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

I have got a good offer for an integrated CEC TL51Z MKII and it has its own converter on board. CD reproduction is very good and compared to the top transport CEC it shows less quality in the low range but a more airy midrange that I like to my taste.

I am not in the market for a converter and the idea is to use it as a transport combined with my Theta Chroma or with a Swissonic that I already own.

To my listening taste the TL51Z MKII as a integrated player provide excellent sound but not the ultimate frontier in natureness sound.
I plugged to it the swissonic and at the first superficial test the swissonic seems to outperform the CEC integrated DAC. Such a case will be pity because I should keep the swissonic and not take the chance to sell it.
That's why I was interetsted to know if the majority of users believe CEC is a transport company only or can keep up on converters. As an alternative how many of you verified that CEC dac ar not the ultimate performance compared to other well named converters.
Tks if you would comment