FOR CEC Owners

I'm mating a CEC TL 1X with an upgraded Sonic Frontiers SFD-1 MKII DAC, and love the analog-like sound. Previously I was using a Sonic Frontiers SFT-1 or an Audio Alchemy DDS Pro transport, and briefly an Accuphase DP-75 as transport. Nothing gave me the gorgeous liquid midrange of the TL 1X. But you may well be right about their being superior primarily in transport technology. From my own listening, I can't offer an opinion. Maybe someone else can.

Interesting question, I would say that CEC makes great transports especially (TL 1X), (TL 0), & mating them to a tube dac such as the above post, a Kora Hermes, Audio Logic 2400, Audio Note 3.1 or maybe even a Cal Alpha, (which I own), would be my choices when I decide between the trans/dac, or all in one player (Capitole, Mephisto). Good luck.

I bought my TL-1X after I had already bought my Chord DAC64. I didn't even know about a CEC dac until recently.

I've found the Chord to be a perfect companion for the CEC. Obviously there are more opinions about this than there are combinations of transport/dac, all of which are influenced by musical taste, associated equipment,listening room characteristics, etc.
jp