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To upgrade cd player?? The slippery slope?

Hi, I got sucked in to this audio game quite by mistake while looking through the public library for info on setting up a car stereo. Sidetracked by "Good Sound" by Dearborn?.
Bought some components over E-bay, and had a pre-amp given to me, and my music listening is changed dramatically. I think the real culpret is the Magnum-dynalab ft-11 tuner. Whereas I used to listen mostly to tapes and a few cd's, now its all about the radio. My limited taste in music has been stretched. I'm listening to a jazz, blues, classical, rock-- virtually anything played on the 3 good non-comercial stations in my area. Even the musical interludes on "All Things Considered" on NPR is fun for the ears, wheras it used to just make me mad and impatient. I've had the system about a year, and I've started to collect a few more cds.

But to get to the point.

This is a budjet system to be sure, and some will want me to upgrade in more directions, but I'd like my cd's to sound at least as good as the radio, and that is not the case. At least, not as engaging and fun. To spend $800 on a Jolida jd100 (for instance) would be more than twice what I have invested in my costliest component.

So here is the list:

pre= dyna pas 3
amp= carver tfm-6cb (65w@8ohms, 100w@4ohms)
speakers= spica tc-50
tuner= magnum-dynalab ft-11
**cdp= onkyo integra dx-7500 (1989, 18-bit, 8xsample)
**tape= nakamichi cr2a
interconnects= kimber pbj w/radio-shack gold plate term.
sp cables= kimber 4tcx5'

** components left over from previous system

So ??? buy the Jolida? Or a used dac? Or live with what I have? Or other sugestions?

Thanks, Aloha

Miser lee
windsup03a8
steuspeed's avatar
steuspeed
501 posts
 
Miser,

I am in a similar situation. My CD player is Audio Refinement. It is better than the Pioneer Elite it replaced, but not the biggest upgrade I have heard in my system. I have a tube pre-amp and solid state monos. My next move will most likly be a tube dac. I thought about the Jolida, but a tube dac seems the smarter move. All-in-one units are still attractive due to their simplicity and space savings.

If you are looking for new tubes, try Andy at www.vintagetubeservices.com I bought NOS telefunkens and RCA driver tube for my pre-amp and "whoa Nelly" do they sound incredible. This is an upgrade I highly recommend, and worth every penny.

Stewart
phasecorrect's avatar
phasecorrect
2,013 posts
 
WOuld have to agree with Steuspeed...although hi-enders would disagree...redbook digital has essentially "maxed" itself out...the difference between 16,20,24 bit technology is marginal(some even argue inaudible) ...other than jazz/classical...most recordings dont even utilize these so-called improvements...to really make a quantum leap in sound...there is SACD(limited but growing releases)...and Analog(hi-maintenance)...
windsup03a8 OP
2 posts
 
Thanks again for the responses.

Ok, so my Onkyo built in 1989, though perhaps their best machine at the time, will sound similar to a decent machine built today? Or going with a second hand dac is a much better upgrade? Then, does anyone have experience as to how the onkyo fares as a transport?

To update on my Dyna, I swapped the tubes in the line section for the ones in the phono stage, and they were good. At the same time cleaned my (I'm embarrassed to say rather tarnished) copper power cord plug and expanded it for a tighter fit, and the results were definitely noticeable and positive. Could it be that the signal from the cd player is more vulnerable to uneven power due to the greater frequency range? I'm starting to think an upgrade from Curcio Audio on the preamp may be a step in the right direction.

As for the amp, the friend who gave me the Dyna Pas also gave me a couple of non-working Dynaco st-70s and I was thinking at some point of repairing one of those, and possibly modifying, perhaps with Curcio's drop in assemblies.

Mahalo,

Miser lee
muralman1
1,527 posts
 
Hey Miser, Phasecorrect overstated the similarity between CDPs. I happen to own an Onkyo of similar vintage. I also own the Jolida. While the Jolida was on loan, starving for music, I plugged the old Onkyo in, and immediately unplugged it. I'd rather starve.

What ever you do, don't let any cable freak talk you into upgrading your wires. Your Kimbers will travel well through your audio journey.
miser_lee
7 posts
 
Hi all.

Just an update on how all the advice was utilized.

Digital: I ended up with the Audio Note dac kit 1.1, used, and keeping the Onkyo as the transport. Result? Much better. I can say it acclomplished my stated goal of bringing the digital up to speed with the tuner- and then some, maybe.(Though the Jolida player may have given similar results, I'll probably never know)

Amp: repaired on of the Dynaco st-70s, and that was another huge improvement.

Cables: Added some 12-guage twisted power cords (improvement) and tried some diy interconnects (so far the kimber pbj remains on top).

A few tweaky tweaks: The music just keeps getting better.

Cheers.
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