The Law of Diminishing Digital Returns

Matt, I have a laptop sitting around collecting dust and am thinking about getting a DAC. But I am new at this, so how do you feed signal from PC to DAC? Do you need some kind of software? Not too many DAC out there have a USB port, but my laptop has a digital out. Please advice.

Thanks.

5% is hard to see, let alone hear, in my book. at the same time, those mod things get us into no end process. those modded things are hard to compare, and how do you know is there any better mod for some CD player when you're doing one? and you have to have the original player to compare is it any better or worse than modded one.

and let me 'quote' Laurie Anderson: define better...

and if it means more details, no thanks,i'm sick of all those newly discovered details in every generation of CD players. bring back musicality, please!

You've brought up a good point with the law of diminishing returns. I have been looking at several CD players over the past couple of months and now think that I may go with the new Rega Apollo. The new Forbidden City Turandot also interests me but we're talking twice the price.

I second much of what has been said above. I recently compared several CD players, all around $2k (used or new, depending). From the group, I found both the Electrocompaniet EMC 1-UP, and the Audio Aero Prima to be the best. They are both excellent machines, and, coincidentally, I have one of each for sale right now here on Audiogon! The only reason that I am selling both, is that I have found a modified version of the EMC which I am keeping.

Now, as to the original question, I can't imagine a dedicated player at around $1k competing with either of the above-mentioned players. And I firmly believe that the difference, if one could quantify it, would be much more than 5%. I do, however, believe that above (around) the $2k mark, the returns (for those of us who are not wealthy) begin to diminish rapidly.

Finally, I also agree that the future of digital sources is computer-based, as Matt has suggested above. I have no doubt that some very good systems can be built right now, but I've decided to wait a while for that technology to further mature.

1000 players do not do it. Simple you get what you pay for.