Where to start?

You'll get a nice performance upgrade by sticking an Arcam FMJ 23 into your system. They can be had for $700 to $800 and easily rival new players three times that price.

Jmccloskey,

Congratulations and welcome to the club!

Before too long you will realize how truly wise Rwwear's words are, heheh. For us respondants, it's already way too late!

Is there a specific area "sound wise" you'd like to improve? What do you feel is lacking? Answering this will help people to offer suggestions.

Also, I'm a little confused on your use of the terms digital and analog interconnects, because it seems you're thinking they're interchangeable when they really have different intended uses. Correct me if I'm wrong.

As Chadnliz suggests, if you're using a digital interconnect between your changer and Marantz it should only be a single cable and then you'd actually be using the DAC in your receiver and not the one in your CDP. On the other hand, if your using an analog interconnect pair that would mean they're connected to the analog outs of the changer to the receiver and in that case you'd be using the DAC in the CD changer.

To be honest, in your case I wouldn't know which DAC is the better one, the Marantz or the Pioneer. I might guess Pioneer. Before you go out and start buying new equipment you might want to try the different hook ups between your changer and receiver to see which you prefer.

Good luck!

The real question is where to stop.

Budget right now would be ~1k. I originaly bought the changer because it was easy to house all the cds. I find myself taking them out to play in and car and computer and not putting them back in the changer. Therefore the changer is not really serving its purpose anymore.

I was thinking of keeping it as a dvd player and adding a new CDP if I might be able to achive a better "sound" that what I'm recieving with the pioneer

If you use digital interconnect you are using your recievers internal DAC, analog and you are using your CDP DAC, digital interconnect is used with external DACs aswell
you also need to state your budget and goals to get informed opinions...good luck.