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Surely someone can weigh in

Posted this a week or so ago under "digital" but got no responses. 

A while back, I needed a CD player to replace my Madrigal Audio Labs Proceed player that no longer wanted to read discs. Not wanting to spend a lot of money, I took a flyer on a direct marketed CD player from a Swedish company called XTZ. I couldn't find a lot of reviews or info on their CD100 CD player but what I did find caught my interest. The CD player is fairly substantial at just under 20 lbs, uses a Class A output stage built around discrete components, has numerous outputs including balanced XLR, and uses separate transformers for the digital and analog sections. It's also nicely styled with a full function hefty remote though some of the unit's control functions are a bit quirky.

In any case, the player uses an Analog Devices AD1955 DAC which upsamples to 384 KHz! I don't believe I've ever seen a DAC with a spec that can upsample at this rate. My question is...is this just some marketing gingerbread (like power specs) or should I expect something really special because of the high upsampling rate?
Surely someone can weigh in with a response. 

J.Chip
128x128jchiappinelli
11 responses Add your response
tonyaudio
25 posts
 
Anyone know anything about a Proceed CD Library player from long ago?
mijostyn's avatar
mijostyn
8,570 posts
 
Up sampling allows you to push the anti aliasing filter up way above the audio band theoretically making the high end sound better. I have no idea if it is a benefit or not.
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jchiappinelli's avatar
jchiappinelli OP
117 posts
 
Thanks Elizabeth,
Since I live in a fairly rural area, my power is pretty clean and my noise floor is dead silent (at least to my tin ears). I do have a pair of Furmann power strips for surge protection which are supposed to also offer EMI/RFI protection as well so I think I'm ok on the power side. Interconnects are Audioquest Water so I think i'm ok there as well. Not sold on the need for upgraded power cords but willing to give them a try if I can locate some loaners to audition.  
Post removed 
jchiappinelli's avatar
jchiappinelli OP
117 posts
 
As indicated above, my source is the CD player in question.

J.Chip
twoleftears's avatar
twoleftears
5,318 posts
 
Have you mentioned what your current digital source is?
jchiappinelli's avatar
jchiappinelli OP
117 posts
 
Love how my system sounds but my source (the CD player) is probably my weakest link other than, of course, the limitations of my listening room. I'm running Cary Audio AES Six Pac tube mono blocks (50 w triode) with a Prima Luna Dialogue Premium preamp, and GoldenEar Triton 1r's. Very musical all tube setup that's allowing me to revisit and enjoy many "shelf" CDs that I haven't heard in a while. Amazing how improved things are over my  old, all SS system (Classe Audi Fifteen amp and Four preamp driving ML Sequels). While i cant find anything to complain about, I'm just wondering how a more contemporary CD player or DAC might sound.

J.Chip
Post removed 
twoleftears's avatar
twoleftears
5,318 posts
 
A variety of other factors will affect the ultimate sound signature of that component more than the upsampling rate.
erik_squires
16,057 posts
 
Hey,
I think that DACs got really good about 12-15 years ago. Upsampling and high resolution doesn't make as much of a difference with new DACs as it did with older one's. Maybe because clock and jitter circuits got cheap and good.

Older DACs sounded much better by upsampling. Now, the Redbook signal sounds really good.

To me, the 384 kHz bandwidth is more about bragging rights. :)


Best,

E
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