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Digital Front End: Critical Listening

I'm motivated to write this post after some initial comparisons I made between the DAC in my Marantz DVD player and my Levinson 360S. Using the Marantz as transport, these units fed into a Mccormack RLD1 pre, a Levinson 334 amp, and Celestion SL12si monitors. I realise this system is not your typical "high-end" system used for comparison.
The problem is that I couldn't hear much of a difference between the Marantz and the Levinson. Actually I felt a little foolish for having paid over $3000 for the Levinson when it doesn't seem to offer asignificant improvement. The Marantz is a mid-level DVD player with their "HDAM" technology which is said to replace op amps.
Can anyone offer an opinion as to why I'm not hearing not only a significant difference but drastic improvement with the Levinson. Could it be the Preamp not passing on the improved resolution offered by the 360S? Or maybe it's the speakers but I really don't think so.

Any thoughts?
sjh32
audio999
178 posts
 
I agree with the above posts. The different in digital is small.

I'm not starting fire,but digital VS analog is a big different.
jdombrow
371 posts
 
I recently compared my older Adcom CD player (a very good model in it's time - with Class A circuitry) to my Ah! Njoe Tjoeb CD with upsampler (about $900). The Njoe Tjoeb was noticeably better.
electric_monk
38 posts
 
I just added a Genesis Digital Lens to my system and WOW! My transport is just a cheapie Sony DVD player a'la Good Guys ($175.00). My DAC is the one onboard my Rotel integrated PRE/PRO. My system went from nearly unlistenable to incredibly detailed and involving. Speakers are Thiel CS2.4's. Our next move is going to be a Musical Fidelity Tri-Vista 21 Tube DAC. From there we are going to trade up pre/pros and a new amp. Definately check out a Digital Lens, made a world of difference for us.
tsouthworth
59 posts
 
Are you using a good digital cable from transport to DAC? That would be the other all new component in your system besides the DAC, going from a one-box player. Just a thought. A new cable getting some press is the Stereovox HDVX.

Don't ask me, tho, I still use a Meridian one-box player.

Good luck!
gliderguider's avatar
gliderguider
294 posts
 
I dunno, I've just beeen through a raft of digital upgrades in the last 8 months. I started with old Arcam Alpha / Assemblage 2.6 / D2D-1 lashup, bought a SimAudio Nova, then switched to Audio Note gear - ending up with an insanely expensive CDT-2 / 4.1x Balanced Signature combo. There is no way on God's green earth that I'd have followed that kind of bank-account-draining path if I hadn't heard a difference at each step of the way that was worth the cost - to me.

A lot depends on the rest of the system and (even more important, IMO) your values, preferences and goals for reproduction. I can understand that the perceived differences, both objective and subjective, may not be significant enough to justify the expenditure.

I have to say that the biggest jump in quality I heard was going from the Nova to the Audio Note transport with a 3.1x Balanced DAC. The change wasn't so much in the objective audiophile performance parameters, as in the amount of sheer music that seemed to be released. But keep in mind that this change involved moving to a totally different design philosophy and technical implementation, as well as a 3x jump in price.
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