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Why buy older digital gear?

I've seen a lot of Cal Audio gear for sale recently, most notably the Cal Delta and the Sigma dac. I recall these units where popular in the early 90's. Why spend $500-$600 on outdated technology? Is it because the selling price is much lower than the original retail price? I am certain that todays budget gear would surely outperform any of the older players? Am I wrong or are these components still worth a listen?
Thanks
cody

Showing 1 response by sean

sean
6,231 posts
 
It's been my experience that the older Cal Audio Lab's DAC's still sound far more "musical" and "liquid" than some of the current 24 bit offerings. I'm not saying that they beat ALL of them, only that they can hold their own. This is especially true given the used prices that they are currently being offered at. Besides that, they can make a HUGE difference to someone that is running a "one box" SS player that has some mileage on it. As such, that "old junk" can still be one helluva "upgrade" for quite a few folks out there. Sean
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