp or better yet amps.
But - what does all of this prove? You have to be comfortable with what you have to spend and then ask - is this the best I can do within my budget.
BTW - looking forward to an upgrade on the sony - especially for a larger hard drive.