DAC or a new cd player

I think your plan will not work as described.

A DAC is used with digital sources only, not analog/lp.

A DAC in conjunction with your existing CD player might be a good idea. The DAC output would be analog and connect to your amplification the same way as a complete CD player would.

My $0.02: Unless your mixer is mastering studio quality, I'd lose it, fast! My experience with inexpensive mixers, both cheap and broadcast quality, suggested that these are not intended for high quality music reproduction. Besides, having fewer components in the audio chain is usually a good thing.

That said, a DAC may be a nice improvement for your CD players. However, without knowing much about your CD players, I would want to try a DAC out first. For example, the popular Channel Islands DAC and PS Audio DAC are available from authorized sellers and the manufacturers' web sites with a 30 day return option. That way, if you are unhappy with the results, you can return it. Remember to use a quality digital cable between the CD player and DAC. While the DAC will be a big factor in the sound, the transport also plays a role. In most cases, an outboard DAC cannot reduce jitter that the CD transport passes to it. A well designed one-box CD player will reduce jitter, and you don't have to worry about a digital cable.

You should decide what your budget is for either a CDP or DAC, and continue to research here and at other web sites as well. Once you post your budget, you'll probably get plenty of suggestions for DACs and CD players. Auditions may be helpful, but there is nothing like installing a possible purchase in your own system in your own room to determine whether it's a good match for your system.

(1) Get rid of your mixer. It sucks by audiophile standards and is holding back the rest of your system. The signal goes through way too many convoluted circuits before it gets to your amp. If your amp has a pre built in, why in God's name would you pollute the signal by sending it to the mixer? Stop.

(2) The 1200 series CD player wasn't too bad. It's not competitive anymore but that doesn't mean anything because it's still enjoyable for the right set of ears. Chances are the signal is so clouded by the mixer that you're not getting a true picture. Try it fed directly into your amp or through a good preamp.

(3) Get a good phono stage. Rotel, Bellari, Cambridge Audio, NAD and Pro-Ject make good models under $300. If you're using a DJ cartridge, replace it at the same time. The Denon DL-160, Ortofon 2M Red, Audio-Technica AT120ET all match well with the Technics.

Those changes, all of them, should cost you well under $1,000 and much less if you can use your amp's built-in preamp section or shop used.

As for CD players, good ones are cheaper than ever. Marantz, NAD, Rotel, Oppo and others offer very, very good units for as little as $200.

Good luck!

this is the center piece of my system
http://cgi.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/srch_fs.pl

Thanks to all first! I am considering Benchmark after some reviews and feedbacks. I use pure silver interconnect cables and I thing getting rid of the mixer is a good idea. I think using one of my cd player with DAC directly connected to my amp will bring out the best possible solution. I was just wondering if I was gonna be able to boost the resolution for my analog turntables. But since I am using a Wilson audio, (these pairs reflects everything)I will definately seperate my system and decrease the number of hardware between the cd plater and the speakers. Thanks for you valuable time!!!!

regards,