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The DACs on my reciever good enough??

Hi guys,

I have Marantz SR4300 reciever in a second system, and I was wondering of the quality of the DACs in this unit.

I am considering getting an affordable DVD player and using it as a transport hooked up to the DAC. Is this worth doing or are the DACs in a $150 - $200 DVD player going to be superior to the DACs in the Marantz?

If you are of the opinion that the Marantz DACs are superior, can you suggest a good DVD player to consider as a transport?

Thanks

D
eccbo

Showing 2 responses by elevick

elevick
2,638 posts
 
Personally, I find the Marantz d/a's a weak point. However, a $2000 d/a is still going to be limited by the rest of the receiver's electronics. Don't get me wrong here, I like marantz for the money. However, I don't think you can get audiophile sound out of this receiver.

The only way to be sure is to borrow a nice dvd player (500 denon or similar) and plug it into the receiver with both digital and analogue cables and switch between the 2 inputs to compare d/a's. Besides volume differences, see if highs and lows are tighter or clearer. See if the voices sound more natural?

My guess is that you will hear a difference if you spend $500 on a dvd player. Keep in mind that you may end up having to buy 6 rca cables (nice extra expense) to hook it up.
elevick
2,638 posts
 
I get it.
Some of the lesser expensive dvd's have decent d/a's. Samsung, Sony, Philips all may fit the bill nicely.
For your own enjoyment, try to get one with different specs than the marantz. That way you can still compare the two.
The other thing to keep in mind is simplicity with remotes. It sounds stupid but you will enjoy the player better if you can get away without needing the remote and using the marantz for both.
Happy Listening.
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