2. digital
  3. 976617604

Will a DAC mellow Denon DCM 360

Will a low-end DAC help mellow the high freq edges of my Denon DCM 360 carousel. I've seen ads for the Soundstream DAC-1 ($100) and Musical Fidelity X-DAC ($70) around and wonder if they would be any help? Or is the money better spent on a different cd player? My system is Rotel RB-980BX amp(120 W), ROtel RC-972 pre-amp, B&W 601 series 2 speakers, DIY TNT-X 1.5 connects, and DIY Chris Venhaus Cat 5 (27 pair)teflon speaker cables. My current system sounds excellent for the $1,100 I paid (new speakers & stands, used electronics), except for the piercing highs on some cd's. The DIY cables & interconnects provided a great sonic improvement (excellent detail and soundstaging, much tighter bass) as compared to the cheap Radio Shack "Goldseries" connects and monster cable I was using. The only problem is that the better the interconnect/cables the more "edgey" highs that the CDP delivers.
darkmoebius917e

Showing 2 responses by sean

sean
6,231 posts
 
Aiwa is owned by Sony. They bought them YEARS ago when Aiwa tried to sue Sony. I'd be curious as to what makes the "budget" Aiwa player any better / different than a comparably priced Sony ???? If anything, i would think that the Sony would be better built out of the two just so that they could "protect" the parent companies much bigger/better reputation. Sean >
sean
6,231 posts
 
Since i think that the DCM-360 has a permanent power cord, that kind of lets that out unless you feel like doing internal modifications. You might try starting off with filling a large zip lock type freezer bag with sand and mass loading the CD player. Some Vibrapods underneath it rated for the weight of the player AND the sandbag might also help. In terms of your interconnects and speaker cable, they are probably FAR superior to much of what is available on the market for WAY, WAY more money than what you spent. That is as long as you followed the directions properly. My REAL suggestion is to look into another CD player if you want to solve the problem. I have tried the DCM 360 and it fell WAY short of the NAD 515 in terms of warmth and musicality. It also felt a helluva lot "cheesier" in terms of build quality. Cycling times were also measurably slower with the Denon. If a changer is not a big deal, look for a Cal Delta / Sigma set-up. The Sigma / Sigma II will do MARVELS for your system in terms of musicality, warmth and soundstage. The later version of the Sigma II is 24/96 and is not as full sounding, but does offer a more open and detailed sound. Depending on what your seeking, you can play with the single tube in any of these DACS and fine tune the sound to your liking. I also have one question. How do you have your equipment set up ? Is it in an entertainment center, rack, on top of some type of cabinet, etc ??? Please be as specific as possible. Sean >
More to discover