Why are server setups so costly relative to CDP's?

In my mind, the key to stellar digital sound is the DAC. The transport is secondary. Rega makes very solid transports and uses great DACs. Even so, you choose the sound of the CDP based on the DAC. A separate DAC will cost you more but accepts signals from multiple sources. I chose the PS AUdio DAC because of its sound. Now I can use any CDP as a transport, plus the benefits of computer USB, and any other digital source. That is worth a little more in cost. Within a very short time there will be so many great DACs at affordable prices, the cost will be roughly the same. Alternatively, CDP manufacturers will have to put digital inputs into their CDPs so you can use the DAC for other sources. If they don't, no one will buy them. Why buy a great DAC if you can only put play CDs with it?

Mrtennis, I don't understand. "I think the ps audio perfect wave transport is better transport than the ps audio perfect wave dac". Do you mean that the ps transport is better as a transport than the ps dac is a DAC? Or do you mean that the ps audio transport is more important than the ps audio dac? We can agree to disagree, but I couldn't disagree more about transports vs DACs. If you run several different quality transports into the same DAC you might hear minor differences. If you take one transport into several different DACs of different designs you will hear large differences due to the output design of the DAC.

Mrtennis,

You state:

"most believe that differences in speakers are greater than differences between amps. but such a position is based upon many variables and does not constitute knowledge."

This implies that you have a greater knowledge than others. If you believe this to be true, you are arrogant. Thereby only you know the truth.

You state:

"i would rather state the position that there are differences between components and systems and not suggest that one class of components exhibits greater differences than another. my position is factually neutral."

If your position is factually neutral, you would not have stated that the transport is more important than the DAC. I believe that each component has its importance and it is the synergy of the individual pieces, like a recipe, that determines the end result-a transforming event in which you are brought into the performance and imagine that you are there.

We can disagree on many things as long as we agree on our love of music!

This is such a fun hobby/addiction that we do get lost in the small details. To return to the original question...there will always be a debate regarding which road to choose to bring us to the "best sound" and before it was (and is) vinyl vs CD, and now computer vs CDP. It all depends on the implementation and what sounds good to you. As a beginner in the exploration of computer based audio my experience tells me that for less than $1000 a dedicated CDP is better (today's dollars). Over that it is possible to expand into computer audio and achieve better results using computers. Just like with vinyl, there is a point in which CDs can closely approximate the sound of good vinyl, but it costs more.

Just for fun I configured a Dell laptop with Windows 7, 4 GB RAM, 500 Gig SATA hard drive, CD/DVD optical drive. Adding a Cambridge DACMagic the total is ($440 + $400) $840. I am curious as to which stand-alone CDPs would be better than this for $840. Pushing the cost of the DAC up to $600 for the PS Audio Digital Link III would be $1040 and I have compared that to several CDPs and it is definitely better. That is why eventually all music will be downloaded (because it will cost less) and stored on computers while CD players will die off or be the multi-thousand dollar players for those that want and can afford them. I think it is amazing what you can get for $1000 for music playback these days.

Kijanki,

Exactly. Most people have computers and don't know how to configure them for their music. The Benchmark is a great example of a one-time expense that opens up the world of computer based music for the average audiophile. Instead of discussing which CDP to buy, most music lovers should be talking about which DAC to buy so that their computers can be servers. I recently compared a new Emotiva CDP to my Mac Mini>M2Tech Hiface>Dac and the mini won. I had the PS Audio DAC already so adding the mini cost $600 and the Hiface cost $150. That is a bargain for me. There will be an explosion of great DACs this year. ALthough many of them will be expensive, the following year the prices will come down. I also own the Cambridge DacMagic for use in a second system. It is truly remarkable for the money. The Benchmark can function as a pre-amp, saving money, and has a remote. I think we are in good times as far as music reproduction is concerned. I feel deeply for those who are struggling financially. I feel blessed to be able to even talk about these esoteric subjects. Computer audio is in its infancy and we are at the cusp of some remarkable developments.